Episode 2: INXS Obsession: Kylie, Rachel & The Quiz Showdown

This week on the Listen Like Fans podcast, I’m joined by the fabulous Kylie and Rachel for a brand-new show packed with laughs, memories and serious INXS love.

We dive into our personal INXS journeys — the songs that hooked us, the moments that changed us, and why this band still means so much all these years later. 

With INXS officially nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I am also joined by Jon Jamen, and we talk about what this recognition means and how we, the fans, can help with the Fan Vote. 

And because we are fans first… we finish with something VERY special.

The INXS Quiz.
Play along at home and see how you score!

It’s heartfelt. It’s fun. It’s proudly Australian.
And yes — we need your votes every day!

How to vote: https://vote.rockhall.com/

Become A Backstage Legend and join the INXS Fan Community

 https://www.patreon.com/cw/ListenlikeFans_fortheloveofINXSBackstageLegends 

Website: https://www.inxsaccessallareas.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/INXSaccessallareas

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:06

Welcome to Listen Like Times for the Live of T Make Sign P and each week I'll be joined by a different hard host as we dive into the songs to school. We see the moment to night at schools in Liv. We see the most iconic style from the funny stuff next live. I wanted to bring on to listen like fans to help us break this all down. And he's recently been featured on Rock Retrospective and the Rock Hall podcast. He'll explain all of that later. And when it comes to rock hall data, history, trends, and possibilities, this man is the human encyclopedia. I lovingly call him Data Man. And beyond the stats and the numbers, he is genuinely one of the kindest, smartest, calmest souls I've ever had the pleasure to know. He brings clarity where there's confusion, a perspective, where there's noise. And today he's going to help us understand exactly what this nomination means for in Excess. Please welcome my dear friend John Jamin.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Hi, thanks for having me on. I'm very excited to do this.

SPEAKER_07 2:09

It's great, isn't it? It's cool. Okay, so you and I have been doing numerous podcasts and guesting on other podcasts lately, but it's good to have you on my my new show, which is wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

I'm very excited to be a guest on your new show.

SPEAKER_07 2:24

All right. Well, what do you think then? We got in at last. Woohoo!

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Hallelujah. This is this is amazing, right? We've been talking about it for you've been talking about it for over five, almost six years, you know, and I've uh I've been with you for uh I I think going on almost three. Uh so yeah, it's definitely a long time coming. And they've waited a little longer. They they've they've been kind of uh out there waiting for over 20 years. So it's uh awesome, yeah. Awesome to see.

SPEAKER_07 2:53

2006, they were uh able to be able to be nominated, and then this week, with only a week, they've uh yeah, been nominated. Now there is two or three parts to this nomination. Could you break it all down for us, please, John?

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Yeah, sure. So the the rock call, um, you know, their their process, they have a pro induction process for performers, and that's where NXS has been nominated with. I believe this year there's 17 nominees. And so the Raw Call, they have a roughly 30-person nominating committee. Uh, they meet uh in January. Each of the 30 nominating committee members can pitch up to two artists, and then within the room, they come up with the ballot. This is the first time that uh NXS has actually come up in the room. Um, I know we've spent a lot of time trying to figure out okay, how who do we who who can who can influence the nominating committee members? Someone obviously uh made the pitch, and fortunately they made their very first ballot. This this year it is a little, I think there's 10 first time first ballot um on this. I think it was one of the one of the most ever, if not the most ever, but you know, very uh very exciting. Now that the uh the performers are kind of out there, there's gonna be a process where the voting committee meets. The voting committee is made up of all of the basically current inductees of the hall. It's also made up of an additional 500 plus music executives. So roughly, roughly 1,200 people will have official ballots, uh, and it's their job to go out. Um this year they have to pick seven. Up until I think 2024, they could pick up to five, it moved to um up to seven. And then this year, um, according to future rock legends, they instituted where each of the 1200 have to pick seven. Um, so each of the each of the the voting the voting committee um will pick seven. Um and then I believe they've got until March 25th to do that. And the fan vote, which I will get to in a second, uh the fan vote goes to until April, a little bit uh uh early April. Um the 1200, um, the fan vote counts as one. Yeah. Uh so one out of 1200. And I know there's uh there's a lot of energy around the the fans uh voting. Um, I think the fan vote, uh, while obviously it counts as one, um, the fan vote is very much for the fans. It's a little kind of bragging rights within the the various fan groups. Um, the other thing I I'll go over is you know there are other categories um that are really kind of uh handled by kind of small committees uh within the rock call. There's nothing that public or really anybody else can do. You know, they have a music at musical excellence, um, non-performer, early influence. And so they'll come up with other nominees that will fit those other basically other categories, and the combination of the performer category and the other categories will actually make up the ballot that'll come out in April.

SPEAKER_07 6:02

Well, looking at the list, there's not many bands on this list, is there?

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Yeah, we've got you know you've got the the the black rose, you've got uh in excess, iron maiden, uh Joy Division New Order, uh New Edition, uh Oasis. So there's there's a few, Wu Chang, so there's there's a few.

SPEAKER_07 6:20

Okay, and Sha Dai is a band as well, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Oh Shae, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:23

Yeah, so I uh out of those though, how many of them are rock associated bands?

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Uh well, I think you so Black Rose, certainly, NXF certainly, Iron Maiden, you know, New Order, Oasis.

SPEAKER_07 6:37

Okay, so it's five. So yeah, I'm trying to work out who who is who's like the competition, I suppose, um, that we will have to, you know, get through. Did Oasis get nominated last year as well?

SPEAKER_00 6:49

This is the third year for Oasis.

SPEAKER_07 6:51

This is the third year for Oasis.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Yeah, they they got they got nominated before, um, I believe that before the reunion was even announced. Um, and then last year they were nominated, but the reunion hadn't happened. So this is this is their first, this is their first year being uh third year being nominated first after the big uh the big hoopla of uh 2025 for them.

SPEAKER_07 7:11

Yeah, but now they've toured, they've they've gained more fans, they've gained a lot of younger fans. Um it'll be interesting to see if that vote um is influenced by all of that now as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Can't imagine it's not gonna be, right?

SPEAKER_07 7:26

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Um, so obviously we live in excess and we want them to be at the top there. So what the what the fans can do is be part of this fan vote. Um, it's very interactive, as in that you can get online and you can get your emails and you do it once a day and see your band leverage up that leaderboard. I think at the beginning, when we um first got the announcement, in excess went straight in at number two, which is very, very exciting. But as of today, which is in Australia, the 3rd of March, we have come down that leaderboard.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Yeah, so I think I think we uh we hit the ground running uh along with Phil Collins. I think the um, as some people may be familiar with, there was a uh name your nominee poll on future rock legends. And I think a lot of the the fans got a little a little practice um on that. So I I think when the actual ballot came out, uh the Phil Collins crew and the NXS crew were definitely ready to go. But I think like what I said earlier, there's a lot of first-time nominees this year, and I think the Raw Call has done an awesome job at putting a ballot out there that has really generated a ton of energy and a ton of passion from you know a lot of a lot of fan groups that haven't had a chance yet, just very similar to us. So I think it's really good to see how much energy is going into the fan vote. Future Rock Legends does a great job of uh capturing this stuff over time. The fan vote this year is at a level that hasn't been seen volume-wise since 2020, you know, since the you know, the the COVID year. So it really has been an unbelievable show. I mean, I think if uh, and I don't have the exact uh data for the dates, but I believe at the one week mark, you know, with in excess around 125,000 votes. I think over the last two years, we would probably be leading. And obviously this year, uh, I think we're like fifth or sixth. So it's great, it's it's great. It's great. There's a there's a lot of energy, there's a lot of energy, I think a lot of pride that people have. You know, they're backing their their band. And so I think it's awesome um what we're seeing. Obviously, we want to see uh in excess in excess near the top of that, but I I don't know. This year I don't I don't think there's anybody catching Phil Collins.

SPEAKER_07 9:48

No, no, and I did look at the very bottom, I think it's over a million um votes have been cast already. Um you'll probably know more than that that that's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

As of right now, look at it's 1.8 million.

SPEAKER_07 9:59

1.8 million votes have been cast all across. Wow, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

And as of in a week, yeah, it's almost there.

SPEAKER_07 10:06

So many music lovers out there. Okay, so if you live in XS, you obviously at the right place because um we are listening like fans. What can we do? Well, we um we've got a bit of a core group as a chat chat group going on, and we're always coming up with different ideas. One idea was that um we've got a QR code. Paul Jolie has actually just made a new one, I think, because the one ran out. So we'll be putting that onto the socials as well. But John, what else can the um listeners do? And the fans?

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah, I mean the listeners can can go on to vote.rockhall.com, vote every day. It's um you can vote for up to seven each day for per email. Um, so go out there and vote. Some fan groups are directing their uh their their group to only vote for their band. Um, I have to admit that that's mostly what I'm doing, but um, you know, I've got access to probably between seven and ten emails, and most of them are just for NXS, but I will I will admit I love Phil Collins. So I there they're thinking I'm casting a daily vote that has NXS and Phil Collins on it as well. I think people in this John, come on, he's I he just he does. Well we're not catching them, so it's all right. Um but yeah, I think I think you know people just need to go out there and and vote daily, vote with um any valid email address they've got, um, and tell their friends and family because it would be awesome to see uh NXS kind of spike up this leaderboard, but there's a lot of passionate fans. So uh the only way we do that is for people to keep voting and get other to be other people to vote, do it daily. There is data that basically says after two weeks, a lot of the fan groups kind of die off and just kind of get bored of it. Um so hopefully that won't happen to uh the NXS fans. I mean, we've been waiting long enough, so I think I think we can stick it, stick it out to the end, right?

SPEAKER_07 11:58

Yeah, we need to just keep going with this. Okay, so other ideas that we've got, obviously the QR code, you can have that on your phone ready to when you're talking to people, and you can just pop it into conversation, get them to scan your QR code from your phone. Otherwise, you can actually print that off, put it on your fridge for when friends come around and family. You can put it onto the notice board at work, um, at the local cafe if you're in with those and explain what you're doing and you know, just anything you can think of. I know there's um a lady called Foxy, she called a meeting at work, got everybody to make an email. Uh, she was pretty good about that. That was awesome. She's even run competitions. I've got quite a lot of people, hello Linda, um, that have been calling radio stations and a girl called Myra. I think if we all call these radio stations, TV stations, local celebrities, big celebrities, I think we just got to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. Don't let go, just keep your foot on that accelerator and just drive this and to get this vote up. Because even though we talked earlier about there only being one vote out of 2020, did you say 1200?

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Yeah, about 1200.

SPEAKER_07 13:09

About 1200. One out of 1200, it still makes a difference to us to see our band high on that leaderboard. And it's pretty addictive to watch that leaderboard because it's moving. But we are at the moment just underneath Billy Idol, and Billy Idol has been nominated a few times, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

This is his second time. Yeah, he was nominated last year, and he did very well in the fan vote last year. I believe he was second or third last year. So their their fan group is uh definitely burst in um in the fan vote. The the one thing we haven't kind of mentioned, and it goes beyond uh you know, one out of 1200 votes, you know, with all of the the real voters in the voting committee having to do seven. There's nothing that says that they don't take a peek at the uh the fan vote to see what people were doing and what people were thinking. And and for that, from that aspect, uh, it's great for us to be near the top of the leaderboard, um, you know, because we may end up getting someone who is trying to fill out the rest of that ballot. Uh and is that, oh yeah, and excess. And on that, you know, you mentioned different things we can do. You know, if people are in different Facebook groups or, you know, different social media groups on on you know their preference, you know, share it, you know, and ask people to vote. Um, it cannot hurt. And it's fun, you know, it's it's fun to kind of go through this, you know, kind of share, share in the joy of uh this nomination because it's been a long time coming for the band, it's been a long time coming for the fan base.

SPEAKER_07 14:38

It's it's so fun, it's so fun. And what's even more fun is the fact that or more more exciting is the fact that if well when in XS do get inducted, we're gonna see that band back together again, and we're going to be with each other. You'll but there's quite a few of us that are gonna be flying over to meet you, John, and we're all just gonna uh ascend upon. I don't know if it's gonna be LA at this point or if it's gonna be Cleveland. We we don't know. That will be announced with the nominations in April. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Yeah, so it should be with the with the official fans boat closing April 3rd. It should be that same week. Uh the announcement should come out of the actual induction class. They should name the city. I I I think there's a you know a high chance it's gonna be in Cleveland given the there's a huge wing of the museum. The museum is in Cleveland, and that's the talk is. I know uh on Axios, uh, it's been come out a couple different times that the the thought is it's gonna kind of coincide with the opening of the new wing for anyone who's been to a ceremony in Cleveland. You know, Dr. Jim and I went uh two years ago. It is off the charts fun. It's just it's so much fun. The museum going in there, they they make a weekend of it. I think it would be phenomenal if it's there. If it, you know, there's a rumor that it might be in LA as well. Again, like as you said, you know, it'll it'll come out in April. We'll have clarity at that point. They'll give us the uh the go ahead on uh on where it's gonna be, and and we can all start uh you know plotting out our uh hotels and and then we get then to you know making sure we're all rock hall members. If we are lucky enough to be on the induction list, there will be a pre-sale for tickets. Tickets are probably going sale in the July, August timeframe. If you're a Rock Hall member, um there's a certain level, it's it's it's not a a huge amount of money to become a member, but you do get access to pre-sale. Um, and depending on the year, it's anywhere, you can buy between anywhere two to four tickets, and that would be kind of the the the gateway into getting tickets to the induction ceremony. I will say, especially given the high probability like like Phil Collins is going to be there, the Phil Collins Genesis folks will show up. This is going to sell out. Um, and so I think it's gonna be really really important. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but it'll be really important that we kind of coordinate uh exactly how the fans can get tickets. I would I look forward to having that discussion, you know, in detail in reality, right?

SPEAKER_07 17:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

How big is the actual um place that it that it's if it's if it's Cleveland, it's about yeah, it's it's about it it's it's rocket rocket mortgage field house about 19, 18,000, 19,000. Um when they have it in Brooklyn, it's it's comparable. Uh the Barclay Center is a comparable venue. If it's in LA, um it's in the last show was in the Peacock Theater. That is roughly 8,000. It's a much smaller, it's a much smaller, more intimate venue.

SPEAKER_07 17:35

What about um for the people that can't make the ceremony? Will they be able to watch this live somewhere?

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Yeah, it has been broadcast on Disney Plus, simulcast on Disney Plus. Um, and so you can watch, you basically watch along live with it here in the States. It's you know on at basically around New Year's, they'll do like a three-hour um kind of truncated version of it that'll put they'll put up on on normal broadcast TV. Yeah. I don't actually know how how that works um outside of the US.

SPEAKER_07 18:05

Well, I hope if anyone's listening that's anything to do with TV over here in Australia, that you have some CLAT that we can actually watch it live on our TVs here at the same time, too. Now we've got a few people to thank, as well as yourself, for going to the rock hall and just and and going on to all these podcasts that we'll talk about as well. But you mentioned Dr. Jim there, he's quite a little iconic figure in the um induct in excess um world, along with Shannon. So Shannon Steele. So um yeah, we want to give them a big thank. And I want a big thank you to my team too for everything you've done as well, which is Danielle and Carrie and um Andrew Lambey and Clyde, obviously Hayden. Um but you and I uh we've been on a few podcasts. I've literally just come off one, um, which is Who Cares About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or Rock Hall? Awesome podcast. A great podcast. One one thing I want to say, thank you to Joe and Kirsten, Kristen. Um, we were the first ones to go on to talk about the artists. So we will be be the first one of that season. So I'm so stoked about that. I feel very honored, but more so honored for our band that we could talk about them. We came off it with them saying, You're gonna get in, you know, it's it's a given, really. And it will be more surprising if you're not, but then than if you are.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

I love to hear that. Joe, uh well, both of them are very plugged into the whole, you know, rock hall world. Joe in particular is a walking encyclopedia of everything, rock hall, and um he's typically right when in his assessments. I'm uh, you know, I I'm sure he asked he he pointed out that his that his mom and I know his dad love NXS. I know that's one of his criteria.

SPEAKER_07 19:54

Well, I hope they're in the committee then. And the other the other podcast that you were on a few days ago, that was the retrospective rock record. What was that?

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Yeah, that's the rock in retrospect. That's the Nick Banback uh podcast. We've been on that one uh together to talk uh in XS. Um, I think almost a year ago. Uh actually twice. I think Hayden was Hayden was on it with another gentleman, I can't remember his name. Uh and then uh Jim, myself, and Hayden were on it about about a year ago to talk about the case for NXS around the last nominating season. Um, and fortunately, uh in I went to LA this this past year. Um I actually got to meet Nick and a number of the people that uh that he's kind of you know got a close, you know, he brings on to the podcast. And he's been kind enough after the 2025 induction ceremony to bring me on to kind of talk about the ceremony. And then most recently, he brought me on to um to talk about the nominee reveal. Uh and that was very fun. That was very fun to get to uh to you know represent the NXS army and and talk about just how proud we are that NXS got nominated and it just a long time coming, and just how worthy they are of this lifetime achievement. So it was it was awesome to talk to him um on that podcast.

SPEAKER_07 21:13

Well, I'm just running on adrenaline at the moment since we got that uh nomination and got onto the list. I think it's just just like wonderful to be uh with so many wonderful friends that love the band too. John, I'm going to invite you back onto the show another time to talk about your fandom because you've got some cracking stories to tell as well, because you've met Michael and the band, and you've had a like a one-on-one with Michael, he even got you to come to Australia. But we'll hold that, we'll hold that for an over the hike. Because I've got Kylie and Rachel ready to come onto the show. So thank you, John, and speak to you again.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

All right, thanks for having me on, B.

SPEAKER_07 22:00

Hello everyone and welcome to Listen Light Fans. For the love of InXS, I'm Bee, and today's episode is a really special one because this podcast isn't just about the music, it's about the people who keep Inxcess's music and legacy alive. Joining me today are two incredible members of our InXS community, Kylie and Rachel. Both started out as patrons of the InXS Access All Areas podcast and both showed up to our last two fan events. And both have become important parts of this extended In Access family. We spent time together back in January, laughing, sharing stories, reliving memories and creating new ones. And today we're bringing that energy straight to you. Rachel is joining us from Perth, one of our youngest fans, full of personality, heart, and serious in Excess passion. And Kylie is from Melbourne. Not only a longtime supporter, but someone who helped us with Hutch 26 in celebration of Michael Hutchins' life, and who now helps drive fan engagement across our socials. This episode is about connection, it's about how we fan the band, and it's about what happens when fans become friends. Thank you, B. That's a wonderful introduction.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

Hi B. Hi girls. Hi.

SPEAKER_07 23:20

I'm getting all tingly, just meeting you two again. Oh no. Quite cool. Quite cool. Almost feel like we never left, to be honest. Oh no. Well, off air, um, Rachel just said she's still on a high from the actual event that we uh all met up at. But yeah, that was our second event that we met together, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 23:42

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_07 23:43

It was quite epic, the first one, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 23:46

Oh, it was fantastic, it was amazing. It's just what started this whole thing now, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_06 23:51

It's just um absolutely, and it was like meeting all these people that we'd been chatting to in a group on Messenger and yeah, him alive. It just came out. Made them all real, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 24:02

There was quite a few of us in that room. There's over 50 of us um on the first trip, yeah. So, Rachel, I'll start with you first though. Why how did you become because like you're one of our youngest fans or in XS's fans, I should say, not one of mine. How did you become an NXS fan?

SPEAKER_03 24:20

Well, it's quite funny, really, because I was always aware of InXS and their music growing up. My parents, funnily enough, didn't listen to a lot of in excess, but a lot of that sort of that era of music, the 80s, you know, Australian rock and things like that. I yeah, I knew of quite a bit of their music, but I never really got into them until the Tellemovie came out in 2014. So once I'd watched that, I just went, wow, I just didn't realise how amazing these guys were, how many of the songs I knew. And it just started something for me. So yeah, I started, I think I brought a vinyl, it was Shibus Shabar vinyl, not long after that. I'd got, you know, I had a few of the CDs myself, and and that's when my collection started as well. So when I first got that vinyl in a secondhand shop, I decided I wanted the whole collection, you know. So and that's what started it for me. So it's yeah, it's quite funny. And it's just, yeah, it's snowballed from there. I've you know collected the CDs, I've got the vinyls, you know, the t-shirts, the books, the you name it. I've got all sorts of stuff in my collection.

SPEAKER_07 25:28

And and now we're 11 years on, and now you found the podcast, and it's like here I am, yeah, and you're a patron to um worship this band. Oh, that's wonderful. Yeah, yeah. And it's so good to meet you. You're so wonderful. You kept a great, great, great personality. It's just wonderful and blowing, had so much fun over the yeah, the last couple of months. And Kylie, yeah, yeah, how did you find out about NXS?

SPEAKER_06 25:58

Oh, I have been a diehard NXS fan most of my life. I had my bedroom walls covered in NXS and Michael Hutchins, and all my friends knew about you know my my obsession or love for them and the band for Michael and the band. I saw them a lot of times live, and I always like to say that I did touch Michael's hand once, and I've never washed it since. I like to have that little little laugh, but um they do, they tell a story of your life, you know, that band, and that's why they're so important to keep alive and and remember.

SPEAKER_07 26:39

And your friends know how important it is to you because you said that they called you when Michael passed away. Was that right?

SPEAKER_06 26:46

I did. I had so many messages. I remember sitting at a barbecue at a friend's place, and I'd not long been home living um from living in London. And, you know, I remember sitting there and someone said, Oh, Michael Hutchins has died. And I have you know that stomach feeling where everything sinks to the ground, and the next few days I had so many friends ring me. You know, these are back in the days where there wasn't many mobile phones around or anything, really.

SPEAKER_03 27:15

Yeah, but uh yeah, I've been the worst feeling. I do remember hearing about it on the TV and just thinking this is such a sad, sad thing.

SPEAKER_07 27:25

That's Rachel. How old would you have been then? Twelve, I think. Twelve. About twelve, yeah, yeah. And that was when you probably started liking in excess, wasn't it, Kylie? Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_06 27:37

I wouldn't have to say how old I was. But um, definitely, yes, having my uh secret love affair with them.

SPEAKER_07 27:46

You wanna make so Shibushabai is quite an important album for you. So it was your first one?

SPEAKER_03 27:52

No, well, yeah, it was my first final that I I'd started in my collection. So um the first album I did get was the greatest hits, but my favourite, and that's a really hard one. I've actually gone through all my albums to go which one, you know, it's so hard to pinpoint because you know, and I've got so many of the different collections as well. So um, but I'd have to go with kick. Yeah, has to have been, yeah, the the album it's going to be 40 years old next year.

SPEAKER_07 28:22

Did you know that? Yeah, so I'm really really looking forward to seeing what we're gonna get. We'll probably have another reissue full of like some backtracks like they did with Listen Like Thieves. It that because that was good. Did you get the Listen Like Thieves, the new album?

SPEAKER_03 28:36

I know you've got the new one yet, no. That's yeah, no, not yet.

SPEAKER_07 28:40

You got the C D free, though, didn't you? In your bag last year in May. Yes, that was that was good that Management Care was one of those.

SPEAKER_03 28:50

Yeah, that was fantastic.

SPEAKER_07 28:51

Yeah, brilliant. Yeah, and Kylie, what would be your favorite album?

SPEAKER_06 28:56

I was gonna say kick as well, because there were so many tracks on that album that were so relative to life. Yes, at that time.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 29:06

And even now when I listen to it and I you play those tracks, yes, they're amazing, but they take you back. Yeah, they really take you back to where you were when they came out and what you were doing, and it was so different as well, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_07 29:21

Back then at Alburns, you know, with the drums and the sunbaites and everything. Yeah, such great sounds.

SPEAKER_03 29:28

Yeah, you missed about it because you know, I wasn't there when it all was fairly new, you know. I wasn't that privy to it all. But um you can hear the changes as it evolved over the years, you know, the changes in sound and but aren't we lucky that we've got all the videos?

SPEAKER_07 29:44

So you feel like you do, you feel like you know them even more because there's like new videos of Michael's interviews and the band and them playing so much footage.

SPEAKER_06 29:56

All the charming, there's always something new, isn't there? Yeah, you realize how much they actually did without you know even having it down on, you know, officially, like just behind the scenes. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 30:09

Okay, well, let's just talk about what happened in May then. So that's when we all first met, first of all, wasn't it? In May, we had the um the in excess access all areas fifth birthday party, and we had Kirk Pengili turn up, didn't we? So, how did that happen for you girls? Did we did you get a tap on the shoulder or did you just like what was what happened?

SPEAKER_06 30:32

I don't know. I was walking into the room and someone in front of me said, Kirk's here. I'm like, oh, and I've got like you know that stage fright you get and you just start and then I remember meeting him and thinking, what stupid things did you just say? Just had a normal conversation with this lovely man, and I was just starstruck. Yeah, he's just such a gentleman. I mean, he gave up so much of his time to come along and had so much fun with us, I'm pretty sure. He had a blast, didn't he? He did.

SPEAKER_07 31:09

Yeah, well, he he was there before we were, wasn't he? He was watching us was a bit late, and then we had to uh say, Okay, Kirk, we think it's time for you to go home. We've got you a car now.

SPEAKER_06 31:21

The bandship between him and Richard Simpkin on the night they sat down and did a reminisce about you know their days of contact with NXS, and it was incredible. There were stories shared that night that I'll never forget.

SPEAKER_03 31:35

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just the hug between them both when they first saw each and all yeah, that was quite yeah, that was very emotional, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 31:45

Yeah, and he's a truly great man, he really is, and so's Richard.

SPEAKER_07 31:50

Yeah, well Kurt said to me in my ear, he was a great kid, he was a really cute, great girl.

SPEAKER_06 31:57

I'd believe that too. Yeah, all the hair that he's showing, he's sharing photos. Look at all that beautiful long beautiful hair, yeah. Definitely we can channel it out. What about the rainbow?

SPEAKER_05 32:09

Oh, the rainbow. Oh, yes, yes, church, yeah. She was at the cup.

SPEAKER_06 32:15

That happened on Q, really, didn't it? Like we were walking out back to the bus after being inside where um my where Michael was baptized. That's right. And uh heading back to the bus, and then all of a sudden, it wasn't even a double rainbow, I think. Yeah, it was. Yeah, a double rainbow, and it was as vivid as anything.

SPEAKER_07 32:36

Ended right on top of the church, didn't it? And the church is called we call it the church of Kirk.

SPEAKER_03 32:43

Yeah, that's what I said, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 32:45

But it's got Kirk's name in it. Really? It's very special. Yeah, it was so yeah, sure. Yeah, and what was your highlights?

SPEAKER_03 32:53

Of the first trip.

SPEAKER_07 32:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Well, the whole thing, that was what an eye-opener that was for me.

SPEAKER_07 33:00

Because you'd be done on your own as well, hadn't you? All the way from Perth and you didn't know anybody.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

So I'd never even been on a plane or out the state, or so it was it was quite an adventure for me, but it actually started something for me, you know. I um I couldn't wait to get back over. Like, and I can't wait for the next trip again and again, you know. It's it's definitely started something. So yeah, to have to have done that, to have come that far and actually have met so many people that I'd spoken to for years, like Richard, you know, he was one of them. I've been speaking to him for years over the socials and things like that, and to have actually come that far to and actually meet these people and just experience these things. It's just yeah, it's just amazing. Amazing, life-changing, really.

SPEAKER_07 33:46

I think it's important for us to actually meet up because that's what we would have done if we would have gone to a concert, you know, we would have met each other in the you know, in the crowd there or at the bar, and it just brings all that back, doesn't it? And like someone said, you know, you can't talk to your husband or your wife or your mates, really. To an extent you can, but not like what we could. Not people got and people got it, didn't they?

SPEAKER_06 34:12

They get it. Everyone's got the same passion where you know I've got friends that say, Yeah, we like an excess, but you know, we're not not the next level like you've done like and to meet a bunch of people that have all got the same, it was almost like we'd all knew each other. Yeah, it was, wasn't it? It was the family, and look at us, we've got some really good friends out of it, and we'll be forever. Yeah, so it's quite quite special.

SPEAKER_07 34:38

Yeah, it's going to be continued definitely, anyway. Yeah, sure. When we would like to do one in Melbourne, which is where you're from, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:47

That'd be awesome.

SPEAKER_06 34:48

Yeah, there's so many sites there, isn't there? Yeah, there's some places we could go around and do a bit of a tour of the old haunts as well.

SPEAKER_07 34:58

Yeah, well, we can go where Listen Like Thieves was um filmed outside. Yeah, which is it was it the palais in Palais, yeah. And then the dogs in space. Yeah, and then we can go to the dogs in space house. We can go and have a look at that. Yeah, there's some special places around that as well that we can go to. And then we can go see Bruce. Bruce Butler. Oh, we better go to see Bruce. Yep. And Bruce Butler is hopefully getting some things for us very soon about Mex Q, which was um Oh, I'm so excited!

SPEAKER_03 35:33

Yes, that's very exciting. If that would be amazing.

SPEAKER_07 35:35

Well, he says it's gonna happen, and I've still got my fingers crossed, it's going to happen. I think so many people want to get this reissued and out there, it's you can't find it. Great album.

SPEAKER_06 35:46

Oh, I love it. Way before like they were way ahead of their time.

SPEAKER_03 35:51

The funniest thing, sorry to interrupt. No, but what I was saying about you know, my parents not really listening to NXS. The first Michael Hutchins song I really heard was Where of the World by Max Q that my mum did actually have.

SPEAKER_05 36:07

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Like, really, I think I would have heard Max Q before I really heard NXS.

SPEAKER_05 36:14

Wow, that's quite funny, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 36:16

Yeah, that's really interesting. Because coming from England, I didn't even know about the album. Yeah, yeah. I know. So, yeah, it was quite a nice um thing to find. It was like a big Christmas present when I found that album.

SPEAKER_03 36:30

Oh, yeah, yeah, and it's fantastic. I was five when that song came out, so and that's so yeah, that would have been around the first time I would have heard anything by Michael, I reckon. And he'd just showing off Rachel. Yeah, I just remember this song playing on a cassette, on a really old cassette on top of the fridge at home. Oh, yeah. So it was to be um whether she had the album on cassette or it was, I doubt that it was a part of a compilation. I don't think that would have been that song. Someone's mixed tape, like yeah, something. And um, I remember this song playing a lot, and then yeah, always brings back memories, that song.

SPEAKER_07 37:08

Yeah, yeah. So and and again, so apt for what's going on in the world right now.

SPEAKER_03 37:12

Really is so fitting for now, isn't it?

SPEAKER_07 37:15

And his big shirt, Watch the World Argue. Yeah, it's a good shirt. Well, talking about Michael, we decided when we were together in May that we would celebrate Michael's life by all meeting up again for his birthday. And Kylie, you really kindly gave me a lot of your time and made the hutch hat and all sorts of things, and we got the goodie bags together, and you've also got a quiz together that we never got to say, did we, on the bus? So that's going to come up later on, everybody. So make sure that you are ready for that. Um shout out to Linda too, who was also an awesome yes, awesome. Linda was amazing. She um did the raffle, and yeah, she was so cool. Yeah, big up to you, um, all the way up there in Queensland today. Yeah, um, but H26 went off pretty well. There wasn't as many of us, which was nice.

SPEAKER_05 38:12

Less people to organize, but uh but the bus. But we must we must mention the bus driver. Oh my goodness, Tony. Oh, he's one of us now, isn't he?

SPEAKER_06 38:27

He couldn't get that bus. I mean, it was actually not a bus, it was a coach, a huge coach, and he would navigate that thing up narrow streets, sharpest corners, everything you could think unbelievable. We're all on the bus singing our hearts out, and he given a damn. I think he was singing along. Singing along, and wearing the hutch hat, I must say. He was, yeah. He was a legend, he was a legend. I was at the front and I could see like the wall or come into I'm like, it's like oh listness. The girls on the back seat when we're like telling him how far to back further, like when we went and visited Michelle and Michael's house in Paddington. He got up those little streets. Incredible. How wonderful was that street. Well, that was so exciting.

SPEAKER_07 39:17

That was a good that was a good stop that was because we really um it's it gave us a lot of um emotion. It did give us a lot of emotion. It I mean, we didn't go into the house and it was just being in the street for me. I can just Yeah, I I had those thoughts and this video um of Michael waving to Michelle and saying goodbye and going on tour and leaving her in the house, and oh my goodness, that really was quite sad, but sort of like happy, you know, he's got this amazing life, you know.

SPEAKER_06 39:49

I was sit standing outside thinking, I wish these walls could talk.

SPEAKER_03 39:55

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 39:57

Quite a special time.

SPEAKER_03 39:58

Yeah, sort of.

SPEAKER_07 40:01

And then how did you feel about going to the Intercontinental? Because the first bus trip that we did in May, we just did a flyby, didn't we? Yeah. But like I'd been, but I didn't know how everybody else would feel about going. It's all it's a bit of a strange one because obviously Michael passed away there. But how did you feel when you got into the restaurant? How amazing was that?

SPEAKER_06 40:25

Well, I when I walked in there, I didn't think of that negative part of it. I walked in and thought, wow, I can see why someone would come up to this bar and meet friends, you know, like it was so intimate and it was very rock star, wasn't it? Very rock star. Amazing. Yeah, it was just like that little corner we had with that grand piano, and and that was cool, wasn't it? That it's um refurbished a little bit since then, but you still had that vibe in there. It was definitely had got a really cool vibe.

SPEAKER_07 40:55

And we were lucky to meet Chris Cafaro, which was really good.

SPEAKER_04 40:59

We almost walked straight past him, he was just sitting there. Like, is anyone gonna stop and talk to me? Like, I'm here for you. Oh, Chris, he's a good man, he's crazy, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:11

And he gave everybody some of his prints as well and signed them for the goodie bags, which was rather nice with him. Yeah, and the drink. I think we us three we started with the revolvers, is that right?

SPEAKER_06 41:23

And that took our breath away every time. It warmed me up.

unknown 41:26

Woo!

SPEAKER_03 41:28

Did we actually go back for two or do we stick with one? I can't remember. I had I think I just had the one, I think I had a champagne, and then I might have had the revolver. I think I tried bees first. Okay, let's not forget to mention the toilets, Rachel. Oh, the marble toilet.

SPEAKER_05 41:42

Body part for me was those toilets and the louvado.

SPEAKER_06 41:46

So you could see out, but you couldn't see in.

unknown 41:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:49

The whole experience was amazing. And then, of course, when we were leaving, we were walking down the stairs, and who would be standing down near the lift checking in? But old Eddie Maguire. Poor Eddie, he had all these mad an exit t-shirts running for him. He just stood back and let us all take photos with him. You know, that was amazing. Oh yeah, I miss that. Yeah, yeah. You are. I am. Oh, well, that would have been that was a high for you then. I said to him, I said, if my if I don't get a photo with you, my husband will kill me. So yeah, no, he was very, very patient with us all.

SPEAKER_07 42:33

Oh, and we must remember Lisa Matt, because that's who I was with. Um hiding with upstairs, and we were drinking the big champagnes. Oh, hello to Lisa. Hope you get well soon. Yeah, yeah, and thank you so much for making that journey. It was really good to have you on board.

SPEAKER_06 42:55

Is it her and Mandy? What a beautiful couple. Oh they're great, aren't they? Oh, beautiful, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 43:02

And then we went to see Don't Change. We did. This would have been the first time you would have seen them properly do their full set, wasn't it? Kylie. What and and Rachel, you've seen them before? Millions of times, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 43:16

Millions of times.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

Heats and heats, yes.

SPEAKER_07 43:19

How do they fare to what you need? Because what you need is a more of a Perth band, aren't they?

SPEAKER_03 43:25

They are Perth based.

SPEAKER_07 43:27

Oh, it's that's a hard one because I can't compare. Good. Don't compare them. I don't really know. That was probably a terrible thing to say. Yeah, yeah. Both the guys. It couldn't ask me that question. I'd say that's a terrible question.

SPEAKER_04 43:38

I'm so my Perth boys.

SPEAKER_07 43:41

And I can hear both the band going, Who's you gonna choose? Who's you? And that was so unfair.

SPEAKER_03 43:47

We love both position here.

SPEAKER_07 43:52

But Kylie, compared to May, where we had a bit of a three piece, didn't we? Um which was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_06 44:00

I've always That's actually a moment. But in Matt is a moment that I will never forget. And every time I hear the saxophone playing in Never Tear Us Apart, because they played that song while Kirk was with us and sitting on a couch with us. And they played the saxophone solo. And I just remember looking at Kirk thinking, oh god, that must be so awkward. And that's exactly the words he used. It's a bit a bit awkward, but very proud at the same time. Oh, for sure. And you know, that was a surreal moment for me. And I every time I hear that song now, I just it takes me back to that moment, and I pinch myself that it actually happened. And what about the guy who was actually playing the faxophone?

SPEAKER_07 44:45

Having a feeling for him, smashed it.

SPEAKER_06 44:49

Yeah, he did really well. Yeah. Um, compared to that, yeah. Look, um, don't change as a band were brilliant. I mean, they really are so good. Certainly just didn't disappoint. No. And I was up there, the fr up the front there with our big fan Karen and um and Rachel. In fact, the whole lot of us were rocking on.

SPEAKER_03 45:10

We were aligning that front, weren't we? We just aligned that front. He took your phone to do Rachel. Yes, he did. Yeah, yeah. Took it in, put it in his mouth. Got down on his knees. We'll see the video. It's oh, that was good.

SPEAKER_07 45:26

Which is just as cheeky as what Michael would do, isn't it? There's so much rush of Michael, you know, took it took Kirk into the crowd and pouring to Robert Tim. So God knows what else he got up to.

SPEAKER_06 45:39

That's what's so good about these cover bands. They're not trying to be Michael, they're their little idiosyncrasies and they're all amazing in their own way. So it is it is hard to compare, right?

SPEAKER_07 45:50

I'm so I'm I'm thankful that we've got so many in Australia. But you could you could go out like you know, once a month and see an Australian in excess tribute band around our country.

SPEAKER_03 46:02

I think I've got there are some shockers though. There are some shockers out there.

SPEAKER_02 46:08

Okay. Moving on.

SPEAKER_06 46:13

The day after a few of us gathered around and decided to go to the flavour of India. After a wonderful day out with B, I must say, Bee was kind enough to take Linda, myself, and Rachel up up the coast and to Palm Beach. And incredible, incredible. And I think we was it the same day we got a little swim in at the at the In fact, I think we only got the swim in, and then you went.

SPEAKER_07 46:38

We didn't go up to Palm Beach until the day afterwards. We had a full weekend.

SPEAKER_06 46:42

Oh, we sure. And I look, I'll I'll forever be grateful. That was just amazing, be doing that.

SPEAKER_03 46:48

Oh, it was to have seen all that coast over two days, right? Was it just done in anything? Done in weekend with the weather as well.

SPEAKER_07 46:55

Well, what was the flavour of India?

SPEAKER_06 46:57

Flavour of India like honestly, that place, the food is incredible. I must say it is. I could see what yeah. And we were sitting down, there's a little few steps down to the bottom part, and there was a big long table with us all on there, with Richard Simpkin as well. Right next to us was this round table, and the chef came out, introduced himself, and told us some stories about Michael because he still owns it. The same man still owns the place who met Michael, who knew Michael. And so he came and then the table right next to us, the round table was the table. It was incredible, incredible. What would you like to say about that, Rachel?

SPEAKER_03 47:37

Well, it was just amazing to have been able to sit in the chair that he sat in as well, you know, and to meet that chef, like you could really see the emotion in him when he was telling his stories. Like you see, he was really, really emotional about it still. And many of you great gets to talk about the night and all of that.

SPEAKER_06 47:58

And uh coming in the front door with the book.

SPEAKER_03 48:01

Well, he's actually got his book, Michael's book, at the front door as you walk in at the entryway there. So I thought that was pretty amazing. What book is that? One of my Richard's book. Um not Richard's, no, it's Tina's My Brother, Lost Boy.

SPEAKER_05 48:16

Yeah, so it was Tina's. Yes.

SPEAKER_07 48:18

I think he has a little candle right next to it as well, doesn't he? Yeah. Yeah, he's quite an emotional guy, isn't he? But to like that was he loved Michael. He said that he loved Michael, and they were friends. And then to know that he saw him on the last night of his life. And he had Joe. You wouldn't be able to get rid of that for those thoughts, would you?

SPEAKER_03 48:41

But that was, yeah, that was really special to being able to go there and to be able to talk to him. And um, he got us all to put our hands in the middle of the table and put on top of each other and said a little prayer and everything. So yeah, it was it was really amazing. It was emotional, actually. Really special. We had the buttered chicken, and that was that was Michael's last meal too, wasn't it? He had the buttered chicken, I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_07 49:05

Buttered chicken. Incredible.

SPEAKER_06 49:07

And mango sorbet, I think. Because Richard was with us, it's who you know, you see. He so he knew the chef and knew that he was friends with Michael and everything, and so he bought those out for us just so. A little bit of a yeah, he a bit of an entertainment sort of thing, the way he delivered it.

SPEAKER_07 49:26

And I'm sorry I didn't come along to that, but yes, it's lovely to hear your stories in it. It was wonderful.

SPEAKER_06 49:35

Well, we did go back after that. We walked back to the Intercontinental and had another drink. Did you get it? That was a long walk.

SPEAKER_03 49:43

Yeah, it is a bit of a walk. It was a walk. A really warm night, too. So it was, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 49:52

So, yeah, two events, Dan. I'm sure we're gonna do more, but what does the community mean to you now? Do you feel now you know these people that were on the socials and now you know them? Do you feel that we can do more for people? What do you think about this podcast that I'm doing now? Do you think it's a good thing? Do you think what is there something else we should be doing?

SPEAKER_03 50:14

No, I think you're on the right track. To me, this group, these people, they're my family now. I've got a whole nother family, and it's fantastic because, like I was saying, you know, not everyone gets what we do. We need people that get what we do, and these are the people. Everybody gets along. We're all there for the same reason, and I think we've got to keep this momentum, we've got to keep the momentum going, definitely.

SPEAKER_06 50:42

And I want to hear everyone's stories as well. Yeah, and I love that it's so sorry, it's so broad. Everyone around the world can join in because it wasn't just Australia.

SPEAKER_07 50:52

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, we're lucky that we can do these events in Australia. Uh it'd be great if people do start start doing meetups around the world. I know, was it in Argentina or Brazil, they did one uh an evening and they played Live Baby Live or Live Baby Live screen, and big community of people went to that. So wow, I would love to do something like that. That would be wonderful if we could do a screening. An outdoor screening would be funny. Oh, yeah, yeah, really good fit. Yeah, all right. Well, I think it's Chris time, yes.

SPEAKER_06 51:28

Okay. So I thought maybe today I'll read out some questions, but we might put the answers on the next podcast. What do you think?

SPEAKER_03 51:36

Yeah, that's a good idea, actually.

SPEAKER_07 51:38

Yeah, I think we should put it onto the socials as well and give people on the social, yeah. Yeah, pay maybe we'll come back with the answers in a couple of episodes or next season.

SPEAKER_06 51:48

We'll see. Okay, and you're not allowed to Google these, you've got to just know them off the top of your head. Oh, yeah, definitely. You can't hold yourself any next time.

SPEAKER_02 52:00

That's right.

SPEAKER_06 52:00

Well, shall we get started? Go for it. Okay, so this is mainly focused on Michael because of our last um gathering was all about Michael and his life. So, number one, what primary school did Michael attend in Sydney? Rachel, do you know the answer?

SPEAKER_07 52:20

That's why you can't say it, but do you know the answer that way?

SPEAKER_05 52:23

Yes. Primary school.

SPEAKER_06 52:26

Oh, primary school, I know not high school. Okay, so what date and year was Michael's daughter, Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lilyborn?

unknown 52:42

He doesn't know.

SPEAKER_06 52:44

All right, and the next one, okay. How tall was Michael? Tall enough. Um, number three, Helena and Michael were an iconic couple in the 90s. What year did they begin to date on how and how long did this relationship last for? And Paula. True. Yeah, that's right. The Neji Tonight music video featured a rat crawling on Michael. Who did this rat belong to and what was its name?

SPEAKER_07 53:22

I'd like to know where the rat came from in the first place. We do, I do know those um answers. That's yeah, pretty cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 53:32

He knew all the answers. Come on.

SPEAKER_06 53:35

Should do after five and a half years talking about your next in what year did Michael start working on his self-titled album? Another one? Okay, what was the very first concert Michael ever went to? I didn't know this one. Yeah, this is a good one. That was a good one. I didn't know that one.

SPEAKER_03 53:55

Looking forward to hearing the answer to that.

SPEAKER_06 53:57

Uh, Dogs in Space was filmed in Melbourne. What was the address of the house that it was famously uh used in the film? You don't have to worry about the number, but the street and the suburb perhaps? Okay, how many records did NXS sell to make them one of Australia's biggest exports? Just want to say, oh, bang on with this.

SPEAKER_01 54:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 54:28

Amazing. And okay, here's the second last one. How old was Michael when NXS formed in 1977? And last but not least, what motorbike did Paula buy Michael for his birthday? Okay. Very good questions there, Kylie. Yeah. It was basically just helping organize all of this gave me a greater appreciation of what B does behind the scenes and what what takes so much organizing.

SPEAKER_03 55:04

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 55:08

But I love it. And thank you for so much for helping me, Kylie. It was great. And uh, Rachel, I'm roping you in that.

SPEAKER_06 55:18

So many people, you know, all those guys helping us carry stuff in and out of the car. And yeah, that was incredible. So yeah, that there was amazing people.

SPEAKER_07 55:28

Well, thank you so much, girls, for coming on to the show. My new show, which is um listen like fans. And uh yeah, it's just been an absolute blast. I knew that you bring in the energy and you have, so thank you very much. I'm sure there'll be more um events for us to talk about in future episodes. Yeah, thanks, B. That's we're right.

SPEAKER_06 55:48

And I look forward to the answers to the quizzes.

SPEAKER_07 55:50

Yes. Well, we look forward to putting it out onto the social so that people can hear them or read them, I should say. Yes. All right, well, goodbye, girls, and listen like fans. Thank you, B. Well, thanks for listening, everybody. It's been absolutely fantastic. If you want to know more, then check out the links that are in our description and send a message.