More than four years after the suicide of their elegant frontman, Michael Hutchence, the five members of Australian rock band INXS will return to the U.S. concert circuit in May with a substitute vocalist.
The group, famed for such hits as “Need You Tonight” and “Devil Inside,” will kick off a 40-city club tour in Anaheim, Calif., on May 30 with Jon Stevens at the helm, the group’s publicist said in a statement on Friday.
Stevens, who has performed with INXS on short tours of Australia and Europe, is the former singer with Australian rock band Noiseworks, and a longtime friend of INXS’ members.
“No one will ever replace Michael as the lead singer of INXS. At the same time, we all still have a passion to perform and to continue doing what we love,” said Andrew Farriss, guitarist, keyboardist and main songwriter with INXS.
“In the past year we’ve played some shows with Jon, who is a fantastic singer. It has felt very comfortable, and sounded pretty damn good, so it seems a natural progression to perform together for this U.S. tour,” Farriss added in the statement.
INXS last played the United States in 1997, following the release of its last studio album, “Elegantly Wasted.” Hutchence hanged himself in a Sydney hotel room on Nov. 22 of that year, apparently upset about domestic problems.
INXS had planned to tour the United States last year with hard-rocking compatriots Midnight Oil, but the dates were scuttled.
Other key stops for the first leg of the INXS tour include the House of Blues in Las Vegas on June 1, the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on June 4, Utah State Fair Park in Salt Lake City on June 11, the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix on June 13, and the City Lights Pavilion in Denver on June 15.
