ABC documentary on Aussie band Silverchair reveals the agony of troubled rocker Daniel Johns as he battled anorexia

Former Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies has opened up about bandmate Daniel Johns’ battle with anorexia in a new ABC documentary.

The rockers, who were childhood friends, have gone their separate ways since the group split in 2011 following Johns’ well-publicized health problems.

Formed in the coastal town of Newcastle in New South Wales in 1992, Silverchair made headlines with their debut album Frogstomp in 1995 and went on to sell 10 million records worldwide.

Appearing on the ABC Australian historyGillies says he and bassist Chris Joannou recalled how Johns seemed to suffer from the pressures of fame after the band’s early success.

“I wish he would have come up to me and Chris and talked to us, but we just didn’t have those tools,” Gillies said.

The rockers, who were childhood friends, have gone their separate ways since the group split in 2011 following Johns’ well-publicized health problems.

“Three young men who grew up in the 80s and 90s, you know, working class Newcastle, you don’t talk about how you feel. That’s not what you do.

Silverchair, nicknamed “Nirvana in pajamas”, was still a teenager when his second album Freak took the charts by storm in 1997.

But Gillies says fame and money took a toll on Johns, who attracted attention from fans and the media.

As the band hit the world stage, Johns lost weight, as he began to feel the impact of anorexia.

“Chris and I noticed that Dan was becoming more fragile.” he said.

“I didn’t even know what anorexia was. Watching a friend go through this illness is quite difficult,” he added.

A frail Johns is pictured performing on stage at the height of the band’s 90s success.

Silverchair, nicknamed “Nirvana in pajamas”, was still a teenager when his second album Freak took the charts by storm in 1997.

The group would go on to sell over 10 million records worldwide and win the most ARIA awards in the awards show’s history.

However, cracks began to appear in recent years as Johns – who has openly struggled with drug and alcohol issues – embarked on a number of solo projects.

Johns, meanwhile, has repeatedly criticized his former friends on social media and on television.

In September last year, the struggling musician appeared on The project and called Gillies and Joannou “bitter, jealous and angry.”

He singled out Gillies, saying the drummer had a “real problem” with his fame, and claimed his two former bandmates “never came to see him”.

“Three young men who grew up in the 80s and 90s, you know, working class Newcastle, you don’t talk about how you feel. That’s not what you do,” said Gillies

Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou is also interviewed on Australian Story

ABC’s Australian Story documentary comes ahead of the release of Gillies and Joannou’s memoir Love & Pain on September 27, which will give fans the chance to discover the inside story of one of Australian rock’s ugliest breakups .

The book’s release follows a series of disparaging remarks Johns made about his former bandmates last year in “Who Is Daniel Johns?” podcast and the YouTube series Inside The Mind Of Daniel Johns.

Neither Gillies nor Joannou responded at the time.

Meanwhile, the ABC revealed Johns was asked to appear on Australian Story with his former bandmates Silverchair – but the singer declined.

The second part of The Australian Story featuring Gillies and Joannou will be screened on Monday.

Johns, pictured last year, declined to appear on the ABC special