By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
TIMES have been tough times for former Noiseworks and INXS front man Jon Stevens lately.
He’s been involved in a series of issues that have provided all the wrong kinds of publicity.
Police were called to a domestic dispute with now-estranged partner Jodhi Meares, he was drawn into the John Singleton restaurant fracas and then struck an elderly pedestrian in a car accident.
On top of all that Stevens had a number of gigs cancelled, including a high-profile show at Sydney’s Star City Casino.
He posted on his Facebook account: “This is one (of) 30 concerts that have been cancelled on me during this already trying time, to say I’m at my lowest is an understatement.
“Thank you to everybody for all your love and support during this challenging time. I really appreciate it.”
But the 30-year veteran singer, songwriter and performer also posted: “Music is my escape from all the bullshit in life”.
And escape is what he’ll be seeking when he takes to the stage during his Geelong gig at the Sphinx Hotel next week.
Stevens has enjoyed ARIA chart-topping success as the front man of legendary Australian bands Noiseworks and INXS. He now has another band on the rise, The Dead Daisies.
Following the success of Noiseworks, Stevens pursued opportunities on a different kind of stage, starring as Judas in the highly acclaimed and successful 1992 Australian musical production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.
After a studio collaboration in 2000 he became part of INXS as guest vocalist, embarking on a global tour.
Returning to his solo career, Stevens released two solo albums, Changing Times and Testify in 2011, before combining with guitarist David Lowy to write and record what would be the debut album for The Dead Daisies.
During his career Stevens has worked with performers like Elton John, legendary guitarist Slash, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains, Coheed and Cambria, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden.
Stevens returned to Jesus Christ Superstar for its 2013 production, this time in the role of Pontius Pilot.
Promoters said his current tour would feature everything from Noiseworks classics “to songs that have influenced and inspired him” in a series of “laid-back yet energetic performances”.
Stevens plays the Sphinx on 30 May.
