So I’m reading Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography, Scar Tissue, and I have to admit, I’m having kind of a tough time getting through it. I just passed the part where they hired Rick Rubin to produce Blood Sugar Sex Majik, and up until now, the book’s pretty much been “I did lots of drugs”/”I boned this chick”/”we did some crazy shit on stage”. Granted, that seems to be the typical rock and roll story, but..I don’t know. I was somehow expecting more. The fact that Kiedis’ relationship with a teenage Ione Skye gets more book space than original member Hillel Slovak’s death sort of rubs me the wrong way, too.
The Chili Peppers do have a new album coming out late this summer, which I can only say I’m moderately excited about. John Frusciante is gone again, and even his talent didn’t stop Stadium Arcadium from being kind of a snooze. The Peppers have become something of a snooze for the last decade or so, anyway. One thing not snoozy at all, though, is their live performances. Kiedis still has way more energy than a man in his late forties (especially one who has done as many drugs as he has) should have, and Flea is still a manic ball of…whatever. The first time I experienced the Peppers on stage was at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, where they and about a hundred of their friends (including Ice-T, about a month removed from the “Cop Killer” controversy) rocked the shit out of “Give it Away”. The performance was complete and total chaos…and so awesome to watch.
http://youtu.be/3jDCSE5VgKU