For the first time in a long time there was a considerable amount of hype surrounding a major tour causing a frenzy of interest amongst punters to get in early to buy their tickets, or risk missing out or worse still paying outrageous prices on eBay.

It is hard to believe that the last time Inxs played in our fair ‘ole city was all the way back in 1994 at Centennial Hall. Twelve years later and a reality program to seek out a singer and a charismatic front man sees another tour once more – whether this is the only time or the last time Australia can relive the memories and soak in the live experience I’m sure that there weren’t too many fans that would have left disappointed. For me I went with an open mind coming to the conclusion that this wasn’t a great show but definitely not the worst show I had ever seen. I don’t know if it was just me but this show fell well short of my expectations and there definitely is something about JD Fortune that strikes a raw nerve – I tried to like but I can’t. His arrogant and pompous attitude is not endearing combined with his preachy lecture to free the world is total bullshit. JD Fortune’s main game is sex, drink and rock ‘n roll, so he should really leave the preaching to Michael Franti and closer to home, Bernard Fanning.

Thebarton Theatre was the perfect venue for Inxs and there was a real sense of anticipation in the room. The five-minute countdown was a novel idea to build the excitement before the curtain fell with the band launching into ‘Suicide Blonde’. The sound mix was muddy and the sound guys never really got it right all night. For all the build up and excitement it was like opening a flat bottle of Coke, absolutely no fizz whatsoever. There was a good blend of old and new to keep the fans of old as well as the crop of new and better looking fans satisfied. When JD Fortune sticks to the Switch album he’s really on the money with ‘Devil’s Party’, ‘Hot Girls’, ‘After Glow’ and ‘Dirty Vegas’ getting the nod of appreciation. However, Fortune is no Michael Hutchence. He really doesn’t give the hits a new lease of life and fails to make his mark with some of these classic hits. Still, you can’t have a Inxs concert without the likes of ‘Need You Tonight’, ‘Kick’, ‘Mystify’, ‘New Sensation’ and ‘Don’t Change’. Even if it was poorly done it was still good to see Inxs for nostalgia and to remember some pretty damn good live experiences.