At last night’s (April 1) show at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed their 1991 hit ‘Give It Away’ with none other than Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton.
In addition to being their first full-scale gig since last October – and the first to see John Frusciante play guitars with them live since 2007 – the show celebrated the release of the Chili Pepper’s 12th album, ‘Unlimited Love’, which landed yesterday via Warner. They played five tracks from the record, including the live debuts of ‘Aquatic Mouth Dance’, ‘Here Ever After’ and ‘Not The One’.
Adding to the excitement was the fact that fans were only clued into the gig’s existence a few days before it went down, with tickets going on sale – and subsequently selling out – yesterday morning. George Clinton joined the band to perform ‘Give It Away’ as an encore, adding a striking new dynamic to the tune.
Have a look at some fan-shot footage of the performance below:
On Thursday (March 31), Clinton – who produced the band’s second album, 1985’s ‘Freaky Styley’ – appeared at the unveiling of the Chili Peppers’ star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Alongside all four members of the band themselves, Clinton and Woody Harrelson delivered speeches about the Chili Peppers’ legacy and impact.
In a four-star review of ‘Unlimited Love’, NME’s Ali Shutler wrote: “There’s a lot to ‘Unlimited Love’, both in scale and ambition. It’s at once familiar – without being boring – and fresh (but never at the expense of the band’s identity). On their 12th album, Red Hot Chili Peppers not only get comfortable with their own impressive legacy, but prove there’s plenty more to come.”
Earlier today (April 2), drummer Chad Smith shared a poignant video paying tribute to his late friend and colleague, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died last month at age 50. The two-minute video comprises a handful of humorous interactions between the pair, interview snippets and performance clips, with the Foo Fighters song ‘My Hero’ laid overtop.
Meanwhile, Clinton is primed to perform his final run of shows in the UK next month. The Parliament-Funkadelic legend announced his retirement from the road almost two years ago, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, his UK farewell tour was put on hold. He’ll play seven gigs over eight days, taking to stages in Nottingham, London, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester, Margate and Scarborough. Find tickets here.
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