Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou are the drummer and bass player from Australian band, Silverchair.

Their book, Love & Pain is a collection of stories from their lives before, during and after their time in the band.

Told with concise chapters alternating between the two band members, this interesting collection of memories begins with their early school years and follows with the pivotal steps they took in the pursuit of musical success.

The descriptions of the moment they realised they had written the song ‘Tomorrow’ I found especially interesting. Ben and Chris have done well to capture that magic, and it seems they still treasure the moment today.

The thrill-ride that followed the success of ‘Tomorrow’ and Silverchair’s debut album, Frogstomp, would have been incredible for the band, and even more so to think they were teenagers going through it all.

I was interested to learn the depth of their parents’ involvement, during the early albums. I imagine this helped keep the band grounded at school while their music was selling out around the world.

As young adults they were touring the world and experiencing life’s spoils and challenges on the road, living as many young lads would, while teaching a few people in the music industry not to offer up their credit card for a night.

Amongst the best memories from on and off the stage, Ben and Chris share the pressure of producing records, their personal challenges and the difficult decisions that were made within the band.

I imagine this book will answer many unanswered questions for fans.

Since what has been named the band’s ‘indefinite hiatus,’ Ben and Chris remain close friends who can rely on each other. Both have families now and still catch up regularly to talk about the good old days.

For me, this book answered a lot of questions, and it was great to learn more of their humble beginnings.

With the short, interesting chapters, I just kept reading until suddenly there were no more stories to read.

Buy your copy now from The Raven’s Parlour bookstore, Tanunda.