A Late Summer Night’s Dream
The first dose of the new Peppers has already been unleashed on the public in the form of single No.1, “Give It Away,” and the accompanying black and white video, which features the band romping around the desert, clad in nothing but silver warpaint, not unlike a quartet of Marvel comic book characters. (“We haven’t seen the final edit yet,” says Smith, “but the footage is monstrous!”) The album is following right on the heels of the single, and then it’s time for the guys to hit that recession-heavy road. “We seem to have really loyal fans out there,” says Flea. “I know that a lot of the tours aren’t doing so well at the moment, but we’ll be playing at the right sized venues for us in any given town.” Says Frusciante: “I personally hope we continue doing smaller halls this time because I prefer them. It’s great when everyone is still in your face at these gigs, and not a million miles away from you.”
Despite the more groove-oriented material of the new album, Kiedis claims that that “in-your-face” attitude will always be present. “There will still be total madness live,” he says. “I’ve broken ribs, sprained my ankles and knees, and ruined my shoulders at gigs in the past. But it’s all for the cause, so I think it’s worth it. Trying to raise people to that orgasmic state is what we’re really all about, y’know? For me, the point of being onstage is to reach that sexual level where you are totally tuned into that happiness that you and your lover generate during sex. That’s where I’ll always be at.” Flea also promises much of the lunacy of the past, but is quick to point out: “We’re evolving. Why do the same thing year in and year out?”
Besides, that lunacy has sometimes gotten these guys into some pretty hot water in the past. “We were doing this festival in Finland – our final date after seven months of touring – and the Ramones were headlining,” reminisces Flea. “The Ramones were just starting their set, and during ‘Blitzkrieg Bop,’ we all came out onstage with them, stark naked, dancing and going wild. We were delirious…but they were furious! Johnny Ramone wouldn’t even look at us, and Dee Dee was just shaking his head, angrily. Afterwards, their manager was saying shit like, ‘This is the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever seen in my life,’ and ‘You’ll never get away with this,’ when Joey Ramone piped in – with that weird low voice of his – and said “Actually, I thought it was rather amusing.’ I mean, we loved the Ramones, and that’s just how we showed our appreciation for what they were doing.”
So considering the Peppers’ newest slant, one can only wonder if all that pent-up energy might end up finding different routes for release. “Well, I am part of a celebrity basketball team that’s doing a game for charity at Loyola-Marymount soon,” says Flea. “One of my teammates – so I’ve been promised by my manager – is Magic Johnson. So for me to score a jump-shot off of a Magic feed…that would be the greatest thrill I’ve personally ever had!”
I mean, how much more archetypically LA can you get than that?”
--- Johnny Angel
