BILLY IDOL- Hammerstein Ballroom

Written by Backstage Bruce

My Backstage Pass from that night

     The concert was sold-out. It had been quite a while since Billy Idol performed last in New York so the show brought out the people. The place was completely packed from the stage to the doors.

Billy Idol

     He looked absolutely incredible, as did all the musicians. The sound was tight, the stage was set up rockin' staircases on both sides, the lighting was engaging, almost hypnotic. The band was in complete sync. They rocked the house with all their tremendous electrifying energy.

     The highlight of the evening was the song 'White Wedding'. It started off with just Billy Idol and the lead guitarist Steve Stevens seated. They've worked together forever. 'White Wedding' started off acoustically and as it progressed it got harder, faster and rocked louder with the rest of the band joining in and turning it up to 11. Billy & Steve- Hammerstein

Steve Stevens

     Other crowd pleasing hits included 'Rebel Yell', 'Eyes Without A Face', 'Sweet Sixteen', 'Flesh For Fantasy' and 'Dancing With Myself'. One thing that was really cool to see were the solos. They are rarely done anymore so it was a welcome treat. Steve Stevens brought his, the riffs were electrifying. He was rocking a '80's hairstyle and wardrobe, absolutely fantastic.

Jeremy Colson

     Another great solo was by the drummer, Jeremy Colson. That dude was on fire! (When he is not beating the skins for Billy, he also plays drums for Steven Vai. He is in high demand.) It was his moment, he owned it and shined. Everyone loved it. A great video of him that night doing his solo: JEREMY

     There were a few things that left the audience noticeably mumbling and grumbling as they exited. For one, Billy and the band performed the song 'L.A. Woman' but only half of it. They left out the whole "Mr. Mojo Rising, got to keep on riding." part. It was an abbreviated version, which left some commenting "Why bother?" The disappointment of the night was the set list. It happens from time to time that a band will leave off one of their hits, maybe two. It sucks but it happens, but to leave off three hits just hurts.

           That's right, they didn't play 'Cradle Of Love', 'To Be A Lover', and the song I showed up to hear most 'Hot In The City'. 'Hot In The City' is on the greatest hits CD. One of the lines, in the song, is "A sweet summer night" also during the song he screams out "New York". The video for the song was filmed in New York City with The Empire State Building PROMINENTLY in the background.

     Well here he is, in New York, on a hot summer night, three blocks away from The Empire State Building, if he doesn't play it tonight, then when? I expected and anticipated that song and thought when he screams out "New York" the place was going to erupt, but that didn't happen.

     I was in the dressing room earlier with the catering crew. I saw the set list just laying there. I read it over and thought to myself, "That can't be it, that can't be the final, that must be the first draft." Turns out it was the final! Had I known, I would have gotten out a pen and written the songs in myself. Could you imagine the drama that would have ensued? I would have lost all access and never been able to work another show.

 
           During the encore of 'Mony Mony', Billy strapped on a guitar and played a few riffs of 'Cradle Of Love' which just reminded all of us "Oh yeah, you didn't play that one either." The show comes to an end, he thanks the crowd and says "We'll see you next time." One couldn't help but think 'Uh, maybe, but only if you post your set list first.'

INXS' Very last show in NYC with Michael- The Beacon Theater

     Disclaimer- To the best of my knowledge, this is the only review of the very last time INXS performed in New York City with their original lead singer Michael Hutchence.

 Written by Backstage Bruce

Jon Farris (drummer), Michael, me and Tim Farris (guitar), Drexel University, Philly, 1993

     How, is that even possible? You might be asking yourself. I'm just as perplexed. In spring of 1997, the same year as the tragedy, INXS released their tenth studio album, 'Elegantly Wasted'. They came to New York to do their press junkets. One night they performed on 'The Late Show with David Letterman'. I was there. 

    Next day they were on 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show' live at 10:00 a.m. I didn't know about that appearance, but fortunately a friend called early enough for me to tune in to the t.v. Later that night they played a concert at Irving Plaza then the after-party was at Chaos at 23 Watt Street. I was there for both events, as was the press, every step of the way reviewing the album and the show. Rolling Stone, Spin, MTV, Daily News, New York Post, plus others all wrote great things. The band then embarked on their summer tour.

My six different backstage passes dating back to 1988

  When the band returned in September, about five months later, all the press had already covered this album and this tour and New York is a very big, busy place. There are a lot of music venues and the reporters were dispatched to other assignments. I wrote the review for my own personal journal, never intending that it would ever be seen by anyone else. I wanted to see how my writing skills compared to the professionals. The next day I started looking for a review, first the papers. There was nothing, I checked daily. The magazines I would check weekly. I looked for months and months and finally just gave up. I never found one to compare mine to.    

Tim Farris pick came from a taping of the Jon Stewart Show and the Garry Gary Beers (bass) pick came from The Hammerstein show. 

    I put my review in a desk and just forgot about it. A few years later I returned to college to take a few classes and I joined the college newspaper. They needed content for the first issue of the new semester. I mentioned that I have a copy of what I think is the only review of INXS' last show in NYC with Michael. They loved it and ran it. It's a community college only 16 miles from NYC, Nassau Community College, it's pretty big. It has a student body of 25,000.

Herb Ritts Photo 1

Herb Ritts Photo 2

 
    

 Since then I do an internet search every so often and to this day I have not seen another review of INXS, at The Beacon Theater, on that September 16th, 1997 evening. The last time we, in NYC, would get to see the six-original members on stage ever again. Here is the review, as written the very next day, with all its grammatical errors, I didn't change a word. I hope you enjoy it:

        INXSTACI- The Lost Review

     In ecstasy is the way INXS left the fans at The Beacon Theater last Tuesday night (September 16th, 1997). Arguably Australia's greatest band ever, they've been at it for some time and never missed a beat. Their renditions of the classics kept everybody in a dancing frenzy with such hits as 'New Sensation', 'Need You Tonight/Mediate', 'What You Need', 'Disappear', 'Taste It', 'Bitter Tears', 'Kick', 'Devil Inside', plus others.

     'Mystify' was added back to the repertoire for the first time in years, which was enthusiastically received by the sold-out audience. During 'Mystify' Michael jumped into the crowd and started heading up an aisle. Girls were hugging and kissing, guys were high-fiving and back patting as he went by. He continued up the entire aisle, out the doors into the lobby. 

    

    He returned through a different set of doors and made his way back towards the stage. Halfway down, he stopped and went into a row of seats! The people in those seats got an extra little treat. The entire time the song 'Mystify' was still being performed, no one missed a single note. "Eternally wild with power to make every moment come alive".

     The music was tight and the band looked great. They had a few female back-up singers accompany them that particular evening. Andrew Farriss (one of the three Farriss Brothers, keyboardist, and chief song writer) was dressed in a complete UPS brown uniform; shorts, shirt and hat. UPS was on strike at the time and he was showing his support for the working man. It was great. 

    My favorite song off the new album is 'Don't Lose Your Head'. (It's the song they played during their appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.) It was the first song of the encore followed by 'Don't Change'. While performing that song Michael pulled a girl on stage with him, then another, then another and so on. Now just everyone was climbing onto the stage.

     By this time INXS started their third and final encore 'Suicide Blonde'. People were pouring onto the stage by the hundreds, myself included. Security came out and just stood there. It was complete pandemonium. Everything was out of control, but it was all good. Everyone was having a good time just dancing, no pushing, no shoving, no slamming. It was such a sight. 

    After that song the band barely made it off stage. Security had to escort them out of that craziness. Michael must have had twenty girls clinging to him. That was a first. After hundreds of concerts, I have never seen anybody who wanted to just get up on stage and dance, be able to. It was fantastic. After the show, I met a married couple as everyone was filing out. I asked them if they enjoyed the show (I talk to everyone, I consider them friends I just haven't met yet.) 

    

    They said they loved it. They also told me that they met at an INXS concert. How cool is that? The guy then took off his wedding ring and showed me the inscription "Light me and I'll burn for you." That is a line from probably my favorite INXS song 'Burn For You' from their fourth album 'The Swing'. They were hardcore fans. I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of 'Elegantly Wasted'. The after-party for this show was at WAX. It took another New York hustle to get through that door. A great time was had by all. And to the dudes; Kirk, Andrew, Garry, Tim, Jon and Michael...No worries mates.



SETLIST FOR THAT NIGHT

ELEGANTLY WASTED

The Farriss Brothers-
Andrew, Tim, Jon

NEW SENSATION

TASTE IT

TIME

JUST A MAN

MYSTIFY

HEAVEN SENT

SEARCHING (Lady Di Tribute)

DISAPPEAR

NEVER TEAR US APART

NEED YOU TONIGHT/ MEDIATE

BITTER TEARS

                                             GIRL ON FIRE

KICK

DEVIL INSIDE

WHAT YOU NEED

ENCORE

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD

DON'T CHANGE

SUICIDE BLONDE

My ticket stub from their last Letterman appearance