INXS have announced “INXS Day” to celebrate four-and-a-half decades since their first live performance, revealing a special livestream event along with the announcement of multiple vinyl reissues and more.
45 years ago, on August 16, 1977, the band – then named The Farriss Brothers after members Tim, Andrew and Jon – played their first gig at a house party in Sydney. Among the celebrations planned to commemorate the date are an hour-long livestream on TikTok, which will celebrate the 35th anniversary of their seminal album ‘Kick’.
The livestream event will include a track-by-track feature, interviews with the band and their executive music producer, Giles Martin, and more. That will be available to watch via the band’s TikTok account here on August 16 – times will be staggered as per below:
In addition, INXS will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their breakthrough third album, 1982’s ‘Shabooh Shoobah’, with a deluxe digital box set (which will make 15 songs available on streaming platforms for the first time), arriving on October 28.
That same day, the album – which featured hits like ‘Don’t Change’ and ‘The One Thing’ – will be available on clear vinyl, alongside a classic ‘Shabooh Shoobah’ t-shirt. The band’s breakthrough American performance, a nine-track set at California’s US Festival in May 1983, will also be issued on vinyl as a live album. Pre-orders are available here.
This month, the band will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of 1992 album ‘Welcome To Wherever You Are’ with five music videos from the album upgraded in high definition on their YouTube channel. Plus, on August 26, INXS’ hits compilation ‘The Very Best’ will be re-released, mixed in Dolby Atmos by Martin.
“What Giles has done is to not only recreate the original mixes, but now you’re blown away because you hear all this stuff that you just didn’t hear before,” guitarist Tim Farriss says of the new edition.
The band’s classic 1987 album ‘Kick’ was remixed in Dolby Atmos earlier this year. Farriss spoke to NME about the process, saying the record’s title track, ‘Calling All Nations’ and ‘Devil Inside’ were particular standouts. “They all sound different to me, really,” he explained.
Farriss also spoke to NME about Andrew Farriss and the late Michael Hutchence receiving a writing credit for Dua Lipa‘s smash hit ‘Break My Heart’, which interpolates the main guitar riff from ‘Kick’ cut ‘Need You Tonight’.
“I think it’s great, I think she’s really cool,” Farriss said. “It’s kind of bizarre to hear it like that, because it’s really an interpretation. Hats off to her for asking for permission to use it and for the writing credit. I think there should be more of that stuff.”