silverchair

the story: How silverchair got their name (the various versions):

• (Sep 94) 'We were all over at the drummer's house, requesting some songs on the radio and one of them was... Sliver something by the Smashing Pumpkins, and the other one was Berlin Chair. Someone wrote Silver Chair instead of Sliver Chair, and that's how silverchair popped up.'
• (Oct 95) The boys decided to request some songs on the radio. They were talking to one of their friends and said how they didn't really like the group Nirvana. The friend told them to listen to "Sliver" to change their minds, but the boys also wanted to listen to "Berlin Chair" by You Am I. So Daniel told Chris to write "Sliverchair" to abbreviate the two songs, instead Chris mispelled it and wrote "Silverchair' and that's how they got their name! The boys have now recanted this version of their naming, recently saying they made that story up. Their latest version is: they picked it from a list. "We thought we'd make up a good name so people thought we're interesting," Johns said.
• (Nov 95) Mr. Myagi's bum sweat.
• (Sep 99) 'There was a list of names and we liked silverchair the most.'

the band: from Newcastle, Australia; formed in 1992, signed to Murmur Records after winning a radio competition with the demo for "tomorrow".

projects:
(click on title to purchase)

• frogstomp (CD) (1995)
• Freak Show (CD) (1997)
• neon ballroom (CD) (1999)
• Anthem of the Year 2000 (CD Import) (2000)

 

Facts/Trivia

• silvechair won the Australia Viewer's Choice Award at the MTV Music Video Awards on September 9th
• Students at Elgin HS in Elgin, IL will get the treat of their lives: silverchair plays Elgin HS. The HS won a contest sponsored by the Shagg Network a group of 1200 high school newspapers, radio stations, student boards and non-traditional publications.
• The first song Ben and Daniel played together was Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog".
• The backstage food/drink selection: fresh fruit, veggies, water, fruit juice, bread, and occasionally lollipops and other sweets "to keep the energy levels up".
• After "cicada" on the frogstomp album, the producer's son was mucking arund on the drums and the guys laughed. They liked it and kept it on.
• silverchair recorded a couple of Black Flag songs ("Wasted" and Fix Me") for bonus tracks that are bound to turn up somewhere
• Maggie Kirkpatrick guest starred on the year 2000 video (she played "the freak" on the old soap "Prisoner Cell Block H")
• "Anthem for the Year 2000" is lyrically based on Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party, an Australian political movement and their views about youth.
• "Anthem for the Year 2000" won the MTV Music Video Award for Best Australian Video
• Aussie fans got a special CD double package treat in August for a limited time only (included "London's Burning", the lads' Clash tribute)
• silverchair was named Artist of the Year at the ARIA Awards in Australia on 10/14/99; their producer, Nick Launay, won Best Engineer for Neon Ballroom
• silverchair is one of 5 finalist for the Channel V Artist of the Year Award

Currently: That third album, Neon Ballroom, with the first single "Anthem for the Year 2000" includes an updated version of "Spawn" called "Spawn Again" and a six-minute track called "Emotion Sickness" (featuring classical pianist Shine fame, David Helfgott). Neon Ballroom has achieved gold status in the US, platinum in Canada, and double platinum in Australia. Meanwhile, a special two-CD "Tour Edition" of the album has been released, featuring a bonus multimedia component -- the video documentary "Inside the Neon Ballroom".

The long awaited Clash tribute album, icluding silverchair's London's Burning is out (March 16, 1999).

For the World Tour, silverchair added keyboard player, Sam Holloway, formerly of Melbourne-based Cordazine.

Latest News:

• During the boys' downtime, they've been spotted at shows for Primus, Mr. Bungle and Macy Gray.
• Ben requested tickets for 5ive's recent show in Australia (he claims they were for his girlfriend and a friend of hers)
• "Miss You Love" is featured in the new Australian film, Looking For Alibrandi
• silverchair is taking 2000 off for some much needed rest. NO, they are not breaking up.
• silverchair's latest video is available. It's titled "Emotion Sickness"

 

Check out the YMS Those Aussie Boys gallery

silverchair, Daniel and 15 other hot Aussie boys.

 

Look for silverchair...

• silverchair has been booked to play the world's biggest music festival, Rock In Ro in January. This will be their first show as a band in over a year. The chair will hold the second headlining spot, behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Others on the bill: Foo Fighters and R.E.M., with Guns 'N' Roses and Metallica rumored to be added. Says Daniel: "This show is really just a one off thing. We're not going to start touring anywhere else until we get a new album done and we haven't got any definite plans for that yet." Rock In Rio has happened twice in 15 years, with the 1985 show attracting 5 times the crowd of the original Woodstock; the 1991 show drew a worldwide TV audience of 500 million.
• silverchair was on MTV"s TRL Sept 7th
• silverchair is in these mags: Kerrang, Circus, Hit Parade, Guitar, Guitar World, Metal Edge, Massive, Australian Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Metal Hammer.
• "Ana,s Song (Open Fire)" is silverchair's next single, and it's out now (released: May 10th)
• the new single is "miss you love" (No. 18 in Triple J's Net 50 in its first week in Australia)
• silverchair will headline this year's Homebake events in Sydney and on the Gold Coast. Homebake will take place at the Gold Coast on Sun., Nov. 28 and in Sydney on Sat., Dec. 4. Also confirmed on the bill so far are Powderfinger, Frenzal Rhomb, Gerling and Resin Dogs. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Fri., Sept. 10 from all Ticketek offices across Australia.

See the video for Anthem for the Year 2000.

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silverchair Links

• Official silverchair site
• the silverchair Addiction
• UBL artist: silverchair
• Sideshow
• itz silverchair

 

the guys: silverchair is: Chris Joannou, Ben Gillies and Daniel Johns

Chris	Dan	Ben

contact silverchair: silverchair, P.O. Box 15, Merewether, NSW 2291, Australia or silverchair, c/o Epic, 2100 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404

 

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updated 9.18.00