The 50th Greatest Rock Stars in the World Today: Number 40 Flea

40: Flea

Red Hot Chili Peppers

WHO: Funk rock’s very own Jimi Hendrix.
WHY: As well as making it acceptable to play naked. Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary is the man who made bassists practice their scales. Blessed with a talent matched only by his energy, Flea successfully fuses punk and funk together into an infectious groove, and it was this backbone-freeing groove that put the fire into classic albums like the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1991 Album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Flea is one of the rare musicians who could be called a bass hero, introducing the rock world to attitude-driven bass hooks. Famously emotional – in a fit of pique he once threw a bottle of water at a K! writer- at 48 years old Flea remains nothing more than a big kid at heart. Just the way we like him.

HE SAYS: “That’s the give and go of life, you’ve got to love the dark side as well as the light side.”

There is also an advert of the forthcoming RHCP tour in the issue:

 Transcript:

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

SUPPORT: FOOL’S GOLD

Dates: Dublin O2 Arena November 4, London O2 Arena 7,9 and 10, Glasgow SECC 12, Manchester Evening News Arena 14-15, Sheffield Motorpoint Arena 17, Birmingham LG Arena 19-20.

LAST TIME K! SAID:

“Musically the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on fire, Flea and Chad nailing those funk-fuelled rhythms to the floor while John Frusciante combines style and technical mastery to breathtaking effect. The Chilis are no longer funky punks tearing up shitty clubs in a freaky stylee but they have become an awesome stadium rock act.”