Podcasts about novocastrians

Scott Sattler and Mat Rogers are joined by Knights Lock Adam Elliott after a great start to the season from the Novocastrians plus some exciting personal news! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jane Ison shares a short biography about her ancestors Elijah Abell and his wife Margaret Brown who both contributed to the civic and social fabric of Wallsend, NSW. Jane also talks about the hidden aspects of lives that can be uncovered by using DNA and how ancestral lines can be confirmed ... or not!

If you wander through the streets of Newcastle and indeed further afield to the suburbs and into the Hunter Valley, you will pass by historic and notable buildings – many are the work of Frederick Menkens. Society member Julie Keating takes us on a virtual journey and gives some insights into the man, his life and his creative prowess.

In this episode of Notable Novocastrians, member Daryl Woods tells us of his family connection to Sir Frederick Gallegher Galleghan and recounts some aspects of a "Life of Service".

Physician and pathologist, Ethel Byrne was a prominent figure in the history of medical practice in Newcastle especially in the treatment of tuberculosis. Through her recognition of her professional responsibilities she endeared herself to both staff and patients, spending her life in unselfish service to others. Dr Jude Conway recounts her life and achievements.

The first Australian to be awarded a PhD in geology, the first woman to be appointed Dean of Science in an Australian university and the first woman in Australia, maybe the world, to win a Rotary Foundation Fellowship, Jude Conway recounts the brilliant life and achievements of Professor Beryl Nashar.

Joined by Bluey from The Daily Blue News and The Daily Blue Weekly Podcast.  Bluey & Gabe have their boxing fight coming up on April 27th, go and follow them on their socials to keep up to date and support some Novocastrians. TIME STAMPS 00:00 Intro 08:15 Podcast Royale (Boxing Event) 18:40 Knights chat 28:35 Steel City Cup 35:18 Rugby League talking points of the week

This week on Across The Park, we discuss the following: Robot Joel, Novocastrians, Gaby's GOGS's, Airtasker fun, shoelace wipers, lawn mower life, cat hair, Chance the Rapper and us, Grace Harris' six, Cricket World Cup, burger bats, Michael Clarke's favourite drink, Matildas return, Gaby's Goss, golf news, and a game! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did the proposal not go to plan? Novocastrians share their proposal fails.Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/nick-jess-and-duckoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanya & Steve discuss which big act should be the next to play at McDonald Jones Stadium. Novocastrians call in to have their say!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanya & Steve speak with local Brittany Darvas whose parents are currently stuck in Israel, alongside 31 other Novocastrians. She shares their frightening experience and why they're needing the Australian government to get involved. If you want to assist in bringing our Novocastrians home, follow the link below:  https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Contact_Senator_or_Member?MPID=00AOU&fbclid=IwAR2VKUaOAdCoCqR9VMsxeaf9nNxY0fFpRp1O9QYH-Ya37_63-oyr869IZAsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NRL News and Preview podcasts fuse together this week as Sixties, Forty20 and Clint analyse the biggest stories coming out of the game before looking at a huge weekend of action against the Newcastle Knights. Reagan Campbell-Gillard has avoided a season ending injury but the news isn't exactly great still. RCG will miss 8-10 weeks with a groin tear and his absence will be felt by orders of magnitude. The boys look at the options at the club to replace the big man before the discussion swings back to Parramatta's bizarre Top 30 situation. Everyone else is talking about Jack Wighton and the Rabbitohs so The Tip Sheet might as well throw in their two bob. Ricky Stuart was clearly upset about the process that led to his marquee playmaker taking significantly less to play for a rival. Is notional or market value still a thing? Is the system flawed? The boys chat about the biggest move of the year thus far. Round 9 sees the Eels looking to bounce back from a tough loss in Darwin. The Newcastle Knights have been one of the bigger surprises in 2023 and will make for a fierce opponent on Friday. Kalyn Ponga has a game under his belt and they sport a rather imposing backline headed by Dom Young and Greg Marzhew. Parramatta will need to lift significantly if they want to fend off the Novocastrians.

Sixties and Forty20 react to Parramatta's comfortable 36-14 victory over the Newcastle Knights. The Eels were able to outlast a spirited opening effort from the Novocastrians as the class of Mitchell Moses and energy of J'maine Hopgood reigned supreme. While the Eels will have some polishing to do on account of two relatively soft tries leaked it was an injury to Shaun Lane that soured the victory. A suspected fracture to his jaw or cheekbone would leave the dynamic backrower sidelined for up to two months.

How long does a 'blow in' have to be somewhere to be considered a local? Tanya & Steve find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here on The Good Stuff, Bonnie/Steve and I are proud that the show is sponsored by one of the Hunter's finest corporate citizens. We are speaking, of course, about The Newcastle Permanent Building Society or ‘The Perm' as we Novocastrians fondly know it. For many years, The Perm has been supporting significant local initiatives and that support makes a very real difference to the lives of many of our neighbours, friends and families right here in the Hunter. To chat about some of the good stuff The Perm is doing right now, we welcome to The Good Stuff the Executive Officer of their Charitable Foundation, Carly Bush

We hear from locals who were lucky enough to have met Queen Elizabeth II.Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/nick-jess-and-duckoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Tanya & Steve's listeners share where they were when she died.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to good corporate citizens, the Newcastle Permanent Building Society is a local leader. The Perm, as we Novocastrians lovingly call it, supports a host of important local initiatives, making life better for those that are sick, assisting in the education of our young people and much more. To catch up on some of the good stuff The Perm is doing, we welcome to The Good Stuff The Perm's Manager of Partnerships and Community Engagement, Kirsten Lyndon . . . .

On this weeks episode in “the Breakdown” we feature two key games from Round 1 as the NRLW season kicks off in style.  The first match we see the Parramatta Eels take on the premiers in the Sydney Roosters. Under Dean Widders leadership, the Eels have reshaped their roster in an attempt to compete for the title. With a host of fresh faces representing the western Sydney club, can the Eels upset the current NRLW champions? While for the Roosters, despite losing a number of key players coach John Strange has been able to recruit some heavy hitters into the team with new arrivals Destiny Brill and Shaniah Power ready to lead from the front. While the rugby league celebrates the return of Sam Bremner to the NRLW, as she looks to guide the Roosters to a round 1 victory. And in our second feature game we see the Brisbane Broncos travel to take on the Newcastle Knights. The dynastic Broncos will be reeling after a shock finals loss in the last campaign. Adding the defection of Millie Boyle and Tamika Upton to the Knights, the Broncos will be ready to put the competition back on notice. While for the Knights, the challenge will be developing combinations during the early stages of the NRLW season. With a host of new faces, can the Novocastrians find top gear in round 1 in front of their home fans? And to round out the show on 'Rapid Fire' we each share our predictions for the Dragons and Titans game. It's a crucial match for both sides in particular the Titans, as they look to establish themselves as a genuine contender in 2022. While for the Dragons, can they go one better this year and claim their first NRLW premiership?~ Tarsha. Jordie, Dan & Mon 

It is an honour to be joined by Newcastle legends Tunz1 and DJ Mathmatics for the 104th instalment of Beers, Beats & The Biz. We go deep into the history books of Newcastle and Sydney with this week's episode as we talk to two living icons that have repped the Novocastrian experience through all elements since hip hop's inception in this country. We talk everything, from what it is to live in Australia's biggest small town to it's first wave of hip hop practitioners and on through the breaking, graffiti, MCing and DJing that both Tunz and Math have been involved in for decades. We talk Stored In4mation, MIA, Def Wish Cast, the influence of Random and Tony Crush, Robotek B-Boys, Ground Assault, LookUp, New York and travelling, DJ aesthetics, UP&UP, Blades of Hades and so much more than we can list here. Thank you to Tunz1 and Mathmatics for this epic conversation, their decades of work and many contributions. Episode 104 of Beers, Beats & The Biz is live now on, iTunes, Soundcloud and Spotify: Follow us on social media, download, rate, subscribe, share and don't forget to five star rate us.

Ducko and his fellow Novocastrians share their special nipple skills.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Irishman joins Simon to look back on his Hat-Trick in the derby after moving from the Mariners to the Jets in the off-season and the beginning of a terrific season for the Novocastrians.

Tanya & Steve ask Novocastrians when they wiped out a child and the stories are hilarious! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trent Nikolic tells Tanya & Steve what the most economic car for Novocastrians is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Footy is back baby! To celebrate we brought Tim Christie from the 2 Point Podcast back on this weeks podcast. As Tim is a Roosters supporter and we are die hard Novocastrians we talk about the Knights VS Roosters game in round 1 on Saturday. We also have plenty off fun on history, players, jerseys and much more!

Tanya & Steve find out if Novocastrians are on board or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newcastle's go-to drunk feeds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bernie Gurr spearheads the first edition of The Tip Sheet for the 2021 NRL Finals as Sixties and Forty20 dive into what lies ahead for the Blue & Gold with one of the podcast's most eternally insightful guests. Newcastle awaits on the horizon but first the trio explore how the Eels are arriving into the postseason with their recent results against the Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers. From there it is all about Sunday and sudden death footy as Gurr breaks down where Parramatta need to excel against the Novocastrians and the pitfalls they have to avoid. In the closing segments of this week's episode, Sixties and Forty20 take a quick look at the match-ups they like on Sunday and how the bench can make a big-time impact on the contest.

Turning 30 is a big deal - whether it is your amount of laps around the sun as a person, or whether it is a body of work that was created and still resonates three decades after the fact.While the members of The Screaming Jets personally celebrated lapping the sun a couple of years ago, their debut album All For One this year celebrates that milestone, with the band releasing a special re-recorded version with the current line up to mark the occasion.The 1990s was a Golden era of rock in this country. You had AC/DC, The Poor, The Angels, Baby Animals, Superjesus and more all taking rock music from this side of the world to a global audience, but it was the release from a group of young, brash and rebellious Novocastrians that took the rock world by storm.Here was an album that pushed every conceivable musical boundary and produced singles such as Better and Shine On that would later go down in Australian rock history.With the new release date of October 22 earmarked because of recent COVID related complications, guitarist Jimi Hocking sat down with HEAVY to run us through the life of a classic rock album."It's a different kind of excitement," he replied when asked if waiting to release the new version of an old album compares with the anticipation of putting out an album of new material. "I've been playing these songs a long time - I joined the band in 1993 - and I've been playing these songs for the best part of 28 years. We love the record. The first album release was a cracking release as rock fans will remember, it was a great Australian release in its day and to take on the task of doing it again was a little bit daunting, but I've gotta say we've had lockdowns and the experiences from that during the process of recording this album, so we went about it a very different way. I'm excited because we managed to complete the album and when we got the mixes back from Steve I thought they were every bit as good as the first record and I got really excited when I heard back what we put on tape."With The Screaming Jets known for their love of a good time, particularly on the road, Jimi explains how the initial seeds for this new anniversary edition of All For One were sewn."I'm not really sure," he measured. "It was kind of an organic thing, and to be really honest, one of the main reasons we started having the conversation in the first place wasn't to replace the first album. In actual fact, we don't own that first record now, and if we were gonna go out and promote and play the first album and give it some gas for being 30 years old it seemed like a moot point that we didn't really have a connection to the… we couldn't sell it basically at our merch desk because we didn't own it any more, so that was part of the motive to start the conversation and once we had the conversation we started to think it would be cool - we've added a few solos to the live set over the years and Scotty and I have played in our own idiom as well - so we liked the idea of doing the things we have tweaked up over the last 30 years of playing the record, so it was nice to get that stuff on tape."In the full interview, Jimi talks about the changes made to the songs and why they are there, whether they ad-libbed in the studio or had their fresh parts down already, making the new versions similar to the live takes, hearing All For One for the first time and his thoughts, why he thinks the album still has appeal 30 years later, his departure from the band and subsequent return, some of his favourite memories and more.This interview was recorded prior to the tour being postponed, so any dates mentioned will be misleading. Rescheduled dates will be announced as soon as possible.

Gross!!!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Parramatta Eels posted their biggest win over the Newcastle Knights in well over a decade with a 40-4 obliteration that lifted the Eels back into 3rd on the ladder. Sunday's emphatic victory is fresh on the minds of Sixties and Forty20 as they tear into an instant reaction edition of The Tip Sheet. The duo take turns breaking down the win and start with the feedback from change made by Brad Arthur. Haze Dunster looked solid on the right wing and nabbed the first try of his NRL career. Although the Knights weren't able to test Parramatta's edges to the extent that the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs did, the new look backline did exactly what was tasked of it against the Novocastrians. Dylan Brown made a statement return from suspension while Shaun Lane dominated from the bench. The individual player wraps are extensive this week as the boys go through the list of who stood out. It wasn't all great news for the Blue & Gold with question marks over the fitness of Mitchell Moses and Reed Mahoney coming out of the win. All this and more in this week's instant reaction podcast!

After a lengthy delay brought about by Forty20 weakly succumbing to the flu, the boys finally get back together to chat about the loss to South Sydney and what is looming ahead in Round 13. The discussion about Parramatta's third loss of the season and a rare consecutive defeat centres on the defensive failings of the side. The anemic right edge, even with the swapping of Tom Opacic and Waqa Blake, bled linebreaks and points throughout the contest against the Rabbitohs. The boys breakdown where it went wrong and who was to blame but also point out that the Eels once again lost the collisions in the middle. Joey Grima couldn't make it for this week's episode of TTS so the boys briefly discuss the selection of Junior Paulo and Reed Mahoney to their respective state teams in his absence. The previews start with a serious question mark around the Jersey Flegg clash this week given that the Eels were scheduled to travel to Melbourne. With the COVID lockdown in place it seems like the Round 13 match is doomed to be rescheduled. From there it is a double header at Newcastle as the Eels travel to take on the Novocastrians in the split round. The action kicks off in the NSW Cup and the boys run their eyes over the reinvigorated spine as Jakob Arthur and Joey Lussick return. In the main event the Eels look to snap a 2-game losing streak with a win over the Knights but the spectre of the 2001 Grand Final looms large. Newcastle are celebrating their Old Boy's Day around the premiership triumph over Parramatta all the way back and it adds plenty of spice and intrigue to an annual clash that the Blue & Gold have struggled with over the last decade.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 1997 the Grainery Church was born. It was the product of a vision God had planted in the hearts of a small group of Christians, mainly Novocastrians. Speaking from Genesis 12:2-3 and the story of Abraham's faith, Sue outlines some of the history and foundational principles of the Grainery church which have brought blessings to so many. and explains how our destiny is in building God's church together. Small groups. An inter generational family atmosphere. Team work. Mission focus. Relying on the Holy Spirit and prayer. Bringing heaven to earth is our vision. Our mission is to build the kingdom of God within, among and beyond ourselves. Plans to grow the church further and reach our region for the kingdom of God are unveiled in this seminal message.

Ashley Madison, the world’s leading married dating site, has compiled a list of the least faithful Australian cities over the summer months... and it's not good news for Novocastrians. According to the site, Coffs Harbour has the most philanderers, and Newcastle came in second. According to Ashley Madison, this is the list of least faithful area's in the nation: Coffs Harbour, NSW Newcastle, NSW Geelong, VIC Wollongong, NSW Gold Coast, QLD Rockhampton, QLD Perth, WA Brisbane, QLD Melbourne, VIC Adelaide, SA

The Jets had the bye in Round 1 of the A-League season, but their season will finally kick off in massive fashion against local rivals Central Coast Mariners. Winger Nick Fitzgerald explains his new role at the club and what to expect from the Novocastrians. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Silverchair have been one of Australia's most successful bands for the last 20 years. Drummer Ben Gillies joined Carol Duncan in the studio for a chat about his solo project - Bento, and why he continues to call Newcastle home. Daniel Johns, Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies were just kids doing work experience at a Newcastle radio station when I first met them nearly 20 years ago. Those three boys have gone on to become strong and confident men and wonderful musicians - collectively and individually. I suspect the whole town is pretty proud of them.In 2012, the band have celebrated 20 years of Australian and international success, 21 ARIA awards from 49 nominations, 6 APRA awards, and all five of their studio albums have reached number one of the Australian album charts.Over the last few years the three members of the band have also gone out to do their own musical projects and drummer, Ben Gillies, came into the studios to talk about life, music, growing up in public, and taking the leap into solo performance.What was it like, being a kid, being thrust into that level of media interest and intrusion? "We were pretty unaware. Blissfully unaware. We were too worried about playing our music and running around and going to diners and just being teenage boys. We had good people around us, so we were fairly sheltered."The members of Silverchair studied at Newcastle High School when Peter McNair was principal. "He was a really good school principal. I remember a few times, the three of us would rock up to his office - in a good way, we weren't in trouble - but we had these grand ideas of putting concerts on at the school and we'd sell him on why we had to do it and how we could make it happen. He was really accommodating. I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to do some things he let us get away with. He let us put on concerts, we'd rehearse in the music room and do all kinds of stuff."It's often suggested that parents are the biggest obstacle to their children pursuing their dreams. Parents want their children to be secure, to 'have a good job', so convincing your parents you want to be a rock star, and then actually pulling it off, must be quite a coup! "We were young enough to just go with it. We were still just teenages running around so we were living in the moment. But we were setting ourselves up for a long-term career, we weren't thinking 'let's just go out and milk this for all its worth and then it's all over'. We were conscious of making long term things. And our parents were as well, all the people around us. We were very lucky."Ben Gillies late 2012 released his first Bento album, launched with the single Diamond Days and a fabulous video featuring a very interesting young actor. "He's a family friend of the producer. We did a bit of casting to have an l a few different possibilities but, the producer just said I know the young boy to do it. He gets right into character. His whole family really helped out, they were really accommodating. He's just seven.""It was a two day shoot, we did his stuff first then we did the performance stuff with me. He rocked out, there were a few moments he was on the performance stage and Holly, the producer, came up and said he'd been asking, "Why is it all about Ben today, it feel like this music video is all about Ben today. Why isn't it about me as much today!"Bento isn't Ben's first solo effort outside Silverchair, he's previously released music with Tambalane, "Tambalane was a stepping stone really. Kind of like a summer fling. I think I really wanted to write with another person, because I hadn't had that responsibility of writing on my own."" Outside Silverchair there isn't the infrastructure and the big budgets and all that. Doing stuff independently, it's almost a lot more pressure on the songwriter. Everything is you, there's no one else to take the load a bit. For me to do something outside of that with Tambalane was that step to get to Bento, to give me the confidence to do my own thing.""It's scary as hell but I think it's one of those things where I don't want to be a old man, sitting in a pub somewhere drinking a beer thinking, 'Why didn't I give that a crack back when I had the chance.""The thing with Silverchair as well is because it is such a big beast, and it's great, I love that side of what I do, but it does take up a lot of energy and time. So I've never really had enough drive to do my own thing. Silverchair going into indefinite hibernation has just given me the time and the freedom to be able to do it. Now I have that confidence to think, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do my own thing'. The confidence, the motivation, the time, the effort, it was the right time.""You do have to have that understanding that people are subjective. Everyone in the world isn't going to love your music. But you still want it to be received positively. The reaction has been amazing. It is you putting your neck out there. It's almost like you're standing in front of people, the full monty saying, 'Here I am, check it out. Here it is, I can't change it, and it is what it is."So. Silverchair's 'indefinite hibernation'. What gives?"Even if you do work with someone for 20 years, and you go to work from 9-5, you still have some time to yourself, and can do other things. It kind of feels like a business relationship with a marriage on top of it. You spend so much time with those people, not just the guys in the band, but management and crew. All these other things can come into it.""I think the reason Silverchair has had such good longevity is because we've been able to recognise when we all need to take a breather and go and do other things. The funny thing is, we've done it three or four times and every single time people say, 'What's happening, where you are going?'. We've done this before, and it's nothing new.""There's nothing worse than breaking up and deciding that all we really needed was time, then coming back to it and saying we're reforming. It's much better to say we're taking a breather and you come back and nothing's changed. We don't want to do a (John) Farnham 'final tour' several times. That's a genius move though, you've gotta admit."And on to Bento and selecting musicians to work on his new baby."We were in the studio in Sydney and the producer and I would clunk away on different instruments. We'd just get on the phone, if we were working on something and thought it's needed a nice piano part or whatever it was we'd call friends and it was whoever was close by. Whoever was within 10 minutes of the studio, they would come in. Out of that we actually got three guys who became pretty stable throughout the record. And they helped mesh the whole thing together.""It is a new project and I can't assume that Silverchair fans are automatically going to come to Bento. I just have to get beyond that and make other people aware of it. This is the first step in many, I have to keep making music and getting it out there. They way the music industry is these day, you really have to have that social media stuff in people's faces. And videos and photos. I love that stuff. It's so much fun. As long as you make it fun, I think people can connect to that and feel like they can have involvement and see behind the scenes.""I've always said creativity breeds creativity. The more you do it, the more ideas you get, and the more it snowballs. I've already got 20 songs ready for another record and I keep calling my manager and saying 'I've got this whole new concept for another record and it's going to be great and we can do this...' and she just laughs and says, 'OK, just slow down!"Success on the scale of that enjoyed by Silverchair over the last 20 years should mean that Ben Gillies could choose to live anywhere in the world, yet he remains based in Newcastle (as Daniel Johns often does, too)." I think Novocastrians all know it's a pretty special place. I've had some Sydney friends who have moved here purely out of necessity and after six months, they'll be like, 'I had no idea how good this place is!' and I say, 'What do you think I tell all my friends?!'. Its feels like (Newcastle) it's connected enough to the world, it's two hours to Sydney but it's just out of the way enough that it's quiet and you can relax."Will Ben Gillies be delivering another Bento album?"I think it will go off on a different tangent. It will still Bento, Bento is my baby. It will be a bento box but different, it might not be sushi, it might be a tuna sandwich!"

Silverchair have been one of Australia's most successful bands for the last 20 years. Drummer Ben Gillies joined Carol Duncan in the studio for a chat about his solo project - Bento, and why he continues to call Newcastle home. Daniel Johns, Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies were just kids doing work experience at a Newcastle radio station when I first met them nearly 20 years ago. Those three boys have gone on to become strong and confident men and wonderful musicians - collectively and individually. I suspect the whole town is pretty proud of them.In 2012, the band have celebrated 20 years of Australian and international success, 21 ARIA awards from 49 nominations, 6 APRA awards, and all five of their studio albums have reached number one of the Australian album charts.Over the last few years the three members of the band have also gone out to do their own musical projects and drummer, Ben Gillies, came into the studios to talk about life, music, growing up in public, and taking the leap into solo performance.What was it like, being a kid, being thrust into that level of media interest and intrusion? "We were pretty unaware. Blissfully unaware. We were too worried about playing our music and running around and going to diners and just being teenage boys. We had good people around us, so we were fairly sheltered."The members of Silverchair studied at Newcastle High School when Peter McNair was principal. "He was a really good school principal. I remember a few times, the three of us would rock up to his office - in a good way, we weren't in trouble - but we had these grand ideas of putting concerts on at the school and we'd sell him on why we had to do it and how we could make it happen. He was really accommodating. I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to do some things he let us get away with. He let us put on concerts, we'd rehearse in the music room and do all kinds of stuff."It's often suggested that parents are the biggest obstacle to their children pursuing their dreams. Parents want their children to be secure, to 'have a good job', so convincing your parents you want to be a rock star, and then actually pulling it off, must be quite a coup! "We were young enough to just go with it. We were still just teenages running around so we were living in the moment. But we were setting ourselves up for a long-term career, we weren't thinking 'let's just go out and milk this for all its worth and then it's all over'. We were conscious of making long term things. And our parents were as well, all the people around us. We were very lucky."Ben Gillies late 2012 released his first Bento album, launched with the single Diamond Days and a fabulous video featuring a very interesting young actor. "He's a family friend of the producer. We did a bit of casting to have an l a few different possibilities but, the producer just said I know the young boy to do it. He gets right into character. His whole family really helped out, they were really accommodating. He's just seven.""It was a two day shoot, we did his stuff first then we did the performance stuff with me. He rocked out, there were a few moments he was on the performance stage and Holly, the producer, came up and said he'd been asking, "Why is it all about Ben today, it feel like this music video is all about Ben today. Why isn't it about me as much today!"Bento isn't Ben's first solo effort outside Silverchair, he's previously released music with Tambalane, "Tambalane was a stepping stone really. Kind of like a summer fling. I think I really wanted to write with another person, because I hadn't had that responsibility of writing on my own."" Outside Silverchair there isn't the infrastructure and the big budgets and all that. Doing stuff independently, it's almost a lot more pressure on the songwriter. Everything is you, there's no one else to take the load a bit. For me to do something outside of that with Tambalane was that step to get to Bento, to give me the confidence to do my own thing.""It's scary as hell but I think it's one of those things where I don't want to be a old man, sitting in a pub somewhere drinking a beer thinking, 'Why didn't I give that a crack back when I had the chance.""The thing with Silverchair as well is because it is such a big beast, and it's great, I love that side of what I do, but it does take up a lot of energy and time. So I've never really had enough drive to do my own thing. Silverchair going into indefinite hibernation has just given me the time and the freedom to be able to do it. Now I have that confidence to think, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do my own thing'. The confidence, the motivation, the time, the effort, it was the right time.""You do have to have that understanding that people are subjective. Everyone in the world isn't going to love your music. But you still want it to be received positively. The reaction has been amazing. It is you putting your neck out there. It's almost like you're standing in front of people, the full monty saying, 'Here I am, check it out. Here it is, I can't change it, and it is what it is."So. Silverchair's 'indefinite hibernation'. What gives?"Even if you do work with someone for 20 years, and you go to work from 9-5, you still have some time to yourself, and can do other things. It kind of feels like a business relationship with a marriage on top of it. You spend so much time with those people, not just the guys in the band, but management and crew. All these other things can come into it.""I think the reason Silverchair has had such good longevity is because we've been able to recognise when we all need to take a breather and go and do other things. The funny thing is, we've done it three or four times and every single time people say, 'What's happening, where you are going?'. We've done this before, and it's nothing new.""There's nothing worse than breaking up and deciding that all we really needed was time, then coming back to it and saying we're reforming. It's much better to say we're taking a breather and you come back and nothing's changed. We don't want to do a (John) Farnham 'final tour' several times. That's a genius move though, you've gotta admit."And on to Bento and selecting musicians to work on his new baby."We were in the studio in Sydney and the producer and I would clunk away on different instruments. We'd just get on the phone, if we were working on something and thought it's needed a nice piano part or whatever it was we'd call friends and it was whoever was close by. Whoever was within 10 minutes of the studio, they would come in. Out of that we actually got three guys who became pretty stable throughout the record. And they helped mesh the whole thing together.""It is a new project and I can't assume that Silverchair fans are automatically going to come to Bento. I just have to get beyond that and make other people aware of it. This is the first step in many, I have to keep making music and getting it out there. They way the music industry is these day, you really have to have that social media stuff in people's faces. And videos and photos. I love that stuff. It's so much fun. As long as you make it fun, I think people can connect to that and feel like they can have involvement and see behind the scenes.""I've always said creativity breeds creativity. The more you do it, the more ideas you get, and the more it snowballs. I've already got 20 songs ready for another record and I keep calling my manager and saying 'I've got this whole new concept for another record and it's going to be great and we can do this...' and she just laughs and says, 'OK, just slow down!"Success on the scale of that enjoyed by Silverchair over the last 20 years should mean that Ben Gillies could choose to live anywhere in the world, yet he remains based in Newcastle (as Daniel Johns often does, too)." I think Novocastrians all know it's a pretty special place. I've had some Sydney friends who have moved here purely out of necessity and after six months, they'll be like, 'I had no idea how good this place is!' and I say, 'What do you think I tell all my friends?!'. Its feels like (Newcastle) it's connected enough to the world, it's two hours to Sydney but it's just out of the way enough that it's quiet and you can relax."Will Ben Gillies be delivering another Bento album?"I think it will go off on a different tangent. It will still Bento, Bento is my baby. It will be a bento box but different, it might not be sushi, it might be a tuna sandwich!"