Australian icons Silverchair will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album Frogstomp with a special event next week… but don’t expect Daniel Johns to be there.
Taking place at the Metro Social in Sydney on Wednesday March 26th – a day before the album’s release back in 1995 – drummer Ben Gillies will appear alongside the band’s former manager, John Watson, and label head, John O’Donnell.
Also scheduled to appear at the venue where Silverchair played two memorable gigs as their star was on the rise includes photographer Tony Mott, while local band The Buoys will perform tracks from the beloved album.
Following its release in March 1995, Frogstomp hit #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and landed on the Billboard Top 10 in the US, the first Australian band to do so since INXS.
It picked up five ARIAs at that year’s awards ceremony and has since sold more then 10 million albums worldwide.
Frogstomp was also ranked in the top ten of Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s 200 Greatest Albums of all Time list.
For details on the upcoming event, click here.
The news comes after Gillies and Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou teamed up in 2023 to release the memoir, Love & Pain, which covers the rise of Silverchair as a burgeoning trio from Newcastle to one of the world’s biggest acts.
But Johns’ reluctance to reform with his band members shouldn’t surprise. The revered frontman has repeatedly and publicly stated that he has no interest in looking back on his Silverchair days.
In fact, Johns pushed for the removal of a two-part Australian Story documentary from ABC iView ahead of the book’s release, claiming he had not cleared the rights to Silverchair songs being used in the programme.
“I was and remain incredibly supportive of them telling their story,” Johns wrote on Instagram.
“I was asked at the end of filming to be interviewed about their contribution to the band and although I wished them all the best, I respectfully declined for one reason.
“I haven’t been involved in the book nor am I aware of the contents. I’ve asked on many occasions to read the book but haven’t been sent a copy, consequently I was uncomfortable being interviewed to help promote it.”
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