Silverchair's Ben & Chris To Drop Their Truth In Tell-All Book

Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou – the former drummer and bassist of Silverchair, respectively – have announced a joint memoir titled Love & Pain, sharing the story of the iconic alt-rock band from their own perspectives.

The book will be published by Hachette Australia on September 27, with pre-orders available from the publisher’s website. An audiobook edition, narrated by Gillies and Joannou in tandem, will also be released.

A press release bills Love & Pain as a deep-dive into Gillies and Joannou’s shared journey as childhood friends and eventual bandmates, laden with “wild stories from the peak of their days in the spotlight” and ruminations on “the ups and downs of how their lives have panned out since”. 

It’s noted that although the book will hone in on all the rock’n’roll chaos that went on in Silverchair, the book will also tap into “all the love and pain that came with being in the band”, such as “the cost of fame and intense pressure on two teenagers who had no way of preparing for it”, “the navigation of their friendships with each other and their relationships with their friends and family members” and “the mistakes they made and the successes they cherished”.

In a statement shared alongside the news, Gillies said: “Fundamentally, our story is a great one. An extraordinary one. 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 to the sentiment, saying: “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.”

Ex-Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns is not said to have been involved in the production of Love & Pain, and at the time of writing, he has not acknowledged the book’s existence.

Johns, Gillies and Joannou formed Silverchair as teenagers in 1992, releasing four albums – Frogstomp (1995), Freak Show (1997), Neon Ballroom (1999) and Diorama (2002) – before breaking up in 2003. They reunited two years later and went on to release a fifth album, 2007’s Young Modern, before breaking up a second and final time in 2011. Johns’ relationship with his former bandmates has since been considerably strained.