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By DUANE DOWSE
 It
has been 13 long months since silverchair last played a live
gig. Their well earned year off has their fans eagerly awaiting
their return. Rumour has it that a talented silverchair cover
band is in their home town of Newcastle that is so good it
is near impossible to tell them apart from the real band…..
rumour was right. This reporter could not tell the difference!
 The
venue is a Newcastle entertainment landmark the Cambridge
Hotel. It is an older building with a small auditorium at
the back capable of holding about 500 people. When this reporter
arrived at 8 p.m. there was a small but excited crowd gathered
at the entrance door, some of which had been there most of
the afternoon, in the hope that the real silverchair may drop
in. The crowd quickly grew until most of the footpath was
taken up. The venue opened the doors and the happy crowd streamed
in.
The numbers
quickly swelled until the place was near capacity. A half
familiar face was glimpsed mingling in the crowd. It looked
like Sam Halloway, the 'chair's Neon Ballroom tour keyboardist...
could it be true that silverchair were here to see the cover
band?
 Sam
Halloway was recruited from Cordrazine, a Melbourne based
band that had disbanded. Because of the orchestrations on
many of the silverchair's new songs, it was clear that a keyboardist
was needed for the tour, and Cordrazine's break-up made Sam
the right man for the job.
Time seemed
to tick by very slowly as the eagerness to see this mysterious
band heightened. At 9:30 p.m. three figures leapt onto the
dimly lit stage. The now packed crowd screamed with excitement.
It was true, silverchair had chosen to end their sabbatical
with an unannounced gig in their home town.
 They
jumped straight into their first song being the much liked
Israel's Son. Without hesitation the 'chair swung straight
into this reporter's favourite new song Emotion Sickness.
It is a six-minute haunting masterpiece that certainly stirs
the emotions. It was very warmly appreciated by the now partying
masses.
Next
came another new tune, Ana's Song. The beat reminded me a
little of Neil Young. I was very impressed. After that came
a brilliant rendition of Suicidal Dream, always a live favourite.
Two new
songs followed called Dearest Helpless and another new favourite
of mine, Paint Pastel Princess.
 Bring
on the release of Neon Ballroom I thought to myself.
By now
the warming crowd was starting to get fired up. Madman caused
the simmering mosh pit to erupt as silverchair bounced around
the stage. Another new song, Point of View, came next followed
by the melodic Cemetery and another new one, Miss You Love,
all to cool things off a little.
Another
live favourite Slave beat the happy crowd into another frenzy
with the mosh pit almost out of control with this reporter
right in the middle of it. Soon the mosh surfers were being
manoeuvred left and right as silverchair belted out Abuse
Me, Faultline, The Door and Freak.
 Yet
another new song which is sure to please original silverchair
fans Anthem for the Year 2000 burst into life. This song will
be the first released off the new album Neon Ballroom. I for
one cannot wait.
With the
crowd screaming for more the band left the stage for a well
earned rest but that was short lived. They soon returned to
leap straight into No Association, a tune that still makes
my spine shiver.
To finish
off what was one of the best gigs I have ever seen was a rousing
rendition of a song written about animal liberation, Spawn.
The 'chair put everything into it and were obviously exhausted
by the end. The crowd dispersed happy they had seen a very
polished, highly entertaining performance. It is hard to believe
these guys have not played live in over a year.
 Prior
to the show I was eager to see how the new songs sounded live,
how well the addition of a keyboardist would integrate and
if silverchair had lost any of the appeal their music has
for me. The only word that comes to mind at present is awesome.
That is how I would describe what I witnessed tonight. The
new songs were brilliant, Sam's integration worked seamlessly
and far from losing any appeal the band's music and performance
more than cemented my support.
This awe-struck
silverchair fan can say only one thing -- bring on Neon Ballroom
and make it quick!
Set List:
Israel's
Son
Emotion Sickness
Ana's Song (Open Fire)
Suicidal Dream
Dearest Helpless
Paint Pastel Princess
Madman
Point of View
Cemetery
Miss You Love
Slave
Abuse Me
Faultline
The Door
Freak
Anthem for the Year 2000
No Association
Spawn Again |
Newcastle
rock wunderkinds silverchair played their first live show
in 12 months at a secret gig at the Cambridge Hotel last night.