The Chilis are finally here
By Claire Newman
For years, people have said how great the Red Hot Chili Peppers would be for the Isle of Wight festival.
This year, we get to find out.
For their only UK date this year, the Chilis are here on Saturday night, rocking the Main Stage with their unique and brilliant brand of funk and rock, which has led to them selling more than 80 million albums since their formation 31 years ago.
Led by the forever- young Anthony Kiedis and backed by Flea on bass, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, the Chilis will be performing a set jam-packed with classics.
From Under the Bridge to Californication, the Chilis have been a mainstay in the musical landscape for the past four decades, a remarkable achievement.
They formed in 1983 and their early years were unsettled, with the death of Hillel Slovak the lowest point and several personnel changes within the band.
But in 1991 they got their breakthrough, with the release of Give It Away, from their album Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.
Then followed Under the Bridge, Breaking the girl and Suck My Kiss, all propelling the Chilis into stardom.
Four years later they released One Hot Minute, featuring Warped, and Aeroplane, while they also released Love Rollercoaster for the cartoon Beavis and Butthead.
Next up, with the return of John Frusciante to the line-up- he had left the band after being unable to cope with their initial success, with Dave Navarro stepping in- they released Californication, with its title track and Scar Tissue stand-out tracks.
And the hits have just kept coming. From By The Way, the brilliant Can’t Stop and The Zephyr Song to Stadium Arcadium, with Dani California and Desecration Smile.
The band took a hiatus after that, and returned in 2010 with Klinghoffer on guitar, releasing I’m With You a year later, and then going on a world tour which took two years to complete.
They announced they were working on their 12th album in February, and maybe, if we are lucky, we may get to hear some of it on Saturday night.
Many thanks to the lovely Carmen, who among being a total star the concert weekend and giving me the chance to go, also got this newspaper for me.