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Daniel Johns discusses Silverchair shooting tragedy

<p dir="ltr">In 1995, a 16-year-old boy in the state of Washington, aided by his friend, opened fire and killed both his parents and brother. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the shooter was apprehended, they were allegedly playing Silverchair’s <em>Israel’s Son</em>, which was released the same year and boasts controversial and hateful lyrics. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, 27 years on, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has opened up about the tragedy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s pretty devastating to write a song when you’re a teenager and then have lives taken because apparently it influenced the people to murder someone — that’s too much,” Johns told American radio personality Megan Holiday on <em>In The Mind of Daniel Johns</em> docuseries. </p> <p dir="ltr">An in-depth report on the murders published by Spin magazine in their September 1996 issue cited evidence that the shooter pulled a blood-spattered cassette out of his father’s hand, shrieking “That’s my f***ing tape!” It was Silverchair’s debut album <em>Frogstomp</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s friend alleged that he put the tape in the stereo and rewound it to the track <em>Israel’s Son</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The witness’s version of events, which unfolded at his trial in January 1996, had his friend kicking the deceased bodies of his parents as the song played.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s lawyer Tom Copland would cite the lyrics of <em>Israel's Son</em> at an evidentiary hearing: “Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead’. </p> <p dir="ltr">They petitioned the court to be allowed to play the song in his opening statement, as he claimed the song’s lyrics were “almost a script” for the killings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johns, who was just 16 at the time, said he internalised his trauma after hearing the horrific news. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It affected me, but I had to act like it didn’t,” he said. “I couldn’t acknowledge it, I guess that was part of the patterns.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie rocker said he didn’t want fans to look to him for meanings or “guidance”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t like that people look to me for guidance in the songs. I don’t like it,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Daniel Johns ordered to complete community service over drunk driving incident

<p>Daniel Johns has narrowly avoided jail time with a 10-month intensive corrections order to be served in the community over a high-range drink-driving car crash.</p> <p>The former Silverchair frontman has also been disqualified from driving for seven months and ordered to fit an alcohol-reading interlock device to his car for 24 months when he gets his driver's licence back.</p> <p>In March this year, Johns was charged with high-range drink driving after a head-on crash at North Arm Cove, north of Newcastle.</p> <p>When tested, he returned a blood alcohol reading three times the legal limit.</p> <p>The police report states that Johns was heading north when his SUV crossed onto the wrong side of the Pacific Highway and collided with a light commercial truck travelling in the opposite direction.</p> <p>Both vehicles ended up on a nearby nature strip, with the 51-year-old driver of the van and his 55-year-old female passenger being treated at the scene by paramedics. </p> <p>Johns entered rehabilitation of his own will for four weeks after the crash and the court was told he had not touched alcohol since.</p> <p>In his sentencing submission, defence lawyer Bryan Wrench said his client suffered from complex mental health issues from his time as a child musical star.</p> <p>"He was a very successful musician. He was 14 when that came to him in an unwanted fashion and that came with attacks and vitriol," Mr Wrench said.</p> <p>"He is a recluse, his house is his only safe place."</p> <p>These defence submissions are what helped Johns avoid time behind bars, as Magistrate Ian Cheetham said Johns was best served to continue with psychiatric treatment in the community.</p> <p>"There is no doubt a custodial sentence will not achieve an appropriate result for him or the community," Magistrate Cheetham said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Daniel Johns facing jail time

<p dir="ltr">Former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns risks being thrown into jail following a horrific head-on collision while drink-driving.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old, who is in a rehabilitation centre, entered a guilty plea to high-range drink driving through his lawyer Bryan Wrench. </p> <p dir="ltr">Wrench told the court that his client wanted the matter dealt with immediately because it was causing him anxiety during his three month stint in rehab. </p> <p dir="ltr">Magistrate Ian Cheetham rejected the premise saying the matter was too serious and that Johns could face jail time.</p> <p dir="ltr">The case was adjourned to June 22 for sentencing with Johns ordered to contact Corrective Services NSW officers to complete an assessment report.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wrench previously submitted documents to the courts to avoid his client being interviewed by Corrective Services.</p> <p dir="ltr">He noted that Johns knew the serious nature of the offence was suffering from mental health issues. </p> <p dir="ltr">The lawyer told the court that Johns was also prepared to stop drinking alcohol as part of an intensive corrections order if it would help him avoid jail. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police allege that Johns was three times over the legal alcohol limit when his car merged onto the other side of the road and crashed into a van in the NSW Hunter region about 10.30pm on Wednesday, March 23.</p> <p dir="ltr">The van driver, 51, and his female passenger, 55, were treated at the scene and the woman was taken to hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johns was breathalysed and returned a shocking blood alcohol level of 0.157.</p> <p dir="ltr">He admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility telling his followers on Instagram that he was focusing on his mental health. </p> <p dir="ltr">“As you know, my mental health is a work in progress. I have good days and bad days but it’s something I always have to manage,” Johns wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Over the last week I began to experience panic attacks. Last night I got lost while driving and I was in an accident. I am OK, everyone is OK.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have to step back now as I’m self-admitting to a rehabilitation centre and I don’t know how long I’ll be there. Appreciate your love and support as always.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Why Daniel Johns will never perform live again

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was once the frontman of one of Australia’s biggest homegrown acts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But now Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns has said he will never perform live again. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a candid interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the 42-year-old musician said he has long struggled with shutting down persistent rumours that Silverchair, who split up in 2011, would eventually reform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was like, 'This is really starting to affect my mental health'. Because I am saying 'that's it', and every time I try to tell the truth, someone told a lie."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"So I was like, 'I wouldn't get Silverchair back together with a gun to my head for $1 million'. Maybe that was too harsh in hindsight."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He discussed how Silverchair’s sudden rise to fame after the release of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 1995, when Daniel was just 16, took a toll on his emotional wellbeing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just months after the album’s release, Silverchair saw international notoriety, as they even opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers at New York’s Madison Square Garden. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daniel said that the level of fandom was “extreme”, as he was always looking over his shoulder. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And I have pretty much constantly had that since the second album, since I saw the hysteria of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When discussing why he would not reform the band, he said there is too much emotional baggage from the highest points of the band’s fame to consider it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's not that I am not proud of the work – I am actually really proud of the work. It's just that it's emotionally triggering for me."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he needed to walk away from the band to be "internally happy", something he has achieved since the band’s end in 2011.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"But it took me years and years and years of really, really heavy, heavy therapy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And if I didn't do that work, I don't think I'd be here."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trauma of the band’s success prompted Daniel to say he has no desire to play live again, but that doesn’t mean he won’t release new music in the future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don't even go to live shows because I hate that environment. So why would I want to be the focus? I honestly don't think you ever will [see me play live].”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is so much music coming and I am really proud of it. You don't need to see it live. Just listen."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can check out the full interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> here:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2N53j1Own8c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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