By now, most people have heard the story behind INXS's new sensation, lead singer J.D. Fortune.
Fortune was living out of his car when he tried out for a new reality TV show in 2005, "Rock Star: INXS," in which the Australian-bred band launched an international search to find a new lead singer.
The result turned out to be as good as J.D.'s last name. Fortune won the contest, INXS released the very strong album "Switch" — which included hits "Pretty Vegas," "Afterglow" and "Devil's Party" — and became a major arena concert act again.
But guitarist/sax player Kirk Pengilly, speaking by phone from a tour stop in London, Ontario, said that after day one of "Rock Star," the five surviving members of INXS weren't even considering him. "At first he was too pushy and too cocky," Pengilly said.
But fortunately for J.D., the show was more than a one-day affair. "We got time to know these people," Pengilly said. "We put them through different tests and workshops."
And by the end of series, Fortune was their man.
Wednesday's visit to the Delta Center will be the first for the Fortune-fronted INXS, but it is not the band's first performance in Utah since the 1997 death of original frontman Michael Hutchence. In 2002, INXS toured with Jon Stevens handling vocals, stopping in Orem. "It just didn't really move forward in the way we hoped," Pengilly said. "I think we all kind of felt it wasn't quite right."
After having such other singers as Jimmy Barnes and Terence Trent D'Arby fill in, the remaining members came up with the idea of "Rock Star." "We knew we were putting our heads in the chopping block. We knew it was a risk," Pengilly said. "It could have gone horribly wrong, but it went horribly right."
INXS had just five weeks to record, mix and do the artwork for its next album after "Rock Star" ended. The result was an album filled with the classic INXS sound.
But in Pengilly's eyes, that may have more to do with the five band members who have been together now for 30 years than a new lead singer whose voice seems to match Hutchence's. "We can't help but sound like INXS. When we started the audition process part of the criteria we put out in the ads for the auditions was we're not after a Michael Hutchence look-alike and sound-alike.
"People say, 'There are parts on the record it almost sounds like Michael.' I put it down as we sound like INXS. I think J.D. has a very different voice."
Pengilly said he has many touring memories of Utah, primarily an incident off the concert stage. Several years ago while staying in Deer Valley, Pengilly snuck out to do some skiing before a show, something management didn't allow for fear a band member might be injured. Sure enough, Pengilly got up too high on a run, crashed and cracked some ribs. The ski patrol had to bring him down on a sled. "I had to pretend nothing was wrong. But playing that night I was in absolute agony."
If you go
What: INXS, Scott Stapp
Where: Delta Center, 301 W. South Temple
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $35-$55
Phone: 801-325-7328
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com