Karnataka - Bangalore   

A disappointing affair

Rakesh Mehar

TRYING TO IMPRESS: Lead vocalist J.D. Fortune of the Australian band INXS performing in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: As the first riffs of Australian band INXS's "Suicide Blonde" poured out onto Palace Grounds, one felt a certain optimism, an expectation of a great night to come. However, it was proven just a few minutes later that first impressions can often be disastrously wrong. As it turned out, the concert, eagerly awaited by a significant fan base in the city, was a disappointing affair.

Almost from the beginning, lead vocalist J.D. Fortune — who was added on to the band as a replacement for the late Michael Hutchence after the high-profile reality TV show Rockstar INXS — did everything but sing.

Struggling with a sore throat and a failing voice, Fortune seemed a far cry from the legendary Hutchence, and even from his recorded self. Indeed, at various points throughout the concert, the only thing that kept the vocal portion of the performance from falling on its face were the admirable backing performances given by the other members of the band. Particularly impressive was the female backing vocalist, who clearly stole the scene despite being hidden in an almost-unseen corner of the stage. Fortune, for the most part, did little but gyrate effeminately around the stage, as the rest of the band members kept the groove going.

As much as the rest of the band did, however, the concert simply seemed to lack punch. Of course, there were a few highlights that made the evening passably entertaining. Guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly, for instance, provided some variety to the show, particularly with his rather impressive sax-playing, rare moments in the concert that one eagerly waited for and savoured, but that ended far too quickly. The band did also play some of their great hits, such as "Disappear", "Devil Inside", "Kick" and the newer "Pretty Vegas".

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