Press
23-10-2007
WIN Entertainment Centre - Wollongong, Australia
By JULIE
My visit to the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on October 23rd to see the boys started out with me struggling to not jump up and down, squeal and clap my hands in public… (A little unbecoming for a 34 year old woman…) Our seats were INCREDIBLE! I purchased them through the LAS and they were, without a doubt, the BEST presale seats I’ve ever had. Incredible view, just a few metres from the stage. So whoever the clever person from the LAS is that wangled those seats from the promoters gets my absolute and utter props. They were amazing, amazing, amazing and I can’t thank you enough!
This marked the 4th time I’d seen Silverchair over the last 12 or so years but the excitement still doesn’t wane! Watching the roadies bustle around, I jigged about with excitement to rival any of the teens and twentysomethings there for their first taste of the boys live.
Set was fabulous and the boys all looked great. It’s always brilliant to see them all together. They have such an amazing chemistry that was just firing on all cylinders. I don’t know of any other band I’ve seen live have quite that same degree of ‘click’ the boys have. That chemistry was really reflected in the set last night too. It was tight, slick and they just buzzed along with such amazing synergy that’s an experience to witness.
Okay music stuff…It’s all such a blur I’m unlikely to get this in the right order, but I’ll try!
Not surprised to see them open with Young Modern Station which was brilliant and really true to the album track. Little surprised to hear Emotion Sickness next up but love love loved listening to Daniel tinker with the melody and do that cool caterwaully thing! Ooh more old stuff – Israel’s Son…Nice. Reflections of a Sound and Insomnia. Love it…
Here’s my first favourite bit. Ana’s Song. Unexpected surprise. One of my all time favourite earlier tracks that was done with such vulnerability and awesome power. I don’t remember hearing Daniel sound this good. Ever. It was really compelling to watch and to see how this song has evolved for the boys over the years.
The Door…Couldn’t we have heard Without You here? Or something else fabulous?
There’s something classically Silverchair about Greatest View. Kind of how I felt about Young Modern Station the first time I heard it. It’s just one of those Silverchair songs. For me it’s one of those lamppost songs in the boys careers. It’s the little bit of the show where my mind floats back to being at University and listening to Helen and Mickey on JJJ interview Daniel who was rushing them off the phone because he had to get to school. Or suddenly hearing an orchestra playing along beside the boys during a first time listen to Diorama. It’s a special song that really resonates here for lots of different reasons.
Straight Lines ROARED! Clearly an audience favourite and the little moshers in front of me down on the dancefloor were shakin’ it hard!
I was really hoping to hear my two favourite songs off the album and the boys played them back to back! Mind Reader and If You Keep Losing Sleep were absolute highlights!! Both those tracks were such amazing demonstrations of how much Silverchair as a group have morphed over the years and just what amazing, diverse musicians the boys are. Pure rock and theatrics rolled into back to back tracks. And hey…who wasn’t impressed with Ben chucking those drumsticks around!
I guess I felt a teeny bit disappointed that they closed the show with Freak. It’s my least favourite track and one that I think least represents the boys as they are now. As soon as those familiar images popped up on the screens I was wishing for Tommorow, Anthem for the Year 2000, even Leave Me Out would have done! While they ripped it to bits and the audience lapped it up, I dunno…I know it’s a part of their history but for me it doesn’t do what the boys have become any justice now days. I’ve heard Daniel talk about not really liking to play Freak but they continue to do it because it’s an audience favourite. You know what? Who cares, Daniel! If you don’t like playing it, don’t play it! I for one would have been thrilled to bits to hear you play every single track of Young Modern and bugger the old stuff! Play what you want to play and we’ll love it regardless!
Why oh why did you not play us your duet with Powderfinger at the end? WAAAH!
In general, it was another undeniably remarkable experience for me to add into the collection! It was great to finally see (literally – I’ve never been so close as to be able to watch him before!) the boys proclaimed bestie, Paul Mac get his groove on and smack those keyboards about. The boys look and sound as good as they ever have as a unit and were all on fine and spectacular form. As much as I love listening to Silverchair, there’s something about watching them that gets me every time. I don’t know whether it’s about their incredible experiences together, knowing some of their personal stories and how they’ve moved on from that, their connections as friends or simply because they ROCK. But see them live. Really. It’s an experience and an honour. So Daniel, Chris, Ben, Paul and Adam…Thank you!
By HELENA
How was the show? AMAZING! Thats how! Even my almost husband has been converted, and on the drive home to Sydney remarked "They have got to be one of the best Australian bands, EVER!"
I was so excited to see my beloved silverchair again, I have lost count of how many shows I have been to, it is well over 12 and probably closer to 15.
And once again they did not disappoint! The show was full of energy, they were obviously excited to be back in Australia after their short New Zealand tour.
The setlist was as follows -
Young Modern Station
Emotion Sickness
Israel's Son
Reflections of a Sound
Insomnia
Ana's Song
The Greatest View
Then we had Daniel's lizard and koala joke which I'm sure you have all heard by now or have been sent the email!
Straight Lines
The Door
Mind Reader
If You Keep Losing Sleep
Freak
All in all I felt it was a very tight set, very energetic, and perfect for a combined headline tour which requires a shorter setlist than normal.
I have attached some pictures which I hope you can use.
Looking forward to the next show!!!!!!!!!
By TORI
Just got home from the first Wollongong concert which was sold out and you could feel the energy from the thousands that packed in to see our favourite Novocastrians!!
The anticipation was near unbearable but from our seats we could see Daniel waiting in the wings while we were treated to an awesome lighting spectacular...then once the boys took the stage the noise could have lifted the roof...not to be outshone by the noise all the ladies made when Daniel took his shirt off!!
They opened with young modern station followed by emotion sickness...always a crowd favourite. Every time Daniel sings that song it sends shivers down your spine.
Bringing with him his quirky sense of humour, Daniel mentioned before one of the songs that he really needed to pee, and explained that for the last few shows he always gets to around the same point in the set where he has been having to deal with his suspected "irritable bladder syndrome" as he put it. So after that song he ran off stage to go do his thing, but we weren't waiting long and he was back doing what he does best.
Another highlight was Daniel’s joke about the koala & the lizard....what made it even funnier was the sound effects that Ben, Chris and Paul Mac were adding to the story, meanwhile Daniel was getting his groove on acting out what the koala & the lizard were doing......it was hilarious!
Unfortunately we missed out on some classics like "miss you love" and "after all these years"....however they made up for it by closing the set with the all time favourite "freak" which brought with it massive crowd participation and the mosh pit went crazy.
I will say though...why no encore? The boys always come back out with such an explosive encore performance with all the energy as if they were just starting their set, but after "freak" the house lights came on so i was a bit surprised about that...but like i said with the performance we got tonight there will definitely be no complaining.
Also...there is nothing sexier than Daniel playing his guitar with his mouth...chipped teeth or not Daniel - its fkn hot! Lol
So thanks again Daniel, Chris & Ben for an unforgettable night....you were once again completely amazing!!!