London (England), June 9, 2003

By ANDY

Most photos by ELISA

Well, just returned home after a 250 mile trip through the night and what can i say....?

SILVERCHAIR ROCKED!!

We arrived in London at around 4pm after a long trip. We immediately made our way to the empire and got ourselves in the ever increasing queue which was already making its way around the side of the building. It was great to see so many 'Chair fans again and the excitement of seeing this band back in the UK was apparent on every ones faces!After alot of talking, speculating what Daniel would be wearing & general time wasting etc finally the queue started to move & after a further 45minutes or so the doors were open!!!

We made our way in quickly and were shocked to see just how small the empire was. I grabbed myself a beer and took my place at the front right under Daniels microphone. At about 8pm the support band "NU" took to the stage.....the lead singer had a great voice but to be honest, they were really just something to pass the time & once over, the real action began! Bens Drum kit was unveiled to cheers from the crowd as Dan's/Chris's guitars were going through their pre-show checks. The level of anticipation was getting higher and higher & by now i had finally realised this was real! :)

After what seemed like an eternity, the lights slowly began to fade and the Intro music kicked in. By this point u could hardly hear a thing with the level of noise from the crowd!! Then there was Daniel, dressed in a beige suit he strolled onto the stage and sat himself at his piano which was directly in front of us & like alot of people, i really couldunt believe it was happening! After a minute or so Daniel broke into the opening sequence of "After all these years" and the whole place went crazy!!! The pushing had already begun as everybody wanted to get a glimpse! The atmosphere was just magical and its hard to put into words what hearing the whole place singing along felt like, thanks guys!!!:):):)

(Enter Ben & Chris:) )Next up was 'World upon your shoulders' (One of my personal favourites off Diorama) and as expected the chorus just echoed off the walls......simply awe-inspiring! They powered through classic tracks such as 'Emotion Sickness' which had a hugely extended outro (again....thanks guys...u really know how to pull it off!!) 'Anas Song' 'Anthem for the Year 2000' (which totally got the crowd emersed) and 'Miss you love' all in between the new songs which sounded stunning!! A couple of golden-oldies were thrown in there too....a slightly surpirsing 'Petrol & Chlorine' and a rather funked up version of 'The Door' which got Dan's ass shaking everywhere!!!;) Throughout the whole night all i had seen was smiling faces which reflected how amazing this show really was!

When the band left the stage for the encore we were all beying for more!! Again.... Daniel made his way onto the stage and introduced a song that left a few people thinking "whats this?". It turned out to be 'Asylum' and only owners of the 'Without you' single would have known this. Then came the 'The Lever' followed by a totally rockin' outro!!! I have to admit i was feeling mixed emotions at this point as this was definitely the last song, it had been an amazing night and i had even managed to get an " I love you too, man" from Daniel!!lol:)

After a whole lotta guitar throwing and drum thrashing the show was over....., my voice was finished and my ears were sore! All worth it of course as we had all witnessed something special!I left the buliding a happy soul and started the journey home with legions of fellow 'chair heads! I wont be forgetting this for a long time to come!!!!.

Thank you Silverchair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps. if anyone has/wants pics from the show e-mail me or add me to messenger:
Ilovesilverchair33@hotmail.com

Set list (in a-z as i cant remember the exact order)

Across the Night
After all these years
Anas Song
Anthem for the Year 2000
Asylum
Emotion Sickness
Luv you Life
Miss you Love
Petrol and Chlorine
The Door
The Greatest View
The Lever/Jam
Tuna in the Brine
Without you
World upon your shoulders

By JAMES

Two days ago i experienced the best gig in my young life. Silverchair, simply put, were amazing.

I travelled from Wales with just one friend in a 5 hour trip for this show and it was certainly worth it. We arrived around 6pm and got a taxi to the Empire. After an hour of searching for our hotel we checked in and were already too late to make it for when the doors opened.

The amount of people outside was amazing and i was left wondering how they would all fit in. We finally got in around 15 minutes later and my first thought was... Wow, this place is cool. We went down the side and got quite close, but not as close as i liked. Anyway Nu came out and i think i was one of the only people to enjoy their show. But i knew i'd forget it and soon as the boys came on the stage.

A 30-45 minute wait proceeded and as soon as the lights went down, my heart raced. For the first time i would be seeing my favourite band, i have only followed them 2 years but they firmly established themselves as my favourite some time ago. The across the night music followed and there he appeared, Daniel Johns. The crowd went wild as soon as the first key on the piano was pressed and i found myself losing my view of the stage. Next up was world upon your shoulders, i missed all of this song also due to taller people in front of me. I think Tuna in the Brine followed and here is where the crowd moved a little more, not only did i find myself with a better view, but i got pushed forwards, so unbelievably close to the barrier, where i remained for the rest of the night, right in front of Dan.

Song after song followed, the people from the right pushed to try and get closer to Daniel, the people on the left pushed back and won all night. We weren't gonna move. Daniel proved what an excellent range he has with his voice and also what a front man he can be, despite being shy. I was surprised to hear one of my favourite songs 'Petrol and Chlorine' thrown in and then after that the amazing crowd mover 'the door' which was a totally amazing experience.

Then off went the band, it was obvious they were coming back for an encore and as comical as maybe it wasn't supposed to be, Daniel pretending he wasn't prepared amused me. Asylum followed, a song that not many of the crowd knew, i however did (owning all the singles an all :P) It was as beautiful live as it is recorded. From this into the Lever, not a song i love on Diorama but it was superb, a great song to finish with. Daniel whittered on about his hotel room whilst staring at Natalie (aww love) and then they finished with a little jam. I was left disappointed, but only for the one reason i wanted more. Silverchair's return to London was almost flawless, they should have just played Black Tangled Heart for me :)

After the show i saw Daniel who hurried away to his cab and ben stopped for me to take his picture which just made the experience all that much sweeter. It was surprising to the see Ben and Chris walk to their hotel however :)

Anyway, i have 33 silverchair pictures. Much like the ones in this road report. If you want any then contact me. Slinkster_wales@hotmail.com

By ANTHONY

Silverchair's first London show was an amazing gig punctuated with some awesome guitar solos and extended jams. The guys are looking very comfortable on stage, with Chris and Ben playing off each other all night.

Daniel was in fine form on guitar and was very talkative throughout the second half of the show. Here is the setlist, with quotes (the ones I could decipher anyway!) and some comments.

Intro [Sample from Across The Night]

After All These Years
[Daniel pausing at certain points to vary the tempo or let the crowd sing along.]

World Upon Your Shoulders
[Great piano intro that sounds slightly familiar - is this a tune from a movie?]

Tuna In The Brine
[Daniel's acoustic guitar makes its first appearance. Julian and Stuart really help to pull this off live. Daniel's voice sounds a little strained at this point.]

Daniel: "Thank you London"

Neon Ballroom
[Extended and almost instrumental second half. Beautiful.]

Without You
[More than the sum of its parts. Awesome live.]

Petrol and Chlorine
[The new intro and the distorted guitar/sitar parts sound amazing. Then Ben kicks in with the drums and it takes the song to another level.]

Daniel: "Thank you all. Thanks for all coming to the show tonight. It's ah, muchly appreciated. [Someone yells out "I love you!"] I love you too man. The next song is actually I wanna dedicate this song to all my ladies.

Love Your Life
[The crowd sings along to this beautiful version.]

Across The Night
[Daniel takes off his guitar and jacket for the second half of this song, waving his hands as though conducting the music. His voice has warmed up and sounds awesome.]

Daniel: "Thanks London, it's a real pleasure... Chris even had some sausage and baked beans to, you know, feel the culture. What's that beer you had Julian? John Smith. Julian says John Smith beer is so smooth it's like a milkshake. He knows. He's a connoisseur, 'cos he's a fucking alcoholic! Anyway, this song's for Julian's girlfriend.

The Greatest View
[ROCK!]

Daniel: "Alright, cool thanks. [He mentions the crowd and people on levels "1, 2 and 3".]

Ana's Song
[The new intro is great. The crowd starts clapping along but it's a little too fast, prompting Daniel to say (tongue in cheek): "Just slow the clap down a little 'cos this is where it gets sad."]

Miss You Love
[New guitar parts and solo are great.]

Daniel: "Thanks everyone. Alright, next song is, ah, written by an Australian band. They formed in '93 or '94, when they were kids. Um, they released their debut album in Australia in about '94, entitled Tomorrow. Affectionately referred to by the UK press as the 'Teenage Grunge Sensation from Down Under. Then everything went bad. But then they came back! To triumph, good over evil, VH1 coming next Wednesday. Yo rock!

The Door /Jam
[After the intro Daniel yells "Get ready to dance!". Later he says "This is for all the people on the balcony" and then plays a guitar solo with his teeth! Then, as Chris pounds out the bassline and Ben keeps the beat, Daniel chats to the crowd.]

Daniel: "Alright London. Are you feeling good? Are you feeling love? Everyone put their arms around one another. The person next to you, whether you know them or not, arms around one another. We're gonna feel the love, this is gonna be magic. We got a special surprise for all you out there. Everyone up on the balconies, arms around one another, this is a loving moment, we're bringing people together, it's gonna be glorious, it's gonna be the power of rock'n'roll. But first, keep your arms around one another, 'cos I'm gonna sing you guys a little song".

[Singing] "I wanna see, all you lovers with arms around one another. All you lovers, one another. All you lovers, under cover. All you lovers, one another, that's real nice to see baby."

[David Botrill must have been at the show because the next part of the song is dedicated to him as the band rock out].

Anthem For The Year 2000/Jam
[After the guitar intro Daniel tells the crowd to sing, then says "That's nearly as loud as Germany. Louder! Last one baby. Yeah, now we're real hard!" Once again the band starts jamming and Daniel interacts with the crowd.]

Daniel (singing): "London is calling. London is calling. But baby, I'm not home. Leave a message, after the beep. [Sings a high pitched 'Ahhhhhhhhh'] That's the beep. Leave a message. Sing whatever you wanna sing London. Scream. So I'll get that message. I'm gonna sing the words, and hopefully you guys are gonna sing them back, 'cos if you don't, I'm gonna feel like a washed up child prodigy, just like a [?]. So you guys ready to sing back? We're gonna play a game of verbal tennis, in which I'm the champion. No one has ever beat me, and I don't think anyone ever will. This is your chance to claim my title motherfuckers. Germany couldn't do it, France couldn't do it, New York couldn't do it, L.A. couldn't do it, Sydney couldn't do it, Melbourne couldn't do it, nobody could do it. Now we're in London, it's your shot at the title. Can you do it London? Can you take my title?! Do you feel the power of these motherfuckers? 'Cos I'm feeling the power, I'm just about to sing it, and I want you to sing it back. Are you ready?!"

[Daniel then gets the crowd to chant "We are the youth!" and the band rock out, finish the song and walk off stage. After much cheering they return for an encore.]

Daniel: "Thanks. We get an encore and everything! We get to play more, 'cos they wanted it. Alright, this song was a b-side in Australia, and, I don't know what it was here. You probably haven't even heard of it. But we like it, and Dave likes it. This is for you Botrill, 'cos you helped me. So I'm going to seven, and on eight we'll come in. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7..."

Asylum
[A beautiful song that perhaps should have been the secret track on Diorama?]

Daniel: "Thanks. Ah, I just gotta figure out how to turn my guitar back on. That's the sound of a guitar if ever I heard it.

[Daniel starts playing a riff. Ben adds a beat and Daniel starts singing "The sound of a guitar if ever I heard it" repeatedly.]

Daniel: "That's called 'It's The Sound Of A Guitar If Ever I've Heard It', it's coming out next week, go buy it."

The Lever/Jam

[A rocking way to end the show but loses some momentum as Daniel goes on a 3 minute stream-of-consciousness rant, commenting that "This baby, this ain't no poetry. This is a verbal equivalent of a German slap in the face!" He concludes by taking off his guitar, throwing it in the air and catching it before smashing it into one of Ben's cymbals. He then picks it up and hangs it over the mic stand as the band walk off stage.]

By NICHOLAS

Oh my god! What can I say??? Silverchair were absolutely amazing last night!

I started my epic journey down to the "Bush", around about 2pm finally arriving around 5ish, we wondered over to check out the monster queue size already. After waiting around for ages, the queue finally started to move and we were on our way. At this point I was absolutely freaking out....Omg I'm going to see the Chair!

After hanging about and after a few beers, we took our place in the crowd, dead centre and about 3 from the front. You could see the excitement on everyone's faces, everyone was so pumped to finally see the chair back on these shores.

The support band NU started things off, and were ok at what they did, but everyone knew they were just here to past some time, as the anticipation in the crowd just grew and grew.

At about 9pm the lights fell, the background music stopped....on came Daniel. Who started off with After All These Years, which was one of the most beautiful versions I have heard, especially with the whole crowd singing along too!

Then came World Upon Your Shoulders, the crowd went crazy, and we all were getting pushed tighter and tighter to the front of the railings. Throughout the whole set, there wasn't really any actual moshing going on from what I could see, but everyone was just so desperate to get a glimpse of the Chair, they were just pushing forward and forward and forward.

Later on in the set came Petrol and Chlorine and The Door, omg they both rocked so much, especially The Door, with the extra new bits added to it.

As soon as Anas Song started I felt such a shiver down the back of my spine, I had been looking forward to hearing this song so much. Daniel started off ever so quietly and then Chris and Ben joined in, livening things up and getting everyone bouncing around.

The last song they played before the was Anthem For 2000, which was definitely another highlight of the night for me. Daniel managed to get the whole crowd involved chanting "we are the youth!" over and over again.

Then the lights went out again. Chants of "silverchair silverchair" were ringing throughout the building. Everyone was so desperate for more.

Again, just like to begin with this evening, Daniel walked back out on to the stage, and sat down to play Asylum. Such an outstanding song. You could see not as many people had heard this song, as they weren't singing along, but as soon as the song finished, there was like a 1 second pause, but this was because like myself, my freinds, the crowd was stunned by the songs brilliance.

To finish off with came The Lever, which was a longer version than normal, but was indeed very very good, and sent the crowd crazy!

Once The Lever has finished, Daniel started throwing his guitar up the in air and catching it and going crazy. But then that was it as Ben, Chris, and Daniel walked off the lights came on, and it was over. We all wanted more, we all would have stayed all night to see more songs.

This definitely has to be one of the best gigs I have ever seen, and I thank SIlverchair for taking the time to come back over to England and give their fans what they want!

Please come back soon dudes!

p.s. The sound of the guitar is the best song ever!

By GAVIN

After waiting 4 years to see my favourite band return to these shores, my excitement and anticipation was bursting weeks before the gig. Hoping to God that Daniel would be fighting fit and ready to play, went out the window by the time the band arrived onstage. They all seemed comfortable, happy and raring to go!

The first song, After All These Years had everyone intently hushed to listen to the perfection that is Daniel's voice, and everyone knew we were in for a special night - an incredibly beautiful opener. So we headed down to the front as close to the stage as possible. A lot of people were standing still and watching, which was a surprise - I guess people were in awe of his voice. I was overwhelmed with enthusiasm, and had to jump around!

Every song was sublime - the softer one's definitely being vehicles for Daniel's exceptional vocals, whether playing guitar or piano he managed to wrench my heart out of my mouth on dozens of occasions. The venue was a good size - quite compact and intimate, it was easy to see the whites of their eyes! Daniel looked great, which could have brought me to tears - knowing how much pain he'd been in I felt privileged just to see him again. Hopefully this won't be the last time.

I'm hoping the crowds for the rest of the dates can enthuse Daniel to keep performing. We couldn't have been loud enough, as Daniel did say that the Germans made more noise than us! (Although I'd sooner NEVER see him again if it means he'll be healthier and happier, and can write more angelic songs!) Anyway, as for his songs - Petrol & Chlorine was gorgeous, Miss You Love and Without You superb and Emotion Sickness still sounds like a fresh slice of heaven to my ears.

<Gonna have to keep this short as I'm at work!>

All in all, the gig flew by like the blink of an eye - I'm so jealous of all the people who still have it to look forward to! My favourite moment (as they didn't play My Favourite Thing!) was probably 'Asylum' which I'd never heard before and it sounded awesome in the true sense of the word. Then again, The Door took my breath away, and then The Lever...! I wanted to immediately relive the experience. For a truly exceptional band, I'm torn between wishing they were more widely acclaimed over here (so they might come more often!) and being glad that they're small, so those of us who are true fans get to see them in smaller, more intimate venues that turn out to be the highlight of our lives.

Sorry - no photos, I bought a disposable camera especially, but left it at home. Prick!

Thanks guys - you'll remain close to my heart forever. Keep up the great work, and look after yourselves. <And thanks to Edd who fell over in front of the whole of London!>