Love  Pain, Ben Gillies
Love  Pain, Ben Gillies
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

Love & Pain
The epic times and crooked lines of life inside and outside Silverchair

Author: Ben Gillies, Chris Joannou

Narrator: Ben Gillies, Chris Joannou

Unabridged: 7 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/27/2023


Synopsis

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA BIOGRAPHY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2024

This is the powerful, untold story of two of the three members of Silverchair, Australia's most awarded musical act. From their beginnings in Ben Gillies' garage, this trio of high school kids from Newcastle, New South Wales, became famous 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, childhood friends Ben Gillies (drummer) and Chris Joannou (bass player) tell us tales about growing up across the road from each other and starting in Silverchair, wild stories from the peak of their days in the spotlight, and the ups and downs of how their lives have panned out since.

While there are some funny, unforgettable rock 'n' roll stories, there is also all the love and pain that came with being in the band: 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 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.

About Ben Gillies

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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Carly

I've been listening to Love & Pain - written by Ben Gilies and Chris Joannou - two members of Silverchair. It's insightful, respectful and funny. They were just kids, catapulted to fame. It’s a story about friendship, fame, and the complexities of Silverchair,. There’s been a lot of media about the d......more

Goodreads review by Andrew

What an amazing story! For fans of Silverchair, it’s so great to live the experience of the band through the eyes of Ben and Chris. A celebration of a beautiful thing they all created. Highly recommend.......more

Goodreads review by Phillip

I read this within three days it was a fairly easy going and flowed okay. Its a transition between more 'complex' reading. if there was one band I was going to read about it was Silverchair, they were my favourite artist by some distance in my youth. I was only a fan from circa 99/2000 onwards and s......more

For my thirteenth birthday in 1999, I received copies of Garbage's "Version 2.0", The Offspring's "Americana" and Silverchair's "Neon Ballroom". All three would become touchstone albums for me. Albums that I revisit constantly over my life. In 2010 Silverchair was on the lineup of a Groovin the Moo......more