Silverchair / Forever Like Red

I am not at all interested in the opening band, Forever Like Red. They appear to cram every rock star pose into their set; not really a choice when you sound like Maroon 5. Singer Cameron Meshell has a little bit of Jeff Buckley about him, but this is overwhelmed by the high screaming in his vocals. Also a band that gets itself played on the beginning of Hollyoaks does not impress me.



The last time I saw Silverchair was at Reading festival some years ago, when Daniel Johns was trying to get a load of rockers to yell “Halleluiah” back at him. Tonight I do not know what to expect; secretly I am wishing for 'Frogstomp' played in full (yes I may be stuck in the past) but I soon realise that I have more chance of Kylie and Jason rejoining the cast of Neighbours than hearing even a smidgen of the first album.



Looking at the still very thin Johns it is good to see him on stage and giving it his all. After the much publicised anorexia battle and crippling arthritis I am glad that he has fought through and the original band are all here tonight. Joining them is Paul Mac on keyboard, a well know electronica artist from Australia. Bassist Chris Joannou still has his short hair (the first in the band of young grungers to lop off their ‘do’), and him and drummer Ben Gillies are happy to stand back and let Johns do all the talking. Gillie’s drumkit is decorated like the modern art style of the new album, very bright to the eye.


Johns is quite camp onstage. Even being married to Natalie Imbruglia does not stop his voice and hand movements seeming a little over the top. Also it’s all me, me, me; though this could be a joke it is said to little to be pretentious. There are many shouts encouraging the crowd to clap their hands and scream for the band. Many look to be struggling to see the stage in the weird set up that is Rock City.

The setlist is mainly full of songs from ‘Young Modern’, a far cry from their early days of Nirvana-inspired grunge. Now the teenagers have grown up and dealt with the pressure of fame they are free to move in their own direction, giving us poppier songs delivered with a stadium presence.

‘Ana’s Song’ is a hit with the crowd, and so are the older tracks ‘The Door’ and set-ender ‘Freak’, though they are not sang with the same conviction as the newer stuff. I do not get my wish as 'Freak Show' is the furthest back we get, and Frogstomp is now officially dead and buried. This appears to be Silverchair’s second (coming out of Australia), and I wish them well.

Young Modern Station
The Man That Knew Too Much
Reflections Of A Sound
Emotion Sickness
Tuna In The Brine
The Greatest View
Sleep All Day
Insomnia
Ana’s Song (Open Fire)
Straight Lines
The Door
Mind Reader
The Lever

If You Keep Losing Sleep
Freak

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.