“My nature is to get up and go, but there’s a weight that’s keeping me here because it’s the last time it’ll be just the four of us and I just want to sit here for a minute.”

 

Former RHCP guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, was interviewed a couple of days ago and the interview was posted online on the Rolling Stone website earlier today (US time/yesterday here).

The interview covers the day Josh was kicked out of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in detail. Heartbreaking quotes reveal the stunned shock of what unfurled, without warning, that day, and how Josh himself felt. The article also covers how other members of the band reacted. As suspected, Josh was fired on the plotting and instigation of Flea who had been meeting John and jamming with him in secret for months before. Chad is described as being very upset at the meeting that took place at Flea’s house. (Josh received a text from Chad before he’d even made it home after the meeting). Anthony is described as being subdued and looking upset.

It was less than an hour after it happened and at the time I thought, “Wow, that is crazy.” Flea put it up there; it was very clearly his composition. I was totally surprised. “

Josh was given no time to process the bombshell decision, or notify his family and friends, as the announcement that he’d “parted ways” with the band was posted online just an hour after he was told. He was not forewarned. Josh attributes the wording of the announcement to Flea [it was originally posted on RHCP’s Instagram account, but then Flea posted it on his social media accounts and for a while he was the only band member doing so]. Josh goes on to liken the actual design (white lettering on a black background), to a funeral announcement.

The interview also contains a lot of detail about the friendship between John Frusciante and Josh and how if faded out when Klinghoffer joined RHCP. Josh explains that he tried to reach out to John in October last year, as he knew they would meet a weeks later at Flea’s wedding, but that attempt does not appear to have been successful.

Do you think they’ll just scrap whatever was written?
All of it.

How does that make you feel?
Sad.

 

Again, Josh confirms that a lot of material had been written for the new RHCP record and that he expects it to be effectively trashed now. He also talks about issues with working with Rick Rubin and how he would have liked his third album with the band to have sounded.

You can read the full, in-depth, interview on Rolling Stone.

Many thanks to Jenn 🙂