"Forced to stop and think about death": Silverchair's Chris Joannou survives cancer and heart attack scares

The Silverchair bassist was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma stage four, a rare form of cancer, in one of his testicles in 2019. It subsequently spread to his pelvis, spine and lungs.

At the time Joannou's wife Karissa was pregnant with the couple's second child and only son, Spence, and his Newcastle West restaurant and bar, The Edwards, was preparing to reopen after it was gutted by fire in 2018.

"I was just forced to stop and think about death," Joannou said.

After three months of chemotherapy Joannou was declared cancer free and underwent a further five months of treatment.

However, it wasn't the end of the 43-year-old's major health issues. In August 2022, following his family's move from Carrington to Coffs Harbour, Joannou suffered as a serious heart attack.

Following surgery he had two stents inserted into his heart.

"The doc said it was bit of a doozy," Joannou said. "I remember him getting the angiogram out and going, 'this is what we call a tombstone heart attack'."

Joannou said he has "some damage" to his heart but "I'm still here."

And for that he credited his children Odette, 7, and Spence, 4.

"The kids don't understand just yet their importance on how much I lent on them through those dark times," he said. "Just the strength and energy those little kids gave me. It was really special."

Joannou's health scares are further explored in his new memoir, Love & Pain, written with Silverchair bandmate and drummer Ben Gillies.

Love & Pain is released on Wednesday and Joannou and Gillies will launch the book at the Civic Theatre on Saturday night.