Press
01-05-1999
Silverchair: Neon Knights
By Bryan Swenson (Hit Parader)
It's not exactly an earth-shaking revelation to state that rock and
roll is a young man's game. Let's face it, for every
almost-ready-for-the-glue-factory rocker like Mick Jagger or Jimmy
Page, there are literally dozens of still-wet-behind-the-ears pups
chomping at the bit for their chance at big time music biz recognition.
But even in an industry controlled by superstars who are often judged
to be "past their prime" by the time they leave their early 20's,
silverchair are an exception. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Johns, bassist
Chris Joannou and drummer Ben Gillies are still in their late-teens,
yet despite their tender age they've already sold over five million
albums and emerged as a world-wide phenomenon. Their first two albums,
frogstomp and Freak Show, have drawn critical praise as well as
commercial kudos, and the group member's pouty good looks have made
them international cover boys. Not bad for a bunch of kids who still
haven't seen their 20th birthday.
And now with the release of their third album, Neon Ballroom, a new and
potentially critical phase of silverchair's musical game is about to
begin. The only thing worse than being a nobody at the age of 19 is the
risk of being a "has been" -- and that's exactly the fate that this
Australian power trio is working feverishly to avoid. Yes, they have
sold five million albums. But a simply application of Math 101 says
that such a number consist of four million copies of their debut disc
and only one million copies of it's follow-up. Thus the success of
their third effort will play a vital role in determining the eventual
fate of these silverboys -- whether they will make a lasting impression
on the rock and roll history books or rank as merely a passing blip in
the annals of music lore. And while young Mr. Johns insist that such
sundry side-issues play only a minimal role in determining his band's
musical course, he also admits it has grown harder and harder for
silverchair to avoid the pressure of public scrutiny.
"We've been quite successfulsince we first started," the blond-haired
frontman said. "But we very much want that to continue. We always
admired great bands that were able to produce many strong albums. That
would be our goal as well. We want what we've already accomplished to
serve as a starting point for us."
Clearly, in both word and action silverchair is as mature and exciting
a band as has come down the pike in many a moon. This is a group whose
style and attitude seems intent on proving that a pure hard rock band
can still make a significant impact on the confused, jaded and
unpredictable late-'90s rock world. While there may be some that state
that silverchair's influences, whether they be Led Zeppelin or Nirvana,
are themselves little more than fast-fading memories, others predict
that with the release of Neon Ballroom, these Aussie sensations may
just prove to be the tonic to give the rock scene a much-needed jolt.
We don't like putting classifications on the music we make," Johns
said. "We've heard people call us everything from hard rock to grunge,
and we understand that, but putting labels on what we do isn't what
we're about. We let people call it what they want, but all we do is
play it."
In retrospect, it's amazing how far silverchair have come in a short
time. It was back in June, 1994 that these then 15-yearold boys from
Newcastle, a town on Australia's south-eastern coast, decided to enter
a national talent contest sponsored by radio station 2JJJ-FM. They
recorded a song called Tomorrow for the contest, and submitted their
entry along with over 800 other hopeful bands. Not only did silverchair
win the contest (the first prize being a day in a local recording
studio) but their re-cut version of Tomorrow soon was added to the
station's heavy-rotation playlist---at listener demand! Amazingly, by
year's end their song had reached the Number One slot in the Aussie
rock music charts, and silverchair found themselves voted Down Under's
top new band---all accomplished before the boys had even signed a
record deal.
By The time 1995 kicked into gear, every label in Australia was
pounding on silverchair's door, begging them to sign on the dotted
line. But rather then jumping at the first tasty contract that was
shoved under their collective noses, these boys showed sense beyond
their years, waiting for just the right deal to come along -- a deal
that would allow them to maintain total artistic control of their
budding career. They finally agreed to sign with an indie label called
Murmur Records and proceeded to record a four-song EP that launched
their next single, Pure Massacre, to Number One -- while at the same
time,Tomorrow remained securely ensconced in the top five. Pretty cool
for a bunch on teens who had only been playing together for a year.
By the time the group went back into the studio to record frogstomp
shortly after the release of their EP, they were being hailed in the
Aussie press as "the freshest band in years." As one might expect, by
the time their debut disc was released (after all of nine days of
recording), it sailed instantly to the top of their native land's album
charts, a position it held for the next five months! But the boys
didn't let any of this instant success play with their heads. Rather
than immediately adopting the rock star lifestyle, silverchair did
everything in their power to maintain their street credibility. For
example, when they were invited to headline the Aussie Big Day Out tour
(their equivalent to Lollapalooza), the band insisted on playing the
"second" stage-where indie bands were being featured. They also refused
to appear on television or deal with the mainstream press, choosing
only to talk to fanzines or music rags, publications they deemed as
"cool".
"We just want to maintain some control of things." Johns said. "You can
become just product if you all youselves to be. We don't want that to
happen. If people don't like it, that's too bad."
We won't tire you with the intimate details of the group's initial
world-wide conquest -- if you're reading this story so-far you probably
know how frogstomp sold two million copies in the U.S. and equal number
around the rest of the world. You also probably know how just as their
fan base was soaring, some critics began dismissing silverchair with
cute catch-phrases as "Nirvana in pajamas". And, most importantly, you
know that the group's second disc, Freak Show rode it's strong
Zeppelinesque feel straight to mid-chart purgatory before quickly
disappearing from the scene. So now with the appearance of Neon
Ballroom, these still-baby-faced rockers from Down Under have reached a
premature crossroads in their tender careers. Will they soar or will
they sink? If their confidence has anything to say in the matter, it
seems safe to say that we'll have silverchair to kick around for a long
time to come.
"We're very anxious for everyone to hear the new music," Johns said.
"We're very proud of it. I think we've grown up quite a bit over the
last year or so, and the songs we're recording show that."