Silverchair came tantalisingly close to reuniting for the NRL grand final, with Matty Johns revealing the failed bid has got the estranged bandmates talking again and could spark an Oasis-style comeback.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, Johns said drummer Ben Gillies and bassist Chris Joannou were keen to make the Newcastle band’s return happen ahead of Sunday’s decider between the Knights and Sydney Roosters.
While fans’ hopes were dashed when frontman Daniel Johns ruled out a performance, Matty revealed how far discussions had progressed behind the scenes.
‘Benny and Chris were on board, and they said Dan’s the one, you know?’ Johns told Daily Mail.
‘So it was almost across the line. From my understanding, they were keen.
‘They spoke to [NRL Executive Chairman] Peter V’landys and things just didn’t map out.’
Daniel Johns (left) ruled out a Silverchair performance at the NRL grand final, telling fans the band were ‘too rusty’
Matty Johns, pictured with wife Trish, revealed Silverchair’s proposed NRL grand final reunion was ‘almost across the line’ before it fell over at the eleventh hour
Liam and Noel Gallagher ended years of feuding to reunite for Oasis’s blockbuster Live ’25 tour
The band have not performed together since 2010 and announced an indefinite hiatus the following year, with their fractured relationships subsequently spilling into public view.
But Johns believes the push to bring them together for Newcastle’s biggest sporting occasion could have a lasting impact, even without a grand final performance.
‘The great thing to come out of this is they’re talking again. Which is perfect,’ he said.
‘This could be the catalyst for them to reunite and do an Oasis.’
Liam and Noel Gallaghers’ bitter falling-out once made an Oasis reunion seem a remote possibility, before the brothers returned to the stage for their blockbuster Live ’25 tour.
According to the former Knights star, a major concern was whether the band could deliver a performance worthy of their reputation after so many years apart.
Johns said their manager, John Watson, had warned that a return would require months of preparation.
‘John said to them: “To play live, from where you used to be to where you blokes are coming from, you haven’t played in a long time. You should be doing three, four months [of rehearsals] to tighten up.”‘
Matty Johns told Daily Mail the reunion push had got the estranged bandmates talking again
The joint statement released by the members of Silverchair after a huge call from fans to reunite for the NRL grand final
Silverchair formed in Newcastle in 1992 and shot to fame as teenagers with their debut album Frogstomp
Johns also relayed the blunt warning Gillies had described receiving from Watson about the risk of disappointing fans.
‘Gillies said that John told him the last thing you want was for people to go wow, Silverchair is back. Oh god, that Silverchair?’
For Johns, the concern was understandable given the expectations that would accompany the return of one of Australia’s biggest bands.
‘When you are back, you want to be back. You want to be at the top of your game,’ he said.
‘And on one or two days’ notice, I can appreciate that is very, very hard.’
Daniel’s public response to the reunion campaign echoed those concerns, telling fans the band were ‘too rusty’ to perform.
However, his statement also delivered a rare message of unity from the Newcastle trio.
‘For the first time in ages, the three of us actually agree wholeheartedly about something. GO KNIGHTS,’ he said.
Andrew Johns famously dragged Daniel Johns out of bed during Newcastle’s 1997 premiership celebrations
Despite ruling out a performance, Daniel Johns declared the trio were united in their support for the Knights
‘It’s all about the Knights this weekend. We love how footy brings this community together and it’s pretty special watching the whole Steel City get behind the boys.’
He added: ‘We won’t be taking the stage, but we’ll be supporting as loudly as everyone else and there in spirit.’
Matty and his brother, Knights legend Andrew Johns, had been pushing for the reunion as Newcastle prepared to face the Roosters.
Andrew’s connection with the band stretches back to the Knights’ maiden premiership in 1997, when he famously ‘kidnapped’ an 18-year-old Daniel, dragging him out of bed while singing his own version of Freak.
But the prospect of bringing Silverchair together again meant overcoming a rift that had ended both a hugely successful musical partnership and long-standing friendships.
The trio formed the band in Newcastle in 1992 and were just 15 when they recorded their debut album, Frogstomp, in nine days.
Released in 1995, it topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand and launched their international career.
In their 2023 memoir, Love & Pain, Gillies and Joannou claimed Daniel had ‘broken up the band’ several times before changing his mind, describing the experience as an ’emotional rollercoaster’.
Thousands of Newcastle supporters are expected to turn out for the NRL grand final against the Sydney Roosters
After their Groovin’ the Moo appearances in 2010, however, they said the situation changed.
Gillies recalled receiving a confusing phone call in which Daniel told him ‘it’s inevitable’, but allegedly changed the subject when asked what he meant.
Joannou said he did not receive a call from Daniel himself and instead learnt through Watson that a press release announcing an indefinite hiatus was imminent.
‘We wanted to scream. It shouldn’t have ended like that,’ the pair wrote.
They said they deserved an ending that celebrated their achievements, rather than a press release that left the band’s future unresolved.
‘At the very least, we owed it to ourselves to have a face-to-face adult conversation and make the decision together.’
Daniel’s subsequent rejection of a reunion deepened their hurt.
Responding to his declaration that he would not reform Silverchair ‘for a million dollars with a gun to my head’, Gillies and Joannou wrote that his words stung.
‘We’re hurt, but we can’t show it. We don’t want to fan the flames, don’t want to stir the pot, don’t want to tarnish the legacy of the band we all love,’ they wrote.
Daniel had offered his own account of the falling-out during a 2022 interview with The Project, alleging bitterness and jealousy had damaged the relationships.
‘They’ve not shown me any respect. Me and Chris have a very passive relationship,’ he said.
‘Ben, for some reason has a real issue with me being successful without him. That’s sad because I wish him all the best honestly, but unfortunately he doesn’t want me to branch out.’
The divide resurfaced around the release of Gillies and Joannou’s memoir and their accompanying Australian Story documentary in 2023.
Daniel declined to be interviewed for the program, saying he had not been involved in the book and had not received a copy despite requests.
He also explained that permission to use his songs on iView had been withheld because he wanted to read the memoir before allowing his music to help promote it.
‘I haven’t been involved in the book nor am I aware of the contents,’ he said at the time.
‘I’ve been asked on many occasions to read the book but haven’t been sent a copy, consequently I was uncomfortable being interviewed to help promote it.’
READ MORE: Silverchair address NRL Grand Final gig rumours as footy chairman teases ‘big surprise’ after Tones and I quit
READ MORE: Knights player Phoenix Crossland handed huge ban after sickening tackle that left Penrith star Nathan Cleary with shattered ankle
