If you can believe it, Silverchair’s Frogstomp has just turned 30. And while two-thirds of the band marked the occasion in Sydney this week, frontman Daniel Johns was nowhere in sight.
Bassist Chris Joannou and drummer Ben Gillies took the lead at the Metro Theatre on 26 March to celebrate the 1995 album that launched three Newcastle teens into the global spotlight. Back then, they were 15 and barely out of band comps, when their song ‘Tomorrow’ caught fire on Triple J and SBS. It subsequently ignited a bidding war between labels.
They signed with Murmur, Sony’s “indie” imprint, after being bribed with something more appealing than private jets or cash: early Pearl Jam CDs. “At 15, that was everything,” Gillies said.
With Johns absent and still estranged from his bandmates — Joannou and Gillies leaned into the nostalgia. New vinyl and CD editions were pushed out by Sony. There were also stories about racing down hallways in road cases and getting their demo of ‘Tomorrow’ cut down by Nick Launay.
“We wanted to write prog rock epics. Six-and-a-half-minute songs. Nick brought the energy back,” said Gillies.
Frogstomp sold over four million copies and made Silverchair the first Aussie act to debut at No.1 with a first single and album. But it wasn’t all champagne and hotel suites. Their first international tour involved a 27-hour economy flight followed by months stuck in a van rigged with plane seats.
“We reckon it was a stitch-up,” Joannou laughed.
As for their tour rider highlights? It was Gatorade, Allen’s snakes… and tube socks — so they could avoid doing any laundry.
So while they didn’t live the cliché rock star life, the band still left their mark. Literally. They vandalised hotel rooms with hidden wall art and once flipped every piece of furniture in their tour manager’s room upside down.
Thirty years on, the relationships might be fractured, but the legacy’s intact. Frogstomp was loud, messy, and way ahead of its time. It’s truly just like the kids who made it.
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