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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