My Sweet NeoCon

Yep! I noticed that as well! Marty was into himself (I like him so dont think I am ragging) I had just finished watching some old INXS stuff and MH was very interactive with the guys while on stage... JD did that as well... totally reminded me of MH.

movieking

Garbage singer slams INXS

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson says the rock band may be about to take a break after a gruelling tour, but it is not planning to split up.

"We have discussed this and I don't think anybody is interested in breaking up," Manson told Australian Associated Press.

"We feel that this has been a really great tour and we feel that we have really muscled through and produced a great record, and we just want to take some time off while things are really good between us," she added.

The band announced last month it was cancelling dates in France, Belgium and Britain in October.

"Having been constantly on the road since the beginning of March the band feel they have somewhat overextended themselves, and have mutually decided to conclude their tour at the end of September in Australia," Garbage said in a posting on its website.

Manson said she was desperate for some time off.

"I don't think I have seen a single green vegetable in three months, so I just need to get my life into some sort of sense of control," Manson said.

She also slammed Australian band INXS for using a reality show to find a replacement for its former lead singer, Michael Hutchence, who committed suicide in 1997.

Canadian vocalist J.D. Fortune was chosen as INXS' new lead singer for an upcoming tour as the climax to CBS show Rock Star: INXS.

"It isn't INXS without Michael Hutchence," said Manson.

"I feel like in life you have to be prepared to let go of something in order for new growth to occur in your life. And I think it is unhealthy to be constantly coming back to recreate the past," she added.

"You should forge forward instead of being sentimental about things that have gone by."

Isn't getting a new lead singer forging forward? It's not like they are recording a bunch of crap with MH singing lead that wasn't good enough to make an album 10 years ago.

Gil Jawetz

That's not a slam. It's a gentle nudge. But her perspective is immaterial: She is the focal point of her band and could potentially go solo with some success. The guys from INXS, who have had nearly a decade without MH, want to be INXS because (I assume) they love being INXS. It's not like they all decided to split up the band. It's their call what they want to do with it.

I really can't think of any band other than Van Halen that would work for a second season. All the other ideas (Alice in Chains, STP) would suck in this context. Van Halen would be a friggin riot.

Bill Needle

Strong personalities (much moreso than INXS) and an awesome back catalogue for performance shows. That would be a great choice.

zebop

I think Van Halen would be a great idea too.

You know, INXS is certainly an odd band. Although they did indeed lose their charasmatic lead singer and a writer, I have to say they are still vital as a band. They're just a cool group of guys. That's a rare in situations like this...

Jadzia

I want to see RockStar Drummer: Spinal Tap.

chowderhead

yes, but it is guitarist Butch Vig (who produced for some hugh acts in the 90s like smashing pumpkins and nirvana) who basically founded the group and FOUND Shirley Manson to front the group. Without his name attached to the group, I think Garbage would have had a harder time making it big.

Anyway, I think unless they get a HUGE band to reform with a new lead singer, the ratings have not been there to justify a another season. I did enjoy the show however.

Gil Jawetz

I think Butch Vig got them lots of PRESS because the journos were interested in what he was up to (the other guys in the band are also well-known producers in their own right) but it was the brilliant choosing of Manson that got the band manistream notoriety. Either way, I think it's tough for a frontperson to know what it would be like to be, say, a bass player or a rhythm guitarist who loves their band and suddenly, through no fault of their own, finds themselves out a career. I don't fault INXS for doing the show. I do wonder how effective it will ultimately be in "reviving" their career, but I'm sure they had fun doing it.

seymouru

* Note: Only fatalists need apply.

I'm still waiting for American Masters: John "Stumpy" Pepys.

Cardiff Giant11

was Stumpy Pepys the one who choked on vomit (still unsure of who's vomit) or the one that died ina bizarre gardening accident?

seymouru

He was the gardener. It was Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs who had the unique privilege of sharing vomit.

movieking

Has Pretty Vegas been released to radio as a single? A buddy of mine has said he hears one of the local stations playing it all the time. Is it available on iTunes or anything? He said it seems like a studio version, and not one taken from the shows.

Big Boy Laroux

i think it's available on itunes.

Scratch that. official INXS site says it's available 10/04/05

Jadzia

I downloaded it from www.rockstar.msn.com for 99 cents. They have MP3s of each performance from every week. They sound pretty good, too. The house band is so good.

The sucky thing is that it downloads as .wma protected file and ITunes would not add it. So I had to burn it to CD and then add it to ITunes that way to get it on my IPod.

HE Pennypacker

Kinda like how the house band did the Stones better than the Stones, Nirvana better than Nirvana, Queen better than Queen, etc?

Bugg

I think the best idea for the next ROCKSTAR, would be to find a lead singer for the houseband and start a new group.

I mean, what would people rather go see right now, INXS with JD or The Houseband with Marty?

Gil Jawetz

You're joking, right?

movieking

I would love to see a series based on getting a lead singer for the House Band, since I thought the House Band was awesome. I'd be all over it, but it wouldn't have the awareness to draw an audience.

Cusm

I hope so.

HE Pennypacker

INXS w/ J.D. Unless, of course, the house band puts out original material. I like the drummer and the lead guitarist especially.

rkndkn

For anyone interested, INXS is scheduled to be on today's "Ellen" and "Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson".

tasha99

Don't know if he was joking or not, but I was dead serious about them being better than INXS at INXS at this point. I found out though that what we saw was their second take of Easy Easy--JD sang it the first time with the lyric sheet in hand, so maybe their new song was genuinely not practiced (at least with JD).

HE Pennypacker

Yes, I was joking. But, I disagree about the house band doing INXS better than INXS. That makes no sense to me, sorry.

Anyway, just watched INXS on Ellen, they did "Pretty Vegas," a bit of a different version than what we saw on the show. I thought it rocked. I have a feeling this song will get some decent radio exposure....but is INXS back? That remains to be seen.

Tommy Ceez

I dont think they care if they ever release a hit again...the amount of past fans who will see what JD does at a live show, and the amount of new fans who buy the INXS back catalog because of the show make it all worthwhile.

HE Pennypacker

True, seeing them do their classics will be great...BUT, music is their profession and their craft. Simply reliving their glory days won't be enough for them, if that's all they wanted, why spend all that time and effort recording a new album? INXS can live comfortably by simply performing their old songs at the state fair. It's obvious they think they can still be relevant in 2005. And you know, I have this funny feeling that they will be alright.