February 4th, 2012:
"Hello beautiful Aspen people…in all kinds of ways I'm sure" – Michael Hutchence
Today marks 15 years since INXS kicked off their 'Elegantly Wasted' world tour in Aspen, Colorado.
In the days prior the band did a small warm up show in preparation for Aspen at ABC studios in Sydney for only around 200 media and friends, which included the only time the band performed the track 'Building Bridges' live in their set list.
Aspen is like wonderland, full of the rich and famous, everything is too perfect. Situated in a deep valley with pine trees up one side and ski slopes up the other. The band arrived 2 days prior to the show and checked into their accomodation around 50 metres from a chair lift and a view over looking the ski slopes. In their spare time INXS got to hit the slopes in snow mobiles!
Next day was rehearsals at Wheeler Opera House. The venue was about 110 years old with some really beautiful architecture. The back wall of the stage was covered in a lot of old INXS posters, however at the sides of the stage someone had hung this strange chiffon material which looked very tacky and the band wanted it removed but the producers wouldn't move on it! Eventually they agreed and the crew spent the next 2 hours with a knife ripping it up and black spray paint to cover it up. As the band wanted the stage to look like a back alley way not Liberace's bed room!
Show day and the concert was not without drama! During the show the stage started to collapse and emergency supports had to be placed under the stage, which Michael comments on during the show, and says it's similar to a show they did 4 years prior at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on the 'Get Out Of The House' tour where they knocked that venue down in one song.
The Aspen show filmed by VH-1 was titled 'Rock The Rockies' and was broadcast in USA on March 1st, 1997 and in Australia on May 5th, 1997. The songs which were broadcast were:
New Sensation
Elegantly Wasted
Listen Like Thieves
Suicide Blonde
Devil Inside
Need You Tonight
Never Tear Us Apart
Everything
What You Need
Searching
Don't Change
VH-1 have never released the full concert on DVD. The only official full release of the concert is the Mercury Records Promo Only Video pictured above. However 2 tracks have had official commercial DVD releases in 2004. 'Elegantly Wasted' can be found on the 'INXS: I'm Only Looking' 2DVD set, while 'Need You Tonight' is included on the 'Need You Tonight' DVD Retro single released in Europe. The concert is also easily found for fans to view on YouTube.
In Australia if you pre-ordered the 'Elegantly Wasted' album from a Brashs Music store customers received a free 6-track 'INXS Live in Aspen' promo cd. This cd is quite rare to find these days and sort after by collectors. The cd contained the following tracks:
New Sensation
Elegantly Wasted
Searching
Need You Tonight
What You Need
Kick
The band regarded the Aspen show as one of the highlights of the 1997 tour and commented that it is always great to play in the snow towns, and great to play new material live.
Let us know which is your favourite track from the Aspen 1997 concert? Watch 'Elegantly Wasted' live in Aspen below.