† NillaMora †

by Brian CasseyTHE tropical heat in Cairns couldn't dampen the spirits of Australia's best-known bands yesterday.

SKIP TO IT: Powderchair (or is it Silverfinger?) arm-in-arm in Cairns.

The boys from Powderfinger and Silverchair were skipping to a brotherly beat in the north Queensland town at the start of the Queensland leg of their Across the Great Divide national tour.

The bands have been on the road together since late August and have formed a close bond.

"We've known each other for more than 10 years and we all get along," said Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning. "It's a busy schedule but the tour's been great so far and we're looking forward to seeing Queensland."

Fresh from the Northern Territory, Fanning said he was enjoying life on the road.

"We actually prefer playing…

A capacity crowd swarmed under the big top at Claremont Oval on Saturday night as the rock and roll circus came to town.

Across the Great Divide, Silverchair and Powderfinger’s national tour, had entertained almost 200,000 fans before this weekend and easily broke through the mark with the first of their two sold-out Perth shows.

Silverchair opened proceedings, with frontman Daniel Johns telling the teeming thousands that it was “a pleasure to be back in your beautiful city”.

There was an electric atmosphere in the big tent, with a mostly great mix ensuring the distinct sounds of the band were not lost despite the huge crowd requiring plenty of volume.
  
It was bassist Chris Joannou’s birthday and Johns led the crowd in what may have been a world record attempt at Happy Birthday To You.
  
Johns was in fine voice, with strength and clarity punching through the roar…

On song: Silverchair's Daniel Johns belts out a tune during the Silverchair/Powderfinger Across the Great Divide tour that rolled into Rod Laver Arena last night. Picture: Andrew Tauber

 

IT'S simple math - two of Australia's most popular rock bands for the price of one is going to result in a sell-out joint national tour.

The Silverchair/Powderfinger Across the Great Divide dual juggernaut rolled into Rod Laver Arena for a sold out show last night, filmed for a DVD release later this year.

More a mutual respect-fest than a battle of the bands, the only winner on the night was the Australian music lover.

Silverchair's Daniel Johns has developed into one of the country's best showmen.

He used his teeth to play guitar and hunched over his feedback pedals like a mad professor to brings the bizarre ideas that inhabit his…

Fans of Australian rock giants Silverchair and Powderfinger were offered a rare treat last night when the two bands performed together onstage.

VIDEO: Powderchair moment

Concertgoers roared with excitement as frontmen Daniel Johns and Bernard Fanning surprised their audience with an unpublicised duet at the Acer Arena in Sydney's Olympic Park.

The performance came at the end of Powderfinger's encore, with a playful Fanning joking to the audience that this would definitely be the final song of the night.

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Silverchair to the stage," Fanning beamed.

"This is the very first time we've done this."

Johns and Fanning stood side-by-side as they covered 'Substitute' by The Who.

At one point Johns put his arm around Fanning and there was…

POWDERCHAIR ... The boys have landed in Sydney and are set to impress fans at Acer Arena this weekend where they are likely to perform a duet together.

IT took them a week into the Across The Great Divide tour to get there but Powderfinger and Silverchair are now finally Powderchair.

And Sydney fans at their Acer Arena concerts this weekend are likely to score the first duet on the tour, with the 'finger expected to invite the 'chair to join them on stage during the encore.

It is believed they are considering a cover, possibly Hoodoo Gurus' Bittersweet, which Powderfinger chose as their final song at their Tamworth concert last Tuesday.

The much-loved bands had been keeping to themselves for the most part since the tour kicked off in Newcastle on August 29.

At the first show…

Tuned in ... Daniel Johns and Bernard Fanning on stage last night.
Photo: Simon Alekna

TWO of Australia's biggest rock bands joined forces on stage in Sydney last night, as part of a national tour that will take in nearly a quarter of a million fans.

Silverchair and Powderfinger played the first Sydney show on their Across the Great Divide tour at Acer Arena at Olympic Park.

More than 40,000 Sydney fans were due to see the bands over two nights, with Silverchair and Powderfinger playing separate sets before joining forces for a grand rock'n'roll finale.

Daniel Johns and Bernard Fanning sang together on a cover version of Substitute by the Who.

Silverchair were first on the double bill, performing songs off their new album Young Modern, plus classic hits ranging from Without You and Ana's Song to their…

Photo Gallery

Across the Great Divide: Brisbane

Daniel Johns of Silverchair fame, giving the Brisbane fans value for money.

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It's no surprise that tickets to the Across the Great Divide tour sold out in Brisbane. Combining two of the greatest Australian rock bands into one national tour to form Powderchair was genius.

And when Powderfinger and Silverchair took to the stage at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, they confirmed the reason they are at the top of their…