Everybody knows the show must go on. But what do you do when the man leading the show meets an unexpected and tragic end, and the show itself is one that's never gone on without him?

Well, if you're part of the Aussie-rock combo INXS, you find yourself with a difficult decision to make, one that might not prove too popular with fans but, in the end, only makes sense.

"Life goes on," explains John Farriss, of the band's decision to carry on without late frontman Michael Hutchence. "We do what we do. INXS is a band without a singer. Either we do instrumentals all our life or we get a new singer."

By now, most of us have heard the stories -- of how the band's infectious blend of new wave and Stones-inspired swagger spurred a meteoric rise to success in the 1980s.

Of how they fell out of favour a bit in the 1990s once dance-rock was supplanted by hip hop and grunge.

And of how Hutchence, the band's strutting sex symbol and lead singer, was found dead in a hotel room in November 1997, the apparent victim of either a self-inflicted hanging or sexual misadventure.

Today, thanks to the watchful eye of reality TV, even more people are familiar with the latest chapter in the INXS saga.

After going through the process of "grieving, then healing," the band hooked up with Survivor creator Mark Burnett, who agreed to help document the band's search for a suitable replacement for Hutchence.

Some accused the remaining members of exploiting the memory of their departed friend. Others watched with interest, curious of who the search might turn up.

"Clearly there would be polarity," says Farriss of the concept behind CBS's Rockstar: INXS. "But you can't please everyone."

As far as the show was concerned, the band had a few demands. The production values would be high, the talent-search extensive and, most importantly, it would treat its music-minded contenders with respect, Farriss says.

"What we wanted to do was help and support these people," he tells the Sun from a tour stop in Niagara Falls. "Sure there was a TV show to be made, but it wasn't about screwing people's heads up and then kicking them off."

The criteria for the new frontperson were also simple: the winning contestant would have to be a good singer, would have to be able to withstand the pressures of touring and recording and, most importantly, would share chemistry with the existing members of the band (in this case, keyboardist Andrew Farriss and guitarist John Farriss, both brothers of John, bassist Gary Beers, and guitarist/saxman Kirk Pengilly).

"If there's no chemistry, then what's the point?" Farriss asks.

In the end, they settled on former Elvis impersonator J.D. Fortune, an Ontario native whose singing style bears more than a passing resemblance to Hutchence's.

Fortune quickly joined the band in the studio to cut the recently released Switch, an album that heralded a return to the anthemic rock-style of its glory days.

Farriss says Fortune has proven a quick study; one who isn't short on chemistry, with either his bandmates or his fans.

And while he didn't have much input where Switch was concerned (save for the first single Pretty Vegas, which he co-wrote), Farriss swears he'll play a much more integral role when INXS starts putting together its next album.

"He just gets it," Farriss says of the new addition.

INXS play the MTS Centre Friday night, along with former Creed frontman Scott Stapp.