The Ballroom Blitz
Time Off (free S.E. QLD mag) - 4 Aug '99
Murray Engleheart
The Ballroom Blitz
Okay, so Nostradamus got it wrong. But had the place gone Boom! a few weeks back as the old sage predicted all those centuries ago, silverchair could be well pleased with their achievements thus far.
Their third album Neon Ballroom positioned them squarely as a smart and highly musical force and not just a skillful phenomenon. It also provided them with the 'Anthem For The Year 2000" single, which the perspective of time might well view as their generational edition of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit". The cream has been that the subsequent world tour for the album - which all but wraps up after their coming Australian dates bar a few weeks in Europe - has been virtually sold out.
For drummer Ben Gillies, the most significant indicator of the band's standing and success comes from the close to home rather than any glaring international spotlight.
"The good thing for us was when the tickets for the Australian tour went on sale," he says from Winnipeg, Canada, where the band were taking part in the travelling Edge festival with Hole, The Offspring and more.
"We saw the ticket sales and when little things like that happen it kind of gives you a good kick. You go, 'Holy s.! There's lots of people coming to see us play!. 'It's pretty amazing."
What's even more amazing is the band's current musical territory and the indications of their intended horizons. The structure and arrangement of songs such as 'Cemetery' on the Freak Show album indicated that this was one outfit who were adamant that they were going to give any expectations a run for their money.
As a result, they can seamlessly appear on that recent (and otherwise ordinary) Clash tribute album, have a slot on the Godzilla soundtrack, cast out something like Ballroom's 'Ana's Song (Open Fire)' or 'Miss You Love', flatten you with the same album's 'Satin Sheets' and firmly command full attention in each instance.
silverchair's original direction and influences idolised the Seattle school and the likes of Helmet (to the extent that Daniel Johns wanted the same gear rig as louder-than-loud guitarist Page Hamilton). Now it's virtually impossible to pinpoint any single direction, let alone plot it with any degree of accuracy.
"In the past a lot of our influences were very obvious," Gillies admits, "but to be quite honest now, I don't think any critic around the world could possible pick what we're listening to because it's just everything. Over the last two years or so, I don't know … something happened to all of us. We just kind of went spastic! We listened to anything and everything, we didn't care!
"Actually, I used to be a bit of a closet Madonna fan. I'd liked her for yonks but it was kind of like 'Madonna … yeah!' then a while ago I was like 'Forget that! I think she's cool!' So I went out and bought all of her albums and on one tour I bought that … I think it was the Immaculate Collection? With all the hits on it? And the guys were like 'What are you doing?', 'I like Madonna!' They're like, 'Oh my God!'. It was funny. They accept it now.
So given the moves the 'chair have made over the course of three albums, does Gillies have more of an insight that most? For instance what was it that drove The Smashing Pumpkins to make the artistic schitzo switch from Siamese Dream to Mellon Collie and finally Adore?
"It's hard to say because they might have had a different kind of 'motive', I guess you could call it, behind their's. The reason we did that was we wanted something fresh and something new and we wanted to try and do something different that not many people were doing. So yeah, I guess they were trying to do the same thing."
So exactly what does a band that has such broad tastes these days play before they hit the stage each night?
"Actually, the last couple of shows we haven't really done it. In the past but, Chris (Joannou) has brought his little speakers and CD player along and we just put on whatever's good psych up music. Usually Zepplin's a bit of a favourite. It always kind of gets us psyched. Have you ever heard of a band from New Orleans called The Meters? The funk band? When we come off stage we put The Meters on and just chill.
Speaking of the mighty Zep, does Gillies still like to see himself reflected in his drum heads as a young John Bonham or has that self-image faded with his changing musical tastes?
"Oh no!" he replies, clearly horrified. "That's the one thing that will never ever change. John Bonham is my biggest idol ever. He's the man. Any Led Zepplin song, you turn it on and the drums are just so fat and have got the best groove. It's the best. You can't beat him. No-one can beat him."
"Actually, I met John Bonham's daughter. I didn't even know he had a daughter. He name was Zowie and she was like the splitting image of him. It was at an LA gig at the House of Blues. Chris came up to me and said 'Zowie Bonham's here and she wants to meet you'. And I was like 'Who? Bonham?'. He goes, 'Yeah, Bonham, as in John Bonham's daughter'. I was like, 'You're joking!' I was so excited! I went up to her and I was trying to contain myself. The funny thing was all I wanted to do was ask her about her Dad but I felt pretty bad doing that so I was trying to mix it up."
So with all the band's success, have there been any close encounters of the supermodel kind? Somehow Gillies seemed to be almost waiting for the question. He fired back his response immediately without a flinch.
"Well, I consider my girlfriend a supermodel."
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