On the Road Again
Live Reviews:

Silverchair And Blink182
November 10, 1999
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto

Daniel Johns of Silverchair

Last night, Maple Leaf Gardens played host to the "Loser Kids Tour," featuring Aussie boys Silverchair and California punks Blink 182. Arriving solo at approximately 6:45, I was disappointed to discover that I missed most of the opening act. Like Blink, Fenix TX gave its audience exactly what they wanted — straight-up, mosh crazy punk. I think it will really be no surprise to see them back on some sort of a tour in the millennium, or to "hit it big" in the future, at least on the punk scene.

The air was thick and fog-like after Fenix TX. I'm not really sure if it was due to the illegal substances being smoked or if it was some effect trying to be pulled off in the venue. Whatever the case may be, it lasted all evening long. Looking around, it was hard to pinpoint who was here to see which band. There were tons of punk-ish looking kids, a few "goth-like" freaks, what you would call 'normal' kids, and what us teens would refer to as "old people." To most of us it's a mystery why these "old people" would even want to be at a show like this. It's one thing to drop off your kids and leave, but it's a totally other thing to actually buy a ticket and chill at the show. Believe me, I can give you a whole lot of reasons to support this. For one, IT'S NOT FREAKIN' WOODSTOCK '69! PEOPLE DO NOT SWAY BACK AND FORTH WITH THEIR ARMS ABOVE THEIR HEADS! Or for that matter keep waving at the stage, expecting someone from the band to wave back at them. I'm sure you're starting to catch my drift.

Blink 182

Time to get back on track again. Silvechair's set was quickly set up after Fenix left the stage. For all those 'chair fans, you know the drill - neon light tubing outlining everything on stage, and a sparkly back drop. The lights dropped at around 8:15pm and all you could see was the illuminated drum kit bearing the name 'Silverchair' printed across. It was a surprise to get a new twist to their 'pre-set' song. This time it was something from Star Wars. Hmm ... looks like someone has caught on to the fad a little late. Why didn't they try that back at EdgeFest or something? (Did anyone else notice the tacky Silverchair Star Wars t-shirts?) Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan, but that hype is way over now!

Finally the thumping bass began and Silverchair were welcomed on stage by a ton of screaming. With Ben clad in only his shorts, Chris in his oh-so-famous orange pants, and Daniel in his sparkly shirt (Hey! No silver tie this time!), they broke into an awesome version of Israel's Son. Having seen the 'chair live quite a few times, I was kind of a little awestruck at all the sort of 'new' things added to the show. Daniel was extremely talkative, chatting about everything from the Maple Leafs to how much they love Toronto. He even came up with a bunch of new dance-like moves that he used throughout the show, along with the playing the guitar in a windmill fashion. The set held a great variety of mosh-worthy songs including "Satin Sheets," "Freak" (with deep throated growls), a cover of "Kick Out The Jams," and a couple of old favorites like "Pure Massacre" and "Slave." Later on Ben made the crowd sing "Happy Birthday" to Chris, (as done earlier at MuchMusic), and even produced a Canadian flag enscribed with "Canada Loves Silverchair" on it. After a nice version of Anthem, they shortly returned to the stage for an encore and played "Spawn Again."

Daniel Johns of Silverchair

After yet another quick set change Blink 182 hit the stage. The guys looked like they were having a total blast and were easily able to get the crowd moving again. With an on-going dissing match between Mark and Tom, and with all of their sex-related jokes everyone stayed entertained. From "What's my Age Again" to "Dammit," they covered a broad range of songs from all three albums. Mark kept everyone going with his "I just ate a bowl of sugar", (or a similar 'white' substance) attitude, and it was a shame to see them finish their set so quickly, even though they played for about an hour.

Overall the "Loser Kids" totally rocked the Gardens. The two sets of fans were closely related in age and musical tastes, which when combined, helped the atmosphere stay fun and kept their fans all giddy and singing along to the next day.