Surviving INXS Members to Tour

The surviving members of INXS will get together for a short tour as part of Tim Rice's Musical Spectacular, which kicks of in Brisbane, Australia on April 25.

Don't expect updated versions of the band's greatest hits on this go-round, however, as group will only be playing music penned by Rice, whose credits include Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, among other things. "We've never done anything quite like this before," said Tim Farriss during a press conference held Wednesday in Sidney. "Quite simply to not be playing INXS for a change and performing someone else's songs and with the backing of a large orchestra is a really interesting and challenging concept."

The band members are currently sifting through Rice's extensive catalog to see whether they can really wrap their voices around the theme from the Lion King. The band has tapped a number of guest vocalists, including David "Rock On" Essex, Icehouse's Iva Davis, Kate Ceberano, Anthony Warlow and Bachelor Girl.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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