Interview with Daniel (Hitkrant, 5th February 2000)

Depressions, phobias and anorexia. Who thinks that the life of a celebrity is nice, is very wrong. Look at silverchair’s Daniel Johns, who deals with psychical and physical problems for some time now. Started to young? Or was it the teasing at school? Quiet Daniel talks for the first time about his problems…

Four years ago the Australian powertrio silverchair climbed the charts. Their album ‘Frogstomp’ went straight to number one and the three guys (read: boys) didn’t know what was happening to them. Ben, Chris and Daniel were totally surprised. Barely 15 and everyone wanted to know everything about them. The world had three new stars. Bur the reverse of the ‘being famous medal’ came quick. It was quiet around silverchair for 6 months in 1998. They seemed to be vanished from earth. Daniel, now 20, talks about what happend back then and which fears he had to conquer.

“Believe it or not, he starts, I never thought about the fact that I could become a celebrity. I just wanted to make music. When I was 14, we got our record deal. I thought that was IT at that time. Our own album man! I told it to everyone at school immediatly, so we would finally be taken serious as a band. But because we were ‘discouvered’ so early, I never had the chance to think about becoming famous and its consequences. When I GOT famous, it all was abit confusing for me. One thing got through to me quickly: everything you get too much of is bad for you. And that certainly counts for being famous.

So it just got too much for you?

Yeah. Ben and Chris just handled it better. They’re probably more down-to-earth than I am. Even when I was disguised, I got recognised by one person and my whole disguise was useless. In the meanwhile our popularity grew and people’s expectations too. I didn’t have any self-esteem anymore. Everybody thinks that, because you’re in a band, you can twist the girls around your finger. The opposite is true. The more girls that come after you, the more frightning it gets. A packed hall gave me an empty feeling.

Sounds pretty freaky!

It was. In the beginning of ’98 I looked like an alien! In that period I moved out with my dog to a little house near see. The only thing I did was watching TV. I felt depressed and was scared about every sound I heard from outside. I heard voices in my head too. When I left my house, I started shaking and swaeting a lot.

Did you understand that it wasn;t very normal what was going on with you?

Not at that point, no. I didn’t understand anything. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t get one bite through my throat. I didn’t have controle on anything. Only when I thought I was going to faint, I ate something. My parents didn’t react immediatly but after a while they did. I had to see a psychologist, that didn’t work out immediatly. I don’t like to talk about my problems, I write them away in my poems and songs.

A lot of people have an eating disorder. How did you handle it?

There always has to be a person to confront you with your problems. The most persons are afraid you get angry when you tell them something like that. But that doesn’t help you out. I was glad my family doctor told me I was having problems with my health because of this!

How much did you weight?

I don’t think it was much more than 100 pounds. I simpply lost the controle over my body. I didn’t think I was attrective at that time, but the causes were much deeper. I know, this sounds like i’m a complete weirdo. I must admit I was always very interested in the dark side of life.

Were your schooldays ‘steady’?

No, not at all. It was ‘not done’ if you were in a band and I was teased a lot at that time. Ben and Chris didn’t have much problems, they were always after me. I think that’s because they look more manly than I do. The effect is that I close myself for people.

How are you know, are you fully recovered?

No, nor fully. But the worst part is behind me. I still don’t know exactly what was wrong with me, there are different theories about that. Some say I was overstrung, some say I’ve been teased too much. I don’t care, my music is the best therapy to battle with the effects.

Is there something you’d like to say to fellow-sufferers?

One thing: judge people because of their inside, not their outside!!!

Thanx to Hitkrant for the interview!!

Courtesy of Excess Acces!! Don’t copy or use this without my personal (!) agreement.

This interview was published in dutch, I had to translate it personally…so there could be some minor mistakes.