JON FARRISS | Drummer, songwriter, producer, programmer

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Jon was the engine room of INXS—the guy who didn’t just keep time, he bent it to his will.

 

Bandmates didn’t hold back. Garry Gary Beers called him the best to ever sit behind a kit. Kirk Pengilly likened him to Scotty from Star Trek—the one keeping the whole machine alive. Even Nile Rodgers signed on after seeing Farriss light it up live.

 

Born in Perth, Jon found drums early—and never looked back. Self-taught, instinct-driven, he ditched lessons and learned by feel, absorbing everything from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to funk, disco, and the electronic

pulse of Kraftwerk.

 

That mix defined his style. On Need You Tonight, he fused drum machines with live percussion—cowbells, congas, tension and groove—creating a beat that didn’t just drive the song, it owned it.

 

Beyond the kit, Farriss was a sonic architect—early adopter of sequencing tech, builder of his own “Racks of Love,” and co-writer on cuts like Disappear and The Gift. Always evolving, always pushing.

 

One moment said it all: a sold-out Madison Square Garden, 20,000 strong, with legends like Herbie Hancock and Keith Richards backstage. That’s when it clicked—INXS belonged.

 

His pick for the band’s soul? Don't Change—a final-song anthem about staying true, no matter what.

 

These days, music still calls, whether solo or through new projects—but now, it shares the stage with nature, reflection, and a different kind of rhythm.