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

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.