When Australian rock trio Silverchair arrived on European shores in 1995, their press coverage concentrated firmly on the fact that each member was just 15 years old. However, Chris Joannou (b. 10 November 1979, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; bass), Daniel Johns (b. 22 April 1979, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; vocals/guitar) and Ben Gillies (b. Benjamin David Gillies, 24 October 1979, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; drums) seemed quite capable of producing a noise in the best adult traditions of their primary influences, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. They actually formed three years previously in 1992 as Innocent Criminals, sharpening their skills in Joannou’s parents’ garage in Newcastle. Covers of material by Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Deep Purple soon evolved into a set of original songs. A few hesitant concerts later they entered and won a national Talent Quest contest, which allowed them to record a more polished demo and a promotional video. The single they chose to record, ‘Tomorrow’, was released by Sony Records and quickly became a national number 1.
When Hole and Ministry toured Australasia, Silverchair were booked as support, further bolstering their reputation. Johns’ lyrics were a naive trawl through social dilemmas informed by their author’s viewing of documentaries on the SBS channel. Despite this, the trio’s 1995 debut frogstomp quickly achieved double platinum status in Australia, and even hardened critics found it difficult to completely ignore the band’s enthusiasm. In the USA, where the album sold over two million, they were often thought to be another band from Seattle. Their Kurt Cobain-influenced lyrics of negativity and death were cited during a 1996 murder trial as two teenagers were accused of a family murder. Tracks from frogstomp were quoted during the trial.
The trio moved towards a more generic hard rock style on the follow-up Freak Show, and despite the obvious influences managed to turn in a thrilling and hook-laden collection of tracks. In an unlikely development, the band collaborated with classical pianist David Hefgott on a track called ‘Emotion Sickness’, taken from 1999’s Neon Ballroom. The experimental nature of the album alienated a good chunk of the band’s fanbase, however, with many fans unwilling to make the same journey into maturity and self-discovery that the members of Silverchair were self-evidently making. The band made further progress with the excellent follow-up Diorama (2002), their first release for new label Atlantic Records (the album was released on the Eleven: A Music Company label in Australia, run by the band’s manager John Watson). An ambitious tour to promote the album won the band further acclaim, but following its completion the members announced they were putting Silverchair on hiatus.
Johns went on to record with electronica artist Paul Mac under the Dissociatives banner, and work with his wife Natalie Imbruglia on her 2005 album Counting Down The Days. Gillies, meanwhile, recorded an album with his own band, Tambalane. The trio reunited at the end of 2005 to begin work on a new Silverchair album. Young Modern debuted at the top of the Australian charts in April 2007, making Silverchair the only Australian band in history to achieve five number one albums.
