Ben Gillies
Ben Gillies |
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Benjamin David Gillies (born 24 October 1979) is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of Australian rock band Silverchair.
Born in Merewether, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, he started as a quad drummer in the band The Marching Koalas, before forming the band Innocent Criminals at the age of 12 with friends Daniel Johns and Chris Joannou. Playing originally to school and other venues in the Newcastle area, they came to attention after a weekend music workshop at the Tanilba Bay Progress Hall funded through the Arts Council of New South Wales in March 1994. By October 1994, under their new name Silverchair, their first EP Tomorrow had reached #1 on the ARIA Charts.[1]
In 2002, Gillies formed the band Tambalane with young songwriter Wes Carr while Silverchair was in hiatus following Johns' illness,[2] releasing a self-titled album featuring the singles Little Miss Liar and Free before the band folded in 2005. He then returned to work with Silverchair.
After breaking up with his former fiance, Ben in a moment of vulnerability, sought guidance from a Newcastle psychic. This psychic was previously accused in local papers for fame-seeking and fraud, but was able to give Ben the nurturing he desired. Recently they have become engaged.
Equipment
The following are some of the Drumkits used by Ben Gillies during his musical career with Silverchair:
- Diorama era:
- Le Soprano Drums and Sabian Cymbals:
- Le Soprano Drums - Prima Original Ben Gillies Signature
- 14x6.5" Ben Gillies Signature Snare
- 13x8" Rack Tom
- 16x15"Floor Tom
- 18x15" Floor Tom
- 24x16" Bass Drum
- 14" HH Dark Hi-Hats
- 18" HH Dark Crash
- 21" HH Vintage Ride
- 20" Sabian Radia Crash
- Young Modern era:
- Le Soprano Drums and Sabian Cymbals:
- Le Soprano Drums - Prima Original in Cherry Red
- 14x6.5" Ben Gillies Signature Snare
- 12x9" Rack Tom
- 13x08" Rack Tom
- 16x16"Floor Tom
- 18x16" Floor Tom
- 24x16" Bass Drum
- 14" HH Dark Hi-Hats
- 18" HH Dark Crash
- 21" HH Vintage Ride
- 20" HH Radia Crash (discontinued)
- (Same as above, but with a 12x13" Tom next to his 9x12" Tom.)
References
- ^ New World Artists. "Artist Profile: Silverchair". Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ "There's a chair in there". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2010.