2006 July Q Magazine (240)

Anthony Kiedis interview about festivals in UK Red Hot Chili Peppers

Anthony Kiedis interview about festivals in UK Red Hot Chili Peppers 

Festivals 2006: RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

‘IT’S A NEW ERA, IT’S A NEW TIME!’

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS would prefer not to be wrapped like sausages.

Anything special being planned for your tour?

Anthony Kiedis: People always want to know how shows will compare. But I don’t think of shows as compared to anything. It’s a new era. It’s a new time. It’s a new record. We have 28 brand new songs on our record and 20 of them are things we’ll be weaving in and out of the set. It will be totally different.

What’s your best festival moment?

Last year, I went to see Bauhaus at Coachella. I never saw them in their glory years, but I was shocked to see how good music used to be. It gets forgotten, because pop music has become the face of the ‘80s, but there was this brilliant underground thing happening which was totally unique.

And your worst?

I’ve had a lot of personal disasters. They’re easy to remember. One time I did a stage dive in the Czech Republic and broke my sacrum [triangular bone in the lower back]. It sounds painful? It was horrible. I had to be wrapped in this big corset thing. Four days later I was in Finland having to play a festival. All I wanted to do was dance like a banshee and I had to stand there wrapped up like a sausage. I felt like a real idiot.

Got any festival survival tips?

Bring an open mind.

What other bands are you planning to see?

Who’s playing?

Muse, Metallica, Razorlight, Foo Fighets… take your pick.

I’m looking forward to seeing!!! We’re playing with them.

Dodgy burger van or bring your own sandwiches?

I’m sure a rarefied, elitist pig when it comes to eating clean, good food I can’t even begin to imagine playing a show and having to eat the catering you see at some of these places.

What’s your fantasy festival line-up?

Pretty much any guitar player named Jimmy, whether it’s Page or Hendrix. Jimmy Page came to see us a couple of times when we played London, and it was really the most exciting backstage moment we ever had. But I’ve never been able to see him play. I’ve never also seen Patti Smith play, but I think I might get a chance to see her this summer. She may even join us for a number.

What’s your ultimate festival song?

One song should never dominate. It has to be different every summer. What would I chose from last year? Bone Machine, the Pixies song.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

LINE-UP: Red Hot Chili Peppers + !!!

30 June Ipswich Portman Road

2 July Coventry Ricoh Arena

3 July Reading Madejski Stadium

5 July Derby Pride Park Stadium

6 July Sheffield Don Valley Stadium

11-12 July Manchester MEN Arena

14-15, 17-18 July London Earls Court

Ticket Prices: £40

 

50 Summer Anthems 1- 10 Red Hot Chili Peppers

1 Out In LA

Early sessions were so fraught they gave produced Andy Gill a turd in a pizza box. This embryonic effort still fizzes with exuberance.

Get it: Red Hot Chili Peppers (EMI, 1984)

2 Higher Ground

An explosion of wah-wah guitars and slap bass; this Stevie Wonder cover introduced John Frusciante to the world.

Get it: Mother’s Milk (Capitol, 1989)

3 Give It Away

A masterpiece of machismo, toned down for a guest spot on The Simpsons Red Hot Chili Peppers the line “I got to get it, put it in you” ditched for “I’d like to hug and squeeze you.”

Get it: Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Warners, 1991)

4 Under The Bridge

Their defining track. Produced Rick Rubin spotted a poem in Kiedis’s notebook and convinced him to turn the words into a song.

Get it: Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Warners, 1991)

5 Aeroplane

Recorded during Dave Navarro’s ill-starred stint as guitarist, One Hot Minute was redeemed only by this tribute to musical transcendence.

Get it: One Hot Minute (Warners, 1995)

6 Scar Tissue

The first track to emerge after guitarist Frusciante’s return, Scar Tissue’s chiming riff served notice of a spectacular creative rebirth.

Get it: Californication (Warners, 1999)

7 By The Way

The pounding, bass-driven verse is one of the band’s heaviest moments; the towering chorus one of their most anthemic.

Get it: By The Way (Warners, 2002)

8 Universally Speaking

2002’s By The Way saw them developing a talent for intricate, Beatles-inspired melodies.

Get it: By The Way (Warners, 2002)

9 Soul To Squeeze

Dealing with Kiedis’s struggles with addiction, this hushed ballad was originally written for oddball movie Coneheads.

Get it: Greatest Hits (Warners, 2003)

10 Dani California

The lead single from Stadium Arcadium sees them finding extra gears, 20 years in.

Get it: Stadium Arcadium (Warners, 2006)

RHCP were also featured several times in the the magazine

1. Month’s top 50 tracks to download section – Wet Sand:

 2. UK Album Chart- Stadium Arcadium Number # 1

3. Q Hit List Promotion:

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers UK Tour 2006 Q Gig of the Month:

5. Q Recommends Stadium Arcadium:

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