Random Ramblings
The 'BenandChris' Phenomenon

I write this upon reading a series of quotes from magazine articles written about silverchair in 1999.

Recently, there have been a few complaints from ‘chair fans about how everyone has been focusing far too much on Daniel, and not enough on the band as whole. Personally, I don’t find the problem to be the focus on Daniel necessarily, because he is obviously the main drive of this year’s album, Neon Ballroom. I find the real issue to be the mysterious gelling of the rhythm section. In the articles I’ve read, an author will rarely mention either silverchair’s drummer or bassist by himself--rather, the article discusses Daniel with an occasional reference to “BenandChris”.

Wait a minute... who or what is “BenandChris”? Did an all-powerful entity suddenly overtake the individual positions of our beloved band members and become silverchair’s entire rhythm section at once? That’s what interviewers lately have made it seem like. There’s Daniel, and then there’s BenandChris. It’s as if silverchair have become comprised of not three members, but two.

Before I receive a plethora of attacks on this matter, I would like to make a few statements. First of all, I recognise the fact that Ben and Chris may have much more in common with each other than either has with Daniel; I’m not denying that (i.e. social preferences, etc.). Secondly, I understand that Daniel may be a much more interesting or fascinating subject for magazine editors, or even fans - not only because of his frontman status (‘Daniel Johns’ in a headline would probably sell more than ‘Chris Joannou’, as sad as that is, due to the media’s prejudices), but because there are so many intriguing aspects of his complicated (and often fucked up) personality. My argument is not that Daniel should be downsized, but rather that Ben and Chris need to be given equal weight--as individuals.

I am outraged at the way people have begun to treat Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou as virtually the same person. What happened to their respective personalities? They have become only the ‘happy background’ to Daniel’s tortured soul. I don’t know about the rest of the fans, but I’d love to get a peek at what goes on inside Ben’s crazy head. And Chris seems so mysterious at times--what is he REALLY thinking?

The majority of die-hard silverchair fans should be able to easily tell the difference between Benjamin and Christopher, and I’m not just talking about appearances here. People who have followed the band since the beginning have seen each member develop in their own unique way. Ben’s the wild, good-natured nutcase, Chris the stable sanity who answers everything seriously, Daniel the painfully sarcastic and yet interminably deep thinker. Ben the practical joker, Chris the quiet listener. Ben plays drums. Chris plays bass. Ben’s the one showing off. Chris usually prefers to watch. When examining each person closely for their unmistakable qualities that come forth without fail in interviews and live performances, the differences are obvious and appreciated. I honestly don’t think I would adore silverchair so much if it were just a band full of Bens, or a group of Daniels, or a bunch of Chrises. It is each member’s identity that makes their interaction so interesting.

What I’m getting at, here, is that there are three members of this wonderful band-- Daniel, Chris, and Ben--not just two. Each person is refreshingly separate in their position, and yet they come together to create one of the most cohesive, naturally powerful bands in the music industry. This thing that has developed, BenandChris, needs to be properly split apart again, so that each part of silverchair can be filled to fit their triangular perfection once more.


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