2005 July 23rd Kerrang!

Photo captions:

Anthony Kiedis: Who is this goon wearing nothing but pants’?”

Flea: “Myyyyy precious”

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

SILVER BOWL SPORTS COMPLEX SOCCER FIELDS, LAS VEGAS 02.07.05

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MASSIVE FREE CHILI PEPPERS SHOW TOPS THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS IN VEGAS.

LAS VEGAS celebrated its centennial with an exceptional event: a massive free Red Hot Chili Peppers gig staged at the Silver Bowl, just a few miles from the city centre. The 50,000 tickets available were snapped up in mere minutes. And the fab Californian four — who are in the middle of recording their new album — do not disappoint those lucky enough to be here, some of whom have been queuing since 8am despite the blistering 105 degree heat.

Opening with ‘By The Way’ and the breathtaking ‘Scar Tissue’ and ‘Otherside’, the band look as close and balanced as ever. Anthony Kiedis owns the stage, with Flea stripped down to his Y-fronts wearing a silly hat, while John Frusciante gives everything he’s got with his trademark grin plastered across his face.

The first surprise of the night comes when they perform a new song called ’21st Century’ from the upcoming album due later this year. After an emotional ‘Don’t Forget Me’, the spotlight moves onto John Frusciante who performs his usual Donna Summer number ‘I Feel Love’. Another cover, ‘Brandy By The Looking Glass’, allows Kiedis and Frusciante to show off their vocal harmonies while fan favourite ‘Soul To Squeeze’ steals the entire show. No time to recover though as another new song, ‘Readymade’, reminiscent of ‘BloodSugarSexMagik’, suggests the Chilis may be revisiting their funk roots. The night wouldn’t be complete without the usual sing-along to ‘Californication’ and the sight of the 50,000-strong audience is absolutely breathtaking.

The band leave the stage, only to reappear with Frusciante on bass and Flea on trumpet. They jam away and provide the perfect intro to ‘Under The Bridge’ which as expected brings the audience to a climax. ‘Give It Away’ closes the show with fans jumping up and down as one while fireworks light the Vegas sky. What a way to celebrate 100 years!