In 1995, three young men began their journey to superstardom and to the heart of one young girl. That young girl was me, Darcie Paterson.
The days of liking teen pop groups were gone and searching for a band with more depth was harder than it sounded. It was during a time of grunge music, Nirvana and Pearl Jam ruled the airwaves and any band coming out were being compared to them.
On December 9, 1995, one performance on Saturday Night Live changed everything. I had fallen in love with a rock band called Silverchair. Immediately I wanted to find out anything I could on the band. They were so young, yet their music was so mature, and it spoke to me like no other. Their guitar riffs were heavy and the lyrics talked about common problems in every teenagers life.
After some research and talking to friends who already had discovered the band, I found out they were mere 16 year olds from Australia, and had only recently broken out on to the music scene.
Silverchair had just released their debut album, Frogstomp after having won a national demo competition called Pick Me in Australia. They have gone on to become Australia's most successful contemporary rock band, selling over six million albums worldwide.
In 1997 the band released the album, Freakshow, which had sales reaching 1.5 million. After completing the tour for that album, the band planned on taking a break but was not successful in their endeavours. After arriving back home to Newcastle, singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Johns began writing poems that eventually became most of the lyrics for their third album, Neon Ballroom.
Johns had been battling personal demons while writing Neon Ballroom, and therefore received critical acclaim for his strength through music. After being thrust in to the spotlight at such a young age he had developed a severe case of agoraphobia, while suffering through deep depression, and anorexia.
After dealing with those issues through music and with the aid of doctors, Johns state of mind improved and Silverchair finally took the break it deserved.
In March 2001, the band went back in to the recording studio and over a year later, in July 2002, Diorama was released. The tone for this album was a much lighter, happier one. Johns opted for writing his songs in the early morning, when the world is fresh and his mood is happier.
Having listened to the band since I was fourteen years old, I've seen the evolution from angry boys to mature adults. Every album that is released reinforces my love for the band because they continue to show the listener that they can't be placed in a specific genre. They will always be growing and improving as musicians.
Their music has inspired me in so many ways. It makes me want to become a better guitar player, write songs, and share their music with anyone I can. Silverchair does not get the recognition they should at the time they deserve it.
In the beginning they were known as "Nirvana in pyjamas." Critics were either praising them or bringing them down because they sounded too much like every other band in the grunge era. Now that they have come out with their own sound, blending orchestral flourishes with heavy rock, and very emotional lyrics, no critic will give them the time of day.
I was fortunate enough to see Silverchair live at the Edgefest tour in 1999, as well as later in the year at Maple Leaf Gardens with punk band Blink 182. I was disappointed last summer when I had tickets to see them once again at Edgefest but the band cancelled due to Johns debilitating case of reactive arthritis. Now, they are back on the road with a brand new tour, and I have my ticket for their show in Toronto on May 23rd.
As long as Silverchair continues to make music, I will still love them. No other musician has touched me the way they have. Their music is something that transcends time. Daniel Johns has the ability to bring out emotions in listeners like no one else. Hopefully Johns, Chris Joannou, and Ben Gillies will continue to make music for years to come. Silverchair shows the valour of a band that has been making music for thirty years, and they're only 23 years old. In the words of legendary collaborator, Van Dyke Parks:
"It was my real desire to reward Daniel's courage, cause I haven't seen anything like it since I worked for Brian Wilson."
