When the hot souls of Los Angeles-based rock group, RHCP, also known as Red Hot Chili Peppers come to town this week, this tour stop in the city, since 2017, felt like many years. The group consisted of Anthony Kiedis (lead singer), Flea (bassist), John Frusciante (lead guitarist), and Chad Smith (drums). Their existence of nearly forty years had its early ups and downs.
In the early days of RHCP, the group was the local group in Hollywood and Sunset area. A bunch of flamboyant adults that had “energizer bunny” energy on-stage. And were “high as a kite” in their early days of the group. Weekly evenings at the Kit Kat club in Sunset to do their “freestyle” mashing of fuck rock and punk rock. And their command of the audience was “second-to-none”. And their signing by EMI in 1984 brought instant fandom to the group. But instant fame not always comes with its toll in life.
Two of the original members – Hillel Slovak (guitarist) had died in 1988 due to drug overdose and Jack Irons (drummer) embarked on other musical projects. And on top of that – Kiedis and Flea, both had early struggles with heroin. But the group had regained total stardom, after the fourth studio album, Mother’s Milk. They also casted young-prodigy guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith before their fourth studio album.
And magic happened again with the rejuvenation of the music and song writing. Partly due to bringing on Rick Rubin, music producer, to help them construct their next several albums. All of which brought highest possible musical records and multi-platinum status for the group. In the span of nearly 20 years, Rubin helped produced
six studio albums alongside RHCP. It brings love and joy to the home crowds of Los Angeles. Started during their friendships at Fairfax High School and now nearly forty years pass, the group has grown much stronger.
And as the group continues to do tour in the states, we are looking forward to their upcoming thirteenth album, Return of the Dream Canteen, to be released this October. As a recent surprise announcement at an earlier live show, their 13th album will be their 2nd soon-to-be released album for 2022.
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