1980’s ROCK BANDS: WHEN THE CREDIBILITY HAS DISAPPEARED FOR GOOD

Motley Crue were at their commercial peak when I was a teenager/ adolescent, way back in the late 1980’s/ early 1990’s. Whilst I wouldn’t have ever considered myself to be a “fan”, I have always been mildly fascinated by this rock group. Most people of my age read “The Dirt” in a state of awe & amazement; if Vince Neil, Nicki Sixx, Mick Mars & Tommy Lee partook in only a 1/3rd of the debauchery detailed in the book, then I tip my hat to their continued existence and health!

“The Dirt” also focuses on Motley Crue’s live performances as being an important ingredient in their immense popularity. The Crue’s songs are essentially “rock by numbers” and standard fare in comparison to the plethora of other 1980’s “Big Hair” rock bands, however Vince & the boys could historically be relied upon for above-average musicianship & plenty of energy in their live act.

That was then; but what about now?

Motley Crue toured Australia last month, and the concert reviews in general conjure up the image that the Crue’s time is well and truly over. Vince Neil was never a great singer [he is best described as an “entertainer”], however it is fairly sad when a lead singer spends the majority of a gig with his microphone in the direction of the crowd [for a sing-a-long] in an effort to mask his sub-par vocal ability. To compound his lack of singing talent, Neil is physically bloated [too much booze] and presently wearing a ridiculous fake tan.

Motley Crue: you do have a deserved place in the history of 1980’s rock, however for the present day – it’s over!!


Let’s now turn our attention to INXS. Being an Australian, I was kind of proud of the fact that INXS enjoyed global popularity in the late 1980’s. It was a very sad day when Michael Hutchence suddenly passed away, however the true INXS fans would be honest in saying that the final 7 years of a Hutchence-led INXS were not their best years. In fact, the final INXS Australian tour in 1997 saw the band performing in pubs rather than stadiums.

The subsequent 14 years have seen INXS come and go in the media spotlight, throwing up various “guest” lead singers in an effort to keep the INXS brand alive. In 2005, the remaining band members foolishly participated in a reality-TV program in an effort to find a new lead singer. The winner of the program, JD Fortune, was an unoriginal Hutchence sound-a-like with too much hair gel. A CD of new material was released, flickered briefly, and Fortune was soon given his marching orders. Amazingly, Fortune came back into the INXS camp for a series of live performances in 2010, however he was subsequently relieved of his duties for a 2nd time.

One would assume that the INXS brand be embalmed at this time, with new generations of fans being allowed to enjoy their back catalogue. However, it would appear that INXS is attempting to have a crack at global stardom again, with the recruitment of Irishman Ciaran Gribbin as their new lead singer.

There is an unspoken rule in the rock n’ roll world; you can never replace a charismatic lead singer and expect the band to retain their credibility. One must assume that the INXS camp have nothing better to do, as the music world are most likely to ignore the 3rd incarnation of INXS.


This being said, there is an interesting twist to the old adage that “rock stars can’t give up their jobs”. Jeffery Hoad [a David Lee Roth-wannabe lead singer from 1980’s Australian “Big Hair” rock group Kings of the Sun] recently pleaded guilty in Court to possessing a commercial quantity of marijuana. His lawyers argued that Hoad, now 50 years of age, had resorted to dealing drugs for a living due to the fact that his future in music had faded due to changing music trends. Whilst it can’t be ignored that Hoad has committed a criminal offence, he must be applauded for having the sense to acknowledge that 1980’s rock stars can’t continue on forever!!