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When Australian rock trio Silverchair arrived on European shores in 1995, their press coverage concentrated firmly on the fact that each member was just 15 years old. However, Chris Joannou (b. 1979; bass), Daniel Johns (b. 1979; vocals/guitar) and Ben Gillies (b. 1979; drums) seemed quite capable of producing a noise in the best adult traditions of their primary influences, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. They actually formed three years previously in 1992 as Innocent Criminals, sharpening their skills in Joannou's parents' garage in Newcastle. Covers of material by Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Deep Purple soon evolved into a set of original songs. A few hesitant concerts later they entered and won a national Talent Quest contest, which allowed them to record a more polished demo and a promotional video. The single they chose to record, 'Tomorrow', was released by Sony Records and quickly became a national number 1. When Hole and Ministry toured Australasia, Silverchair were booked as support, further bolstering their reputation. Johns' lyrics were a naive trawl through social dilemmas informed by their author's viewing of documentaries on the SBS channel. Despite this, frogstomp quickly achieved double platinum status in Australia, and even hardened critics found it difficult to completely ignore the group's enthusiasm. In the USA where the album sold over 2 million, the band were often thought to be another band from Seattle. Their Cobain-inflenced lyrics of negativity and death were cited during a 1996 murder trial as two teenagers were accused of a family murder. Tracks from frogstomp were quoted during the trial. In an unlikely development, the band collaborated with classical pianist David Hefgott on a track called 'Emotion Sickness'.
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Albums
| Year | Label | Title | |
| 1995 | Epic | Frogstomp | |
| 1997 | Epic | Freak Show | |
| 1999 | Epic | Neon Ballroom | |
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