Rob Thomas An Honorary Australian After INXS Collaboration

30 July 2009

Rob Thomas revealed to Take 40 that he feels like an honorary Australian after collaborating with Aussie rockers INXS on their upcoming greatest hits tribute album.

"I still feel like an honorary Australian," Rob told take40.com. "I feel like I can hand over my title but I still get to be an honorary Australian, you know, without a doubt."

VIDEO: Rob Thomas - Her Diamonds

Thomas is vocal about his appreciation for INXS, having covered one of their songs during a Matchbox Twenty concert a while back. Rob told us it was at this very gig that he first had the opportunity to work with INXS.

"I think it started with our last Matchbox Twenty gig in Wollongong," Rob explained. "Jon Farriss came out (to see the show), and... on our tour... every night in sound-check we would learn a new song by an Australian artist and so we would have to learn it in sound-check and play it that night at the show."

"So we did everything from Crowded House, to AC/DC, to Kylie Minogue and Men At Work," Rob continued, "...and INXS was one of them."

Farriss joined Matchbox Twenty on stage, playing drums to the INXS hits 'Never Tear Us Apart' and 'Don't Change'. Rob told Take 40 that since that day they have kept in touch.

"They were gonna start doing this greatest hits, but re-imagined and with these different singers..." explained Rob. "...And they sent me a version of 'Beautiful Girl' with (The Killers front man) Brandon Flowers singing and it was just amazing..."

The idea behind the new INXS album, which they plan to release as a tribute to their late former singer Michael Hutchence, is to take the band's great songs and make them more current, without destroying the original feel of the track.

Rob was lucky enough to have his pick of songs to record. "I sang 'Never Tear Us Apart' and 'Original Sin'... because I got in early I got to ask!" he said.

VIDEO: INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

Thomas recently owned up to ripping off a guitar riff from INXS in the track 'Give Me The Meltdown', featured on his new album 'Cradlesong', which he says he's fully confessed to the Farriss brothers.

"I call it ripping them off," he said. "Just because there's very few bands that you can say own a guitar sound... you know when you hear a lick you go 'oh that sounds so blah.'"

"So in 'Give Me The Meltdown', we have a guitar part that runs through there that sounds so INXS... while we were recording it we were calling it the 'INXS guitar'!

Rob has just announced an Australian tour for February 2010, tickets go on sale Friday August 7 - click here for tour details!