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. |
My friend and I waited for them to have a
break and when they did we simply walked up to them and asked
for a group photo, they happily obliged.
From that day on I became an INXS fan. I continued to go to
the Opera House after school and found out that Michael Hutchence
was staying at ‘The Sebel Townhouse’ hotel.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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