20 years since INXS rocked Centennial Park

Time flies. 20 years seems a long time, yet when you think back to what you were doing 20 years ago doesn’t seem so long. I wonder how many people remember this….20 years ago today INXS rocked out in Centennial Park!

The Concert for Life

The legendary Australian rock band headlined the ‘Concert for Life’ on 28 March 1992 – an event that raised funds for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Centre and AIDS Patient Services and Research, at St Vincent’s Hospital. The concert also included performances by Crowded House, Yothu Yindi, Jenny Morris, Diesel, Ratcat and Def FX.

The Official Program for the event noted that the “Ticket Price” for the event was a $21 donation!

There was a massive build up, with around 100,000 patrons expected (watch Michael Hutchence pre-event interview in Centennial Park). This resulted in a range of Parliamentary debates and questions about logistics and transport for the crowds, with this exchange foreshadowing that it would entail the “biggest ever bus fleet scheduled for a single event in Sydney”.

The event, however, was hampered by inclement weather. It was reported that 62,000 still turned out, but funds raised (around $600,000), were lower than hoped for. Despite this, INXS played a memorable set (see set list here) and you can watch a live version of “Mistify” right here – complete with flyover of Centennial Park!

Here is how the official Michael Hutchence website remembers the event.

That was 20 years ago today in Centennial Park. Did you attend the concert? Tell us about your experience!