Michael Hutchence & Richard Simpkin

In 1989 I was told by a friend at school that INXS were rehearsing for their new album. I went down to the Sydney Opera House to see if I could meet them. After a few minutes of walking around the Opera House we found INXS in the back of a truck doing a photo shoot.

Michael Hutchence photo shoot Quay West 1994

This photo has a lot of great memories for me, as it was the first and only time that I had organised a ‘real’ photo shoot with Michael.

It was early 1994 and INXS were in Sydney to do some gigs. I had met Michael at the airport. When he arrived I asked him if I could do a ‘real’ photo shoot with him. He agreed, but needed to find some time to do it for me.
The next day I went down to his hotel (the Quay West) and waited for him to come out. At about 11:00am Michael left the hotel and told me that he was going to be back at 3:00pm. I returned to the hotel at 2:30 and waited for him. True to his word, he returned just after 3:00pm. Michael got out of the taxi and walked over to me. I asked if we were still on for the photos. He told me that he had come back to the hotel to do the photos and asked where I wanted to do them. I noticed a few benches near by, so Michael and I walked up to the benches. Michael sat on one bench, while I nervously got my camera equipment ready. I looked at Michael and noticed that he was just staring into space; I didn’t say a word to him. Instead I just started taking photos. I wanted to capture “the real Michael Hutchence”, who was a spiritual and thoughtful person. I ended up taking 4 rolls of photos that afternoon.

When Vincent Lovegrove was writing his book on Michael, he saw this photo and asked me if he could use it on the cover of his book. Vince told me that it was the best photo that he had ever seen of Michael, because the photo ‘captured the real Michael’ (a great compliment from Mr Lovegrove). The photo was not used on the cover of the book, because the publisher wanted a photo of Michael looking straight down the lens (oh well).

Michael Hutchence 1992 the Polish Club

This photo was taken in 1992 at the Polish Club, where INXS were rehearsing.

Michael left the Polish Club one afternoon and I asked him if he would come with me around to the side of the club to pose for a photo. As always Michael was happy with my request. Whilst Michael and I were walking to the structure, I told him that some other fans that were waiting for him at the club, told me that he would not pose for me, as he had to walk for a minute or two to get to my proposed area. Michael said to me “Is that what they said? O.K then I'm not going to do the photo for you”, he then turned around and started walking back to the club. After only a few seconds, Michael turned back around and with a big smile put his arm around me and said “I’m only joking mate”!
Funny for him, but nearly devastating for me.
After he posed for the photo, I asked him what was in his green folder? Michael then said to me “I’ve got my work in it” “work” I said in my confused voice “what do you work as”? Michael then told me that he had the lyrics for the new album “Welcome to Wherever You Are” in it.

INXS Paddington RSL 1992

I took this photo the night before ‘The Concert for Life’. INXS did a few warm up club gigs, before they played at Centennial Park. This gig is my favourite out of all the shows I ever saw. They played at the Paddington RSL, to a very small, but enthusiastic crowd. I arrived at the venue a few hours before they were to go on stage. Just as INXS were about to get on stage, this oversized bouncer stood right in front of me and when the guys got onto the stage, my view was to say the least ‘blocked’. I was trying to take photos, but this guy would not get out of my way. After the second song Michael bent down to me and asked if I was O.K? I told Michael that I could not see anything, because of the guy in front of me. Michael bent down and told the guy to leave.

I took so many photos of that gig that at the end of their final song; Michael asked for my camera and took a photo of the crowd.

Michael Hutchence the Polish Club II 1992

This photo was taken one evening after Michael was leaving the Polish club. I had an idea for a photograph and asked Michael if he would sit on the steps with his motorbike helmets. Michael agreed (as always) and walked over to the steps, just as he was about to sit down, Michael Long (their tour manager at the time) said “No Michael you don’t have time for this” Michael politely told him that he was fine with posing for me. After the photo he got onto his Harley and drove off into the night.

Michael Hutchence Harley Davidson 1991

I took this photo of Michael in the foyer of “Rhinos”. He used to park his Harley outside on the footpath, the parking police used to walk past and asked if I could tell Michael to move his motorbike otherwise they were going to book him. Their tour manager Michael Long would have to come outside and roll Michael’s bike into the reception area of the recording studio. Eventually Michael ended up leaving his Harley in the foyer of Rhinos.

Michael Hutchence & Jon Stevens 1990

I took this photo at the final listening party for the ‘X’ album, inside Rhinoceros recording studios. To my knowledge it is the only photo of Michael and Jon together.