Models mystified at INXS slight

International hit … Models featuring Barton Price, Roger Mason, the late James Freud and Sean Kelly Picture: Rob Tuckwell
Source: News Limited

INXS and Models were once rock’n’roll road buddies who shared Chris Murphy as their manager.

But the Models are “pissed off” about their mention in the Never Tear Us Apart TV biopic.
Drummer Barton Price and supporters of the band took issue with a comment made by Murphy’s character in a scene when he was revving INXS up about focusing on international success rather than staying in Australia.
After a week of stewing about the sledge, Price hit back on social media on the weekend.
‘The suggestion was that by INXS attempting to break internationally they were different and superior to us: ‘…or you can come back here and be the Radiators or the Models’,” Price said, quoting the line used by Murphy’s character.
“What the! We spent a lot of time and effort working internationally and entered the American top 40.
“But the biggest irony is that Chris Murphy, the very same character using us as a negative benchmark in the INXS soap opera, was our manager for that entire period. He was the very person directing our international efforts!”
The bands crossed paths throughout their careers, notably as part of the cast of the Australian Made concerts, a festival of local acts including INXS, Models, Jimmy Barnes, Divinyls and more which travelled the country in 1987.
Price said the comment was set in 1982 in the show and while they would not tour the US for a few years after that, they were already in discussions with American labels and had recorded and played in the UK at the time.
The photo of the band on their Wikipedia page shows frontman Sean Kelly during a gig in San Francisco in 1986.
“Let’s not forget Models and INXS paths crossing on numerous occasions in London, New York, or a very memorable dinner in Milwaukee,” Price said.
“Models and INXS did many shows together, we had a lot of laughs, drank more than a few beers, hung out a lot, even played soccer against each other — I thought we were friends.”
Price remains mystified as to why his band were sledged in the series and said every Australian band during the era had their eye on the international prize.
Models, in fact, scored a mention in the Andy Warhol diaries after he had seen the video for their song Evolution.
“So why did they bag us the other night? What was the benefit? Couldn’t they think of another band that actually hadn’t tried to break internationally?” Price said.
“Perhaps that’s the point. INXS weren’t as different as Chris Murphy would like to believe. Yes, they were more successful than the rest of us, but just about every major Australian act of the day had an international deal of some sort, and was doing their best to achieve wider glories.”


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