"Rock Star: INXS" (2005) TV series 2005-????

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Michael Simon

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

11 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Music | Reality-TV

Plot Keywords:

Audition | Singing | Contest | Rock Music | Music Reality

Cast

Simone De La Rue	...	Herself (1 episode, 2005)
Gina Loring	...	Background vocalist (1 episode, 2005)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Mark Burnett Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (2005-11-22)" (2005)

Needs some KICK

In a recent episode, guitarist Kirk Pengelly said to one of the more promising talents who, that said, did an uncharacteristically week performance of "Layla", "it wasn't your strongest performance... still, it'll be a while before you'll be singing INXS songs." Therein lies the problem with this show.

As a fan of the band INXS, I waited with deep interest for this show to air. Unfortunately, about a week before it premiered, I caught a TV spot for the show. What I saw (actually overheard from the next room) was a bunch of singers (some better than others) singing... other peoples' songs. At first, I thought I was hearing an ad for some compilation until it said "Rock Star: INXS". There was also, as I recall, little mention of Michael Hutchence, his suicide, the band (except as the prize) or their music.

Still, keeping an open mind, I tuned in to see the premiere of the show. It was interesting enough and, in THAT episode, the band was given more than the proper respect. Plenty of exposition of who they were. But as the weeks wore on, and the competition continued to consist of the contestants singing arbitrary songs from various artists, followed by an episode the following night of the bottom three rated vocalists singing INXS songs (Monday nights have rather boring vignettes of the cast in the LA mansion they're forced to live in together).

The main problem is that the show should be about INXS, but it's not. The band's identity is all but obscured in the little drama about the various singers, which is like Big Brother, if everyone (except some dude named JD) was just too darn polite. It's obvious that INXS hadn't exactly been setting the country on fire since the late nineties, but then again, it's not like every actor/actress who gets a new show gets one because they're still tops at the box office. Still, the show sets them up as a huge band (which is true in some circles, and the tour might be successful) but you don't get a sense of why their so great. The main problem is that they're singing a random collection of other peoples' songs. When the band is forced to chose which singer to send home, they DO have them sing their own songs, but it seems anticlimactic after hearing hits by giants like Queen, David Bowie, Nirvana, etc.

This show could have been used by INXS as a means of stating to the people why they're relevant, if they are at all. It's not. The show could replace INXS tomorrow with another well known band looking for a new lead singer and the show would scarcely miss a beat. Again, it's not as if this band was continuing to set the world on fire anyway, but had the show given people a reason why they should be, then that might have changed. With all the perpetually boring new music coming out, who wouldn't trade it all for "What You Need," "Need You Tonight" or "Suicide Blonde"?

As for the performances, some are better than others. The good news is that nobody comes off as a clone of Michael Hutchence, and that many of them are perfectly talented. The bummer part is that they all play in front of a house band while the surviving members of INXS (along with Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro whose connection to the band can only be described as minimal) observe and opine about the performance. Their commentary is generally insightful, but it makes it difficult, maybe impossible, to tell what kind of chemistry even the best contestants will have with the band. Occasionally, members of the band will sit in with the house band on elimination night, but that isn't quite the same.

The show really needs a shot in the arm. Despite INXS's less-than-hitmaker status, the band is still, supposedly the "draw" here, yet they have so little to do. Maybe the Monday night shows recapping what the contestants are up to at the house should give way (at least in part) to the band's progress on the new album, who they are, their music, and what they think of the contestants instead of treating them like a prize the winner might end up trading in for a Lexus. It's not every day that a band in need of a comeback is given a TELEVISION SHOW and from that standpoint, INXS is squandering it. HOPEFULLY, whoever they pick will be the right man or woman for the job.