'A Poet, a Visionary and a Dreamer'

It's ten years today since Michael Hutchence died in a Sydney hotel room, for me a more significant loss by far than a certain royal who was killed a couple of months before him.

INXS was the band when I was a lad, and one of my best memories from being a teenager was seeing them perform in the high-point gig of their career, their 1991 Wembley Stadium concert, playing to more than 70,000 people.

I'd only been living in Sydney for around four months when news broke of his death (I heard about it in the car, switching on the radio to hear the tail end of the band's song This Time, followed by early reports of the discovery of the body). I was working in an office one street away from St Andrew's Cathedral at the time, so when the funeral took place some days later I was able to duck out to stand in the crowd of mourners who watched as the coffin was carried out.

Now, ten years on, I'm on the other side of the country and I'd hoped that I'd be able to complete the circle somewhat today by popping into the Broadway pub, where the band played one of their first ever gigs. Miscalculating the days I was needed to work, however, meant I couldn't go during the day - the kids mean I can't get away tonight. So I'll be wandering along there tomorrow instead for a swift drink or two.

Today, though - back catalogue on the iPod. Seems the least I can do.