Garry Gary Beers on INXS, Mick Jagger, and the 40th Anniversary of Listen Like Thieves

In a music world overflowing with nostalgia, few albums deserve the remaster treatment more than INXS’s Listen Like Thieves. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the album that helped define the band's global breakthrough has been completely remastered by Giles Martin—yes, the son of Beatles producer George Martin—and is being re-released alongside a treasure trove of demos, outtakes, and a legendary live performance at Royal Albert Hall in 1986.

I sat down with bassist Garry Gary Beers to talk about the new release, Detroit memories, and that unforgettable night Mick Jagger came to see INXS live.

“Listen Like Thieves was a turning point for us,” Beers told me. “To be honest, it took us a while. It really took until this album with Chris Thomas to make that transition properly. Chris had remarked that it was like there were two different INXS bands—the one that played live and the one in the studio.”

Beers credits producer Chris Thomas, best known for his work with The Sex Pistols and Elton John, for helping INXS channel their stage energy into a studio sound. “He just said, ‘Okay, get all your demos. We’ll pick the songs, then go in a studio and rehearse them.’ He wanted us to play live in the studio.”

That decision paid off, especially on “What You Need,” a track that nearly didn’t make the cut. “We thought we’d finished the record and Chris Thomas goes, ‘No, we still need a hit.’ And boy, was he right,” Beers recalled. “Andrew and Michael went off in the corner with a demo. Tim said, ‘What about that song of Andrew’s?’ And we put that together really quickly. They wrote it in the corner and then we recorded it in an afternoon.”

Beers shared that the iconic intro of “What You Need”—which sounds like someone tripping over an amp—wasn't planned. “There’s a lot of open mic stuff. John's intro is just something that happened on that take. The banter, the guitar fooling around—that’s all just what happened in the moment.”

One of the standout features of the new deluxe edition is the inclusion of the band’s 1986 performance at Royal Albert Hall—a pivotal moment in their career. Not just for the energy of the show, but also for one notable guest in the crowd.

“Mick Jagger was there,” Beers confirmed. “We knew. Most famous people that go to see other bands try to see them before the show—because afterwards, it’s always a bit of a circus. Mick served us quite a lot. He’d come early, have dinner with the crew. He’s a real nice bloke. No security or anything.”

That casual charisma left an impression. “He’d just turn up, take us out for dinner. Really nice guy.”

With Giles Martin at the helm of the remaster, the basslines on the album have been given new life—something Beers is proud of. “The remastering really makes the bass pop a lot more. I can really hear the bass a lot more now.”

He spoke fondly of “Listen Like Thieves,” a track that challenged him technically. “That’s one of the only songs I actually play with a thumb—slap bass. I don’t do that very well at all, but for that song, it just seemed to sound better.”

The recording process was memorable for its rawness. “I sat in a dark room to get it live with the drums. I actually had to sit in a little tiny box between two live rooms, sitting on my amp. But it sounds huge.”

And yet, beyond the music and production, there’s an emotional pull to the project that Beers couldn’t deny.

“It really does take you back,” he said, reflecting on listening to the old demos. “I’m not really one to look back too much, but this particular remastering… you can’t avoid it. It coincided with the fact that people were really catching on. Top five hit with ‘What You Need,’ great respect around the world for that record. It was a real turning point—and rightly so.”

That impact isn’t just something Beers acknowledges in the abstract. It’s deeply personal for fans, too. I shared with him that I was in the U.S. Naval Submarine School when Listen Like Thieves came out. I bought it on cassette and used it as a lifeline during one of the most grueling stretches of my life. “You got me through Submarine School,” I told him.

Beers paused. “That is the beautiful thing about our part in history. The role we played in people’s lives, as well as our own. I’ve been with the guys in the band since high school—as young men. So it’s great to see how it still affects people.”

When I asked him what track he’d play for someone who had never heard INXS before, he pointed to the classics. “Even people who don’t think they know INXS, know ‘Need You Tonight’ and ‘Never Tear Us Apart.’ But from this album, ‘What You Need.’ And surprisingly, ‘Listen Like Thieves’—I wrote the music for that—is one of the most played songs on the radio. That surprised me.”

He laughed, “People say, ‘I’ve never heard of INXS,’ and I go, ‘I’ll bet you ten bucks you know ten songs.’ And they always do. But I don’t take their money. That’s the beauty—it’s ingrained in history. It stands the test of time. The songs sound as fresh now as they did back in ’85.”

“I think people are always looking—not so much for the good old days—but something that makes them feel good,” he said. “There’s a lot that makes you feel bad right now. So the re-release of Listen Like Thieves is really timely in helping people get through—like you probably did back then.”

He’s right. This record, and INXS as a whole, have always carried that kind of weight.

The Listen Like Thieves 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is out now from Rhino Records. If INXS was ever a part of your story—or if you're just discovering them—it’s essential listening. The sound is sharper, the memories richer, and the groove undeniable.

As Beers put it best: “The songs are timeless.”