Rock Star: INXS

I was very reluctant to watch this show. It seemed to much like "American Idol", with bad singing, and nasty judges. This show is totally different; the contestants have actual talent, and the judges make critical (but not overly ego destroying) comments that help the performers improve their singing.

Each week, a singer chooses a song and then performs in front of a live audience. Once the show is over, the public can vote via text messaging, or Internet voting. Polls are open for four hours, and then next day the bottom three need to perform an INXS song. INXS then decides which of the performers does not suit the band. That person then gets to say goodbye to their fellow contestants, INXS, and Dave Navarro.

There is absolutely no petty bickering, and if there are arguments, they're resolved with maturity. Even though this is a contest, each performer cares and helps each other - this is what makes Rockstar: INXS different.

Rock Star: INXS was the best music TV series I have ever watched! It had some of the greatest rock n' roll songs ever written, performed by 15 very talented singers/performers. It also had (in my opinion) the most heart-felt, feel-good, surprise endings in all of reality TV. It actually made me shed tears of happiness for the winner!!! Over the 13 weeks of this televised competition, the viewing audience got to know and became familiar with all of the contestants. After 30-some episodes the remaining contestants seemed more like friends than just some more strangers competing against each other on a reality TV show. And the fact that INXS was, and still is, one of the greatest rock n' roll bands EVER just added to the emotional tension created by this wonderful reality series. If you don't have the series recorded, ROCK STAR: INXS the DVD is a great alternative.

Sorry to see that the first comment listed on the main page is a negative one.

This show rocks! This is not like AI where the contestants are mostly amateurs. These are people who have already accomplished a lot in their careers. The talent is amazing. If anyone missed JD Fortune's unique rendition of California Dreamin' I pity them. However, you can go to the web site and see the video yourself. He really gave it an edgy, fast sound. I've listened to it no less than 12 times today.

Please watch the show people! It's really entertaining. And it's nice to see the contestants supporting each other and the judges giving constructive criticism; so un-Simonlike, which is refreshing. I don't sit there feeling sorry for the person.

I wonder if the person that commented on this show on the main page, is watching the same show I am? Of course INXS is past it's prime, but that's the point. It's easy to cut down the premise of this show, but to say that the singers have no talent is just plain moronic. Anyone watching the show can see how talented these people are. At least this show isn't as lame and exploitive as many other "reality" shows. This isn't American Idol, people aren't being cut down and ridiculed. The comments made when rejecting someone are along the lines of "You're just not right for our band." Maybe that's the problem. Today, when confrontational TV seems to be all the rage, this show just isn't mean enough for some people.

As hard as it is for me to believe, with all of the awful reality shows out there over the past few years, this one has to take over the top spot for worst one yet. I am still wondering if this was actually just a spoof done by the SCTV gang. If Andy Kaufmann were still alive I'd be sure he was behind this. Can a rock band stoop any lower than has INXS to do such a shameful thing as this? The premise is simple and moronic. Audition a bunch of karaoke rejects to become the new lead singer of INXS, to take the place of Michael Hutchence (who committed suicide in 1997). Eight years and no hits later, the band commit the ultimate act of patheticness by subjecting themselves to auditioning a bunch of talentless wannabes to be the new lead singer of a band that is 20 years past its prime. So they trot all of these awful singers (I thought American Idol had its share of doozies) who do atrocious renditions of just about every classic (and predictable) rock song imaginable. And then they cut to the INXS band members who are seriously discussing the merits of each of these candidates. You could see better (and more original) rock performers at just about any night club in any city in the world.

It has all the usual uncreative elements of every other reality show. Lame reality participants, lame interviews, lame host/emcee, lame "judging" of performances, and the lame booting of one participant at the end of each show. Can these shows get any more predictable? It's clearly a publicity stunt on the part of the band; a last gasp of hope at rekindling their lost stardom before they are finally buried into oblivion. Michael Hutchence, if he had any shred of dignity when alive, has to be rolling over in his grave. Not that INXS were ever a great band, but I had no idea they were this pathetic. If INXS are at all representative of what rock and roll has become, this show would be the final proof that rock and roll is once and for all, dead.