Never Tear Us Apart.

As most of you know I grew up in Sydney. It was a time that it was okay to hitchhike home at 3 in the morning from a club. The beaches weren’t crowded. Bands such as INXS were just starting out. I was lucky enough to see these guys before they became a worldwide hit.  Unless you have stood in a crowded, smoky club, where you have to yell to be heard and the floor actually vibrates to the music that travels through your body, where a voice slides smooth and deep over words that tell YOUR story then I perhaps you will not understand the truly amazing experience that was INXS live. Every bit of an INXS concert was a high without the after effects. I have never lost my love of their music, their showmanship, their brilliance.

I cried when Michael Hutchence died alone in a hotel room in Sydney. Because we lost a genius. A flawed genius maybe, but aren’t they usually the ones who take us to places we never thought to experience?

Michael as I first saw him.

I have just finished watching ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ – an Australian mini series about the band.

There is a bit of controversy. Well of course there is. Family members who hate the series, claiming it contains completely fabricated scenes. Friends of Michael Hutchence who feel it is still too soon for this. Critics who slam it for not being in depth enough, for not choosing either to be only about the band or only about Michael. Then there are the slurs about it being a marketing ploy to sell more INXS CDs.

Taking in to account all the above…it is still a series worth seeing.

Why ???

Lots of reasons.

I am going to tell you two of why I actually really enjoyed this, as well as give what are my thoughts on the controversy.

1. The cast. Luke Arnold is Michael Hutchence. It really is eerie watching him at times. He has the mannerisms, the charisma…like I said, eerie at times watching him. That said, he isn’t the only piece of terrific casting. I do have to say that they got it a bit wrong with two characters. Bono and Molly Meldrum…oh dear. Considering how brilliant the other casting is, how did they get these two so wrong ????
2. The story.  It crosses. Between the fans and the non-fans. What do I mean by that? For the fans, like me, it brings you the beginning, the middle, the end. There was so much I never knew. How young John [the drummer] was. How steadfast, staid, yet beautifully normal [in so many ways] Andy was. Talking about Andy…he really was such a musical genius. I have to mention this…as a girl who played Yum Yum at school in the Mikado…I loved the scene where his wife sang “Three Little Maids From School.” The fact that Michael lost his sense of smell and taste, something I never knew, and how that impacted on him. But for the non-fans…this series really shows you what it actually took to be a success, as well as highlighting the incredible music. I read one review from an artist from the same time in Australia who criticised some scenes. I want to use one instance to argue my point that he, and others are wrong. He said that the few scenes used to show how they toured the world to get famous does not show what it is really like. WRONG. This is a 3 hour plus mini series trying to show 20 plus years. You have to compact. As a viewer…I thought that how they showed what that time was like was very good. Other criticism has been that it must either be about the band or Michael. WRONG. I am a huge fan of INXS…but Michael’s story has never let me go. Chris Murphy says that this series is about giving Michael his dignity back. I think he has a point. Michael’s death has always been the end note of INXS for me. Until now. While I will say that never once since Michael died has INXS been the same for me, but…oh yes…there is the but again…this series makes you realise these guys were more than just Michael’s backing band. It is a story not just of INXS, not just of Michael Hutchence, but of Chris Murphy and the incredible drive that made him MAKE this band a success. And this mini series is also about giving Michael something more than being remembered for the way he died. I am a fan of the Australian mini series. They do it well. They did this well. Yes they glorify INXS. Why wouldn’t they? Yes, they glorify the time, but take it from someone who lived that time…they did a good job. Forget the scandal of Paula Yates, forget the scandal of how he died, watch this and remember the music, the genius of a group of boys from Australia who made rock history.

And the ending…perfect !!!

Don’t ask me what you know is true
Don’t have to tell you, I love your precious heart
I, I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided and they could never tear us apart

We could live for a thousand years but if I hurt you, I’d make wine from your tears
I told you that we could fly, ’cause we all have wings but some of us don’t know why
I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided and they could never ever tear us apart

I (Don’t ask me), I was standing (What you know is true), you were there (Worlds collided)
Two worlds collided (We’re shining through) and they could never tear us apart
You (Don’t ask me), you were standing (What you know is true), I was there (Worlds collided)
Two worlds collided (We’re shining through) and they could never tear us apart
I, I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided…

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