SHINE LIKE IT DOES

Toby Creswell Echo $32.99 Compared with Jim Morrison for his charismatic stagecraft, Michael Hutchence remains an enigma to many of his global fans. Marking the 20th anniversary of the INXS lead singer’s death — on November 22, 1997 — founding editor of Rolling Stone Australia, Toby Creswell, thankfully doesn’t go down the sensationalist path. Instead he talks to those who knew Hutchence, such as former Aussie girlfriend Michele Bennett and filmmaker Richard Lowenstein. We discover a shy bloke who loved Melbourne’s 1990s underground music scene, continually pushed INXS into edgier genres, and who couldn’t escape the childhood demons of his dysfunctional family. Creswell, who admits to once sharing a line of cocaine with Hutchence, skilfully shines a light on the authentic side of a rock legend. Rating: