Australian rock band INXS says its touring days are over

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PERTH, Australia, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The surviving members of the Australian rock band INXS announced at a concert in Perth they don't plan to go on tour again.

Drummer Jon Farriss broke the news to fans at the opening weekend of the new Perth Arena and the final night of the Matchbox Twenty/INXS Australian tour Sunday.

INXS began its career in the Western Australian city 35 years ago, with front man Michael Hutchence, who hanged himself in 1997 at the age of 37.

Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas joined INXS and vocalist Ciaran Gribbin on stage and performed the band's signature closer, "Don't Change," at Sunday's show.

The remaining band members of INXS -- Tim, Andrew and Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Beers -- issued a statement on the group's website confirming their intention to never tour again.

"We understand that this must come as a blow to everybody, but all things must eventually come to

an end. We have been performing as a band for 35 years, it's time to step away from the touring

arena," the band said in its online message. "Our music will, of course, live on and we will always be a part of that. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the friends and family that have supported us throughout our extensive career. Our lives have been enriched by having you all as a part of the journey."

Jon Farriss said the band is still mourning the loss of Hutchence.

"It's been 35 years for INXS as a live touring band and unbelievably it's been 15 years ago since we lost Michael," said Jon Farriss. "We lived for each other in the trenches and we loved each other. It was the six of us against the world and then suddenly and inexplicably we were but five. We were lost right at the moment we were on top."

"We never took a soft option, it was the adversity, the challenge and the struggle that forged us into the live working band we became. And this was as big as it could possibly get when it came to a challenge," said Andrew Farriss, "and in the end we decided for a whole bunch of reasons to march forward. To us there was no other option, families always move forward."

"They believed unconditionally in each other and they also believed unconditionally in the music. People fade, sometimes way too early," the band's manager Chris Murphy said. "That is

life whether we like it or not. To live to 80 plus is a life well lived. To lose Michael so young was a

tragedy for all of us. But with this band, their legacy, their music was just so damn good, it was

always destined to live beyond all of us."