Former Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies and bassist Chris Joannou have announced they will release a book later this year chronicling their time in the iconic, defunct Australian rock band. Love & Pain was written by the pair along with Alley Pascoe, and will be published Wednesday, 27th September via Hachette Australia. An audiobook narrated by both Gillies and Joannou will also be released.
Love & Pain is described as “the powerful, untold inside story of Silverchair, Australia’s most awarded musical act, told by two of its three members” on Hachette’s website. Alongside “unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll stories”, the book also dives into “the cost of fame and intense pressure on teenagers who had no way of preparing for it; the navigation of their friendships with each other and their relationships with friends and family members; the mistakes they made and the successes they cherished.”
Love & Pain Will Be Published in September
“Fundamentally, our story is a great one. An extraordinary one,” Gillies said in a statement alongside the book’s announcement. “Some of it may seem beyond belief, but we lived it. We were there. It all happened. I want to document it for my sons to read when they’re old enough – and we owe it to our incredibly loyal fans.”
Joannou added: “When Ben and I first discussed the idea of writing a book, I realised it would be an opportunity to celebrate some of the awesome times the two of us shared and lived together, as well as reflect on some of the hard times – in the band and in our lives. This book is a keepsake for both of us, and a reminder that there is some beauty in addressing the truth of things, as well as paying respects to all aspects – good, bad and indifferent – of our story.”
Gillies and Joannou formed Silverchair alongside singer and guitarist Daniel Johns as teenagers in Newcastle in 1992. Debut album Frogstomp arrived in 1995, featuring their breakout single ‘Tomorrow’. It skyrocketed them to fame both home and internationally, touring the globe and selling over 10 million albums worldwide.
All five of their studio albums debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, and the band have won more ARIA Awards than any other artist: 21 wins from 49 nominations. Second album Freak Show was released in 1997, with Neon Ballroom following in 1999. Fourth album Diorama arrived in 2002, with fifth and final record Young Modern released in 2007.
The band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2011. Both Johns and Gillies have released solo material in the years since: Johns released second album FutureNever last year while Gillies released a pair of singles (‘On the Stereo’ and ‘Apple Fresh’).
The relationship between Johns and his former bandmates has been strained at times. In 2021, while appearing on The Project, Johns shot down the idea of Silverchair ever performing together again, reiterating previous comments that he wouldn’t reunite the band “with a gun to my head or [for] a million bucks.”
Further Reading
Silverchair Drummer Ben Gillies Releases Solo Single ‘On The Stereo’
Daniel Johns Opens Up About Health Struggles Around The Time Of Silverchair’s ‘Diorama’
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