Silverchair’s Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou tell all in new book, Australian Story

Silverchair’s Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou have opened up about the sadness at the loss of their once-in-a-lifetime musical chemistry which still weighs heavily on them.

It’s the closure Silverchair fans didn’t want. Daniel Johns, Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou are never, ever, getting back together.

The sadness of the loss of the childhood friendship, and a once-in-a-lifetime musical chemistry, which forged one of Australia’s biggest rock bands weighs heavily in Love & Pain, the joint memoir from drummer Gillies and bassist Joannou.

The pair wrote the book for their children – Gillies’ twin sons Rocco and Bonham and Joannou’s daughter Odie and son Spence – so when they eventually search Silverchair online, they will find their side of the story.

They say it is neither a tit-for-tat response to the version of events posed by Johns’ podcast Who Is Daniel Johns? or web series Inside The Mind Of Daniel Johns.

Chris Joannau and Ben Gilles former members of Australian band Silverchair. Picture: Maclay Heriot

Nor is it an olive branch. Joannou felt so much about his band was “unresolved” and he wanted to park all the memories, good, bad and hilarious, into a book.

It was a cathartic process for them both but it’s not a step towards a Silverchair reunion.

“That was not the intent. Ultimately I think if there’s some mutual respect, you’d just have to be happy with that,” Joannou said.

“And whether personal differences are maintained, but there’s just some understanding, then so be it.”

Gillies: “I’m not putting any expectations around (a reunion with Johns). It’s all of our story and we all have a right to tell it. I did this for myself and to share another adventure with Chris.”

Silverchair band members.

The last time the three bandmates were together was an impromptu Silverchair Christmas party at Johns’ home in Newcastle in 2019. The get together started off like old times, the trio trading banter and their shared history, but lasted less than an hour.

Both men write in the book about several attempts to reach out to the frontman via text and letters to mend their fences.

Gillies writes he received a text from Johns in late 2021 which “felt like a full stop”

and “hurt me deeply to read it.”

Since the existence of their Love & Pain memoir was announced in June, it is believed Johns has sent two legal letters to the publisher Hachette in an attempt to block its publication.

Hachette said they do not comment on legal matters relating to their books.

Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun and Daniel Johns of Silverchair.

On Thursday, Australian Story alerted fans via social media the first half of A Silver Lining, Part 1, which aired last Monday had been pulled from ABC iview due to “rights issues.”

An industry insider said Johns would not give clearance on Silverchair tracks to be used on the digital broadcast of the documentary which interviews Gillies and Joannou.

The tug of war over the use of Silverchair’s music comes as Johns is believed to be negotiating with his former bandmates for their permission to include Silverchair songs in his own upcoming projects.

When asked if there could be future conversations about the band’s inclusion in the ARIA Hall of Fame to mark the 30th anniversary of their debut smash single Tomorrow next year, which would require all three members’ acceptance, neither of them seem hopeful.

“At this point, that’s kind of where we’re at … they’re just conversations and where they end up, it’s just really hard to know,” Gillies said.

Australian Band Silverchair holding their Aria Award in 2007.

Joannou has a burning passion to revive the band’s musical legacy of five studio albums – Frogstomp (1995), Freak Show (1997), Neon Ballroom (1999), Diorama (2002) and the final record Young Modern in 2007.

“(Despite) the band’s status of not touring, not recording, not doing anything, I was definitely of the opinion we could do some things to nurture the back catalogue, to keep the lights on,” Joannou said.

“There’s definitely a want and a desire; there’s a few key anniversaries that have skipped by and that does have a bit of pain to it sadly. Differences aside, it would be great to celebrate a few of those moments (with album reissues).”

A failure to communicate is at the heart of the Love & Pain story. It worsened in the second half of the band’s active career, and it remains. It has been 12 years after Joannou and Gillies were told by third parties in 2011 that Silverchair would enter an “indefinite hiatus” as Johns no longer wanted to continue with the band.

Gillies said the three musicians were “straight out of the mould of three blokes from Newie who wouldn’t have a clue on how to communicate.”

The 43-year-old said after addressing his “struggles with alcohol” and other mental health issues, in 2017 he was able to repair and strengthen his “wobbly” relationship with Joannou after the band break-up.

When Joannou was being treated for cancer in 2019, Gillies and his wife Jackie would travel to Sydney to be with the bassist and his wife Karissa during each of his treatments, ordering in takeaway and keeping him in good spirits.

Chris Joannau and Ben Gilles. Picture: Maclay Heriot

“We hang out a lot these days, even before writing the book,” Joannou said.

“When I was doing treatment, I don’t think there was one Ben and Jackie missed.

“I had to have a treatment on Boxing Day, it was 40 degrees and I thought it would be a good idea to drive my old EH Holden with no aircon to Sydney and said ‘C’mon Gillies’. It was extreme driving and not a good idea.”

Love & Pain is also full of the shenanigans these three rock stars got up to in their journey from boys to men. Instead of trashing hotel rooms, they would turn every piece of furniture upside down.

Record label minders who would inquire if the musicians wanted alcohol or drugs, even when they were under age or wanted a booking at the latest cool restaurant. They would be told to book a go-kart track and find the nearest hamburger joint.

They met music heavyweights from Janet Jackson to Jimmy Page, James Brown to Red Hot Chili Peppers and were just like any starstruck fan who just didn’t know what to say.

The book also celebrates the “love” they shared making music and the powerful alchemy of three teenagers who conquered the world from working class Newcastle.

“Whenever the three of us came together to make music, it was the best feeling in the world,” Joannou said.

Gillies added: “Our experiences with Daniel, so many of them were so awesome. Three teenagers jamming away together at my house and then take over the world. That’s super rare, like how many times does that happen? And we got to experience that.”

Don’t miss the exclusive extract in Stellar of Love & Pain: The epic times and crooked lines of life inside and outside Silverchair (Hachette) is out on September 27.

Australian Story broadcasts A Silver Lining Pt 2 on September 25 at 8pm

Originally published as Silverchair’s Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou tell all in new book, Australian Story