JD Fortune, Jason Sym Choon @ The Gov, Adelaide 20/10/2026
What a night at The Gov, expectations were high for the main act, but first we had the always entertaining Jason Sym Choon (lead singer of local rockers Nakatomi Plaza), treat us to an acoustic set of Aussie pub staples, some expected, some less so, but all classics. Jason had the crowd singing along with him to Paul Kelly’s To Her Door, Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know and the Split Enz classic, I Got You, through to set closer, the ever-emotive Cold Chisel track, When The War Is Over. A great local talent to kick off the evening, make sure you catch him performing if you get the chance.
As the lights dimmed following a brief break between sets and the unmistakable riffs of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck began rippling throughout The Gov, the excitement of the crowd was palpable and we felt a sense that we were being primed for what was to come. Musos trickled on stage in preparation for the main set throughout the song, and as the final strains rang out, JD Fortune burst on stage to join them, with a rousing rendition of Suicide Blonde.
The one-time INXS frontman stalked the stage like man possessed, almost primal in his intent and looking more the seasoned, road-weathered rocker, than the clean-cut Fortune of INXS Rockstar fame (the mid 2000’s TV show which kick started his 20+ year relationship with INXS and their music), and looking every inch the rock star.
By the end of the first song, the near capacity crowd was vibing, as the band ripped through a blistering set of classics, on the Best of INXS tour and throughout it all, we had a feeling we were privy to something kind of special. Fortune delivered an almost flawless performance, but to say he was channelling the late Michael Hutchence would be a huge disservice to him, as while there were elements of the late singer’s performances at times throughout the evening, Fortune brought so much more to his performance than just that of his predecessor. He had an energy all his own throughout the night and the crowd loved every second of it.
As expected, it was a hit heavy set, with Hutchence and Fortune tracks blending seamlessly, highlights including New Sensation, Pretty Vegas, By My Side, What You Need, Afterglow, Never Tear Us Apart and Need You Tonight, closing out the night with the incredible Don’t Change.
There will always be the INXS puritans who will never accept anyone except Hutchence fronting the band (including some of the band themselves it would seem), but you have to ask yourself, “What if?”. Imagine a future where they had fully embraced Fortune as their frontman and released a follow up to their only post Hutchence album, Switch… sadly we’ll never know what could have been, but what a dream. Thankfully for now, JD Fortune and his incredible band are well and truly continuing to wave the INXS flag and keeping the music alive.
Live Review By Peter Lanyon