Silverchair Grand Final reunion: Surprising ‘no’ 15 years on
There will be no Silverchair Grand Final reunion. The Newcastle, Australia, rock band said Wednesday, Sept. 30, that it will not perform before Sunday’s 2026 National Rugby League Grand Final, even with its hometown Newcastle Knights in the title game, because the trio is “way too rusty,” according to Billboard and Rolling Stone Australia.
“Thanks to everyone who’s asked if we’re playing before the game. We’re way too rusty, so sorry, no can do,” the band wrote in a statement shared on its social media accounts. Billboard reported it was the first post on Silverchair’s official Facebook page in more than four years.
Why there is no Silverchair Grand Final set
Calls for a Silverchair Grand Final performance grew after the Knights reached their first Grand Final since 2001, Rolling Stone Australia reported. Daniel Johns (vocals, guitar), Ben Gillies (drums) and Chris Joannou (bass) grew up in Newcastle and are longtime Knights supporters, according to Billboard.
“For the first time in ages, the three of us actually agree wholeheartedly about something: GO KNIGHTS!!!” the post read. “We won’t be taking the stage, but we’ll be supporting as loudly as everyone else and there in spirit.”
Silverchair formed in 1992 and announced in 2011 that its members would go their separate ways. The band has not reunited since, Billboard reported. Gillies and Joannou took part in a two-part ABC “Australian Story” episode in 2023, while Johns did not.
Who will perform instead of a Silverchair Grand Final reunion
The pre-game entertainment slot was still unfilled when Billboard published its story. Tones and I had been tipped as the headliner, but the “Dance Monkey” singer will instead keep a prior commitment with Macklemore in the United States, according to a statement from her team at Lemon Tree Management. Her team said she was approached and an offer was made, but “nothing was signed or confirmed in writing.”
Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys had said he would rather see the roughly A$1 million entertainment budget go to grassroots rugby league, Billboard reported. V’landys later said he had been “inundated” with offers from Australian performers, and an international star had also shown interest, according to Rolling Stone Australia.
With no Silverchair Grand Final set, pre-game plans now include a tribute to South Sydney Rabbitohs player Jai Arrow, who medically retired this year after a motor neurone disease diagnosis, Rolling Stone Australia reported, citing another outlet. Arrow is expected to walk a lap of honor around Accor Stadium as unnamed “eminent Australian musicians” perform “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” The magazine also reported speculation that U.S. singer Benson Boone could perform.
The Knights’ long-awaited moment
The Knights reached the Grand Final on Sunday, Sept. 27, for the first time in 25 years, according to Billboard. They will face the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, Oct. 4, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET), per Rolling Stone Australia.
Silverchair’s record-setting run
Silverchair topped Australia’s charts while its members were still teenagers. The band’s grunge-influenced 1995 debut album, “Frogstomp,” featuring the single “Tomorrow,” reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200, and 1997’s “Freak Show” peaked at No. 12, according to Billboard.
All five Silverchair studio albums, from “Frogstomp” through “Young Modern,” hit No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. By the time the band split, it had won 21 ARIA Awards, more than any other act, Billboard reported. Fans of 1990s rock can revisit another era-defining group in our look back at Temple of the Dog, or find more in our music news section.
Reporting from Billboard and Rolling Stone Australia contributed to this story.