Silverchair - Concert Review

August 2nd, 2007

silverchairlive.jpg
Silverchair perform in Sydney, Australia - May 2007

Thanks to the great people that I work with, I got to go to the Silverchair show at The Phoenix last night and did it ever rock! When I first heard it was sold out I didn’t believe it. But when I stepped foot into the venue I was amazed at how rammed it was! The crowd was jam packed straight to the back where the merchandise stands were. The show was an all ages show; however the crowd didn’t look that young. From my eyes it looked as if all of the kids who listened to Frogstomp and Freakshow of the 90s grew up and came to watch this show.

When the band came on the stage the crowd started cheering but when the shirtless Daniel Johns came from behind the curtain the noise level just soared. I think you can figure out why.

Although the venues have gotten smaller over the years, Daniel Johns’ on stage self-indulgence hasn’t. He was all about rocking out. Playing riffs with his mouth, playing while lying on the floor, playing on his back on a keyboard! They played a lot of stuff from Young Modern, including their single Straight Lines and other hits like If You Keep Losing Sleep and Insomnia. And the crowd were into it as well considering their new stuff is different than what Silverchair played in the 90s. Silverchair didn’t forget about their classics either. They played Ana’s Song and Emotion Sickness with help from the crowd especially during Emotion Sickness. There is a part where the lyrics go ‘Get up Get up Get up Get up’ and as the crowd was singing that Daniel Johns was on the floor playing while getting up. They couldn’t have forgotten to play other classics like The Door and of course Freak. Prior to Silverchair starting their encore, Daniel Johns sang happy birthday to Ben. This is funny because it wasn’t really his birthday!

All in all a wicked show, my only complaint would be the sweltering heat. If you think it’s hot today, you should have been inside the Phoenix last night. Everyone - and I mean everyone - came out of there 10 lbs. lighter and drenched in their own sweat! Here’s the setlist, which is similar to what they played on the rest of their tour.

Setlist:
Young Modern Station
The Man That Knew Too Much
Reflections of a Sound
Emotion Sickness
Greatest View
Ana’s Song
Insomnia
Straight Lines
The Door
Mind Reader
The Lever

Encore:
If You Keep Losing Sleep
Freak

Photograph courtesy Getty Images

Posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 at 2:24 pm by Alberto and is filed under Concerts & Events.

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4 Responses to “Silverchair - Concert Review”

  1. Alberto, great review! It’s Maria :) I agree with the heat, I was literally soaked just from standing there. Since I saw them in February, I decided to stay closer to the back because I couldn’t handle being in that heat. Anyway, the show was awesome..I also love how every time I’ve ever seen them it’s been Ben’s birthday haha..that’s too funny

    By Maria on August 3, 2007 at 11:10 pm |

  2. The Silverchair concert was amazing!!! At 28 years old, it was the first concert I’ve ever been to and it was unforgettable - literally. I was up close and personal but before the band came on, I felt sick to my stomach because of the heat and all the people around me - waiting outside for 2 hours didn’t help either I guess (my back hurt so much). I vomited on the floor - sorry to whoever had to stand around in that :(. Anyways, I had to move to the back of the room near the DJ booth so I could breathe - I felt much better but I was so upset that I could have been up front. It was my first concert and I would have loved to have been near the stage :(. I sure hope they come back to a small venue here, and I’ll try round number 2 at making it to front row. Hopefully they come in the winter as well (it was soooooooooooooo hot)! Also, if anyone has pictures, could you please email (silverchair4ever@yahoo.ca) them to me as I also did not bring my camera because I didn’t think cameras were allowed (I called The Phoenix 3 times and the lady said she didn’t know if cameras were permitted to call back later - I called back again and again and she still didn’t know the answer to my question - ahhhhhhhhh!!!).

    On a positive note, Silverchair’s performance deserves much praise!!! Daniel Johns’ unique and melodic voice made you melt into the music; his humour made you smile quietly; and his off the wall teeth guitar and floor playing was funk entertainment at it’s best. Ben and Chris were, as always, instrumental genius’, making music like no other band could. These 3 gentlemen are eachother’s harmonious kindred souls - one could not perform without the other. When they parted, something was lost…but found again. Silverchair are back!!! Artistic and daring, they revealed to the crowd a side of them that was never shown before. A maturity, a happiness, an acceptance of what they were and what they are now. All were comfortable and took their music to a new level, a level that we were all waiting for and approving of. Silverchair, let me just put it simply, YOU ROCK!!! Congratulations on a great new album, a spectacular live performance, and for just being you…Young Modern.

    Some memorable moments at the concert (August 1st, The Phoenix):

    - Ben’s lovely pink wig

    - Daniel drinking his water and some guy in the crowd screaming, “it’s vodka!!” Daniel agreed and started acting drunk - slurring his speech and tripping over himself.

    - Daniel throwing his water and guitar pick at the crowd

    - Daniel lying on the keyboard and playing his music

    - Daniel lying on the floor playing his music

    - A girl in the crowd screaming “I love you” and Daniel blushing and saying softly, “I love you too.” Again the crowd was screaming, “I love you” and Daniel said, “I love you but if I say it to everyone you’ll think I’m gay.”

    - Daniel stretching his mouth out, and rubbing his finger across his his teeth to play guitar with them.

    - Daniel’s famous Happy Birthday song to Ben when it’s not his birthday.

    - Daniel’s, “This song is dedicated to everyone!!” then pointing at the crowd, “Except you!!” And blasting off to a new pumped up song.

    - The singing, the instruments, the attitude, the musical medicine to my ears - it was all memorable and fascinating!!!

    By Vanessa on August 5, 2007 at 8:42 pm |

  3. great review - it sounds like silverchair have sill got it after all those years away from the spotlight

    By caitt. on August 6, 2007 at 7:11 pm |

  4. @ Maria - Hey!! Ya the heat was terrible. I was in the middle by the bar to the left and was soaked from the minute I stepped foot in there. Thanks :)

    @ Vanessa - those were some memorable moments especially when he was getting ready to play the guitar with his mouth. That was just insane! What a first concert to go to in your life! I’m sure you won’t forget it. And even if you do you can just come back to here and read this review and you’ll remember everything.

    @ Caitt - Thanks :) Silverchair do still have it. It’s funny after the show was over I was talking with my buddy and thought ‘imagine seeing these guys in the 90’s. How great their concert would have been.

    By Alberto on August 7, 2007 at 12:28 pm |

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