Love & Pain: The Epic Times and Crooked Lines of Life Inside and Outside Silverchair

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA BIOGRAPHY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2024

From a Newcastle garage to worldwide recognition, this is the remarkable story of two teenagers who grew up in Silverchair, one of Australia’s greatest rock bands.

It all began in Ben Gillies’ garage - where three high school kids from Newcastle, New South Wales, created magic with their smash-hit single ’Tomorrow’, setting them on a path to domination of the Australian charts, worldwide touring and fame.

So much has been written about Silverchair over the years but very little has been said by the band’s members. In Love & Pain, drummer Ben Gillies and bass player Chris Joannou retrace their footsteps from when they were childhood friends living across the road from each other, and share their wild, unforgettable and often hilarious stories from the rock ’n’ roll spotlight, along with the exhilarating highs and heart-wrenching lows they faced along the way.

There was also all the love and pain that came from being in the band: the cost of fame and intense pressure on two teenagers who had no way of preparing for it; the complex dynamics of navigating friendships with each other and their relationships with friends and family members; the mistakes they made and the successes they cherished. Gillies and Joannou write with vulnerability and raw and blistering honesty, making for an extraordinary account of a band adored by so many.

Ben Gillies was eight years old when he struck his first beat on a secondhand drum set. Forming a schoolyard duo which then became a trio which became the chart-topping Silverchair, Ben has always been driven by relentless creativity matched by an ability to connect with audiences everywhere and an enthusiasm for his craft that has never waned.

He’s toured the world, but Ben has retained his ties to Newcastle, New South Wales, where he was born. That’s where he’s raising his twin boys with his wife, Jackie, and still creating music that bears the crowd-capturing hallmarks of the music he has always loved and made.

Newcastle-born Chris Joannou had just started high school when his friends Ben Gillies and Daniel Johns asked him to play bass in their band. Eventually the band Silverchair formed, and Chris’s bass lines became a pivotal force in their beloved songs and phenomenal live shows.

After hanging up his straps Chris turned to his love of music, food and culture, starting his own businesses and cultivating a well-deserved reputation in Newcastle’s restaurant scene. Chris now lives with his wife and two young children on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, his best gig yet.