Cast your mind back to 1979. The air in those sticky, sweat-soaked Aussie pubs was thick with the smell of spilled beer and the raw, electric promise of something new. We were all huddled around the telly watching Countdown, waiting for Molly Meldrum to introduce the next big thing, never realising that one of the greatest bands in our history was just starting out in the shadows. Before the global stages and the mesmerising swagger of Michael Hutchence, these blokes were playing under a different banner entirely. You might reckon you know the story of INXS, but the truth starts with a humble, half-empty jar of jam sitting on a kitchen counter.
Back then, the band was kicking around under the name The Farriss Brothers. It was a solid start, but the boys knew they needed a name that packed a punch, something that sounded like the restless energy of the late seventies. As the story goes, the name INXS was born from a cheeky observation of a jar of IXL jam. They were staring at that label, and the letters just sort of clicked. It’s the kind of quintessentially Aussie moment that feels like a bloke’s dream—turning an everyday kitchen staple into a moniker that would soon be splashed across stadium lights across the globe. It was modest, it was clever, and it stuck like glue.
Transitioning from The Farriss Brothers to INXS wasn’t just a change of sign-writing on their battered van; it was a total reinvention of their sound and style. They brought a polished, rhythmic edge to the pub rock circuit that had been dominated by harder, guitar-heavy outfits. While other bands were busy trying to out-grunt each other, INXS was busy weaving funk, soul, and a bit of dark, velvet mystery into their sets. Watching them evolve from those early pub gigs in Perth and Sydney to becoming the absolute darlings of the Australian music scene was nothing short of magic. They had that rare, authentic colour that made every Aussie feel a bit of pride when they finally cracked the international charts.
What made the band so special, mate, was how they never lost that grit they picked up in the trenches of the Aussie pub circuit. Even when they reached the dizzying heights of fame, there was always that underlying hum of the pub band heart. Michael Hutchence had a presence that could stop a room cold, but he was always one of us, wasn’t he? Whether it was the sharp, driving basslines or the way they commanded a stage at Wembley, they reminded us all of those early days when they were just a bunch of mates with a vision and a very strange inspiration from a breakfast condiment.
It’s been heaps of years since those early days, yet every time a track like Don’t Change hits the airwaves, you’re instantly transported back to a golden era of Aussie music. Looking back, it’s brilliant to realise that a bit of jam started it all. The legacy of INXS isn’t just in the records; it’s in the memory of those nights where the music felt like it was finally catching up to the world. Next time you’re in the kitchen, keep an eye on your jam jars—you never know what kind of legend might be hiding in plain sight.