INDIO, California – Perhaps it was a sign that the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arcade Fire and Hot Chip were sharing the same bill. Whatever the case, Saturday was certainly one of the most scorching Coachella afternoons ever, with temperatures into the100s for hours on end. That meant the tented stages provided plenty of shadowy solace, while pre-sunset outdoor acts were playing to their diehards and suffering while doing it. (Let’s just say there were multiple hipster rockers quoting Lil Jon’s infamous sweat-dripping lyrics.) Still, Peter Bjorn and John and the Decemberists wore their suits and the Sahara tent was… Read more »
LOS ANGELES – In the weeks leading up to the 49th Grammy Awards, many miles of verbiage were unspooled by slick-suited TV pundits and somewhat bitter music journalists to dissect, predict and pick apart music’s biggest night. But as the awards themselves actually unfolded, live from the Staples Center, it was the moments in which very little – if anything at all – was said that carried the most weight. Whether it was the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines simply – and somewhat fittingly – quoting “The Simpsons” in a kiss-off to the group’s many critics; Chris Brown’s footstep-perfect rendition of… Read more »
Los Angeles – Mike Love and the rest of the surviving Beach Boys stayed away, but luminaries such as Neil Young and Jeff Beck showed up in Hollywood on Friday as the music industry honored Brian Wilson at a black-tie bash. The troubled genius behind the fabled vocal group was feted as man of the year at the 15th annual MusiCares dinner, a Grammy-related event that raises money for musicians in need. While previous gatherings took place in glamorous hotel ballrooms, this year’s was held at the Hollywood Palladium, a run-down concert venue infamous for attracting drive-by shootings a few… Read more »
Members of the Cult, Guns N’ Roses, and Red Hot Chili Peppers will play as Camp Freddy for a pre-Halloween show on Wednesday, October 30 at an as-yet undisclosed venue in Los Angeles. The Camp Freddy band (named for a character in the 1969 Michael Caine (news) film, The Italian Job) features bassist Billy Morrison of the Cult, drummer Matt Sorum from Guns N’ Roses, and guitarist Dave Navarro (news) of both the Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction, along with vocalists J.S.Clayden from Pitchshifter, Scott Ford, and Donovan Leitch, the son of 1960s U.K. folk-rock icon Donovan. Confirmed guests for… Read more »
Music fans weren’t quite ready to vacate “Nellyville” this week, as the sophomore album from St. Louis rapper Nelly stood strong against a heady debut from funk-punk foursome the Red Hot Chili Peppers and held on to the top spot for the third week running. Sales of “Nellyville” (Universal) slipped 24% to 340,000 units, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, but the album still managed to top 1.5 million in total sales after less than a month out. Fresh off that success, the hip-hop star is said to be planning a move into the TV world, starring in his… Read more »
There aren’t any clever sex references in the title of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ follow-up to Californication, but that doesn’t mean the music is without a kinky quotient. “It’s going to spank your ass… in a good way,” singer Anthony Kiedis said Saturday at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards, where the band was given the Artist Contribution Award. The LP will be titled By the Way, and although the Chili Peppers are spending a little more time than expected on it, a spokesperson for the band said the album is still due in late June. “We could… Read more »
There aren’t any clever sex references in the title of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ follow-up to Californication, but that doesn’t mean the music is without a kinky quotient. “It’s going to spank your ass… in a good way,” singer Anthony Kiedis said Saturday at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards, where the band was given the Artist Contribution Award. By the Way, as the album will be called, was originally due in June, but the Chili Peppers have spent more time in the studio than expected and are now eyeing an August release date. “We could be [done],… Read more »
Fireplaces and feet are not the only places you’ll see tube socks this Christmas season. Southern California funk rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose members occasionally wear only a strategically placed tube sock, are getting ready to release their first concert video in a decade. “Off the Map,” due December 4 on VHS and DVD, was filmed by Dick Rude at a September 2000 show in Portland, Oregon. The video includes recent Chili Peppers hits “Californication,” “Scar Tissue,” “Otherside,” “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away,” along with older gems like “Blackeyed Blonde” from 1985’s Freaky Styley, according to… Read more »
Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is slated to host IndieRock week on the Independent Film Channel, September 24-30. It’s a week of music-oriented film, rock ‘n’ roll, and commentary on the world of music and movies. Fans can win a private movie screening with Flea through a contest at the channel’s website ifctv.com. Those not lucky enough to hang with Flea are eligible for other prizes. Meanwhile, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have targeted October to head into the studio and record the follow-up to Californication. No tour dates are booked yet, although the forthcoming album is… Read more »
This week we chat with Tana Douglas, known as the first female roadie. She has worked with artists such as AC/DC, The Police, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Iggy Pop, and many more. Tana has released her first book entitled “Loud”, which gives an inside look into her life on the road from the 70’s until now.
