For Me, There’s No Difference Between The Joy Of Life And The Joy Of Death
March 2004, Galore (Germany)
thanks to Bartek, for the translation
click the thumbnail for the scans
Time and place: 16.02.2004 at Hotel Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
John Frusciante is the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and additionally active as a solo artist.
Mr Frusciante, while reading articles about your person you inevitably have the following scene in mind: a music-obsessed vegan who is playing guitar practically 24 hours a day, listens to records and apart from that devotes himself to Ashtanga Yoga. How much of this is reality?
(laughing) Actually nothing except of the musical part. I’m eating meat again - if I don’t get my steak each day I can get pretty unpleasant. The Yoga is also done. In the meantime I prefer running cos it fits more my nature. Where I live is a good place to hop over the meadows (I guess John wants to say that it is a good place to run or do some sports). I’m pretty agile. In a couple of years everything will be different.
Besides of the job as the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers - one of the most successful and active pop bands these days - you’re recording your own stuff tirelessly or do projects with musicians who are friends. Right before the death of Johnny Cash you were working with him among others as well.
You mean within the context of his interpretation of “Personal Jesus”? That was destiny. His producer Rick Rubin knew very well that I’m a fanatic of Depeche Mode because he is also working with the Peppers. Rubin had kind of a slow, dark Blues in mind but he couldn’t convince Johnny. As I knew Martin Gore’s original concept for the song by chance, it was pretty easy for me in the end to suggest him a corresponding version on the acoustic guitar.
You wanna realease six solo records by the end of the year. Where do you take the strenght from?
Obviously I carry a lot of energy within me - I love to work on music and to improve my abilities. That is no stress for me in the common sense. At least not anymore. As long as you’re in good healt, take a bit care of yourself and are not using any synthetic aid in order to relax, everything’s fine. I’m lucky to know how that goes in the meantime.
Would you call yourself a music junkie?
No. To be honest that’s an inappropriate term. Music is nothing that literally enslaves me - but it’s the only thing that always stayed with me. You get back one to one from music what you’re investing in. You can’t maintain that of junk. You’re dedicating your whole life to it - with the result that it’s sucking out your blood from the veins.
Indeed nobody knows that better than you. After you quited the Red Hot Chili Peppers your four-years lasting fall into heroin addiction almost killed yourself. What’s your personal view on that period that must have hurt you a lot.
Oh, that never hurt me at all. You’re really mistaken. It’s vice versa: I enjoyed the experience I made very much and don’t regret anything. I had a good time.
Should I take this for real?
Seriously. Despite all the problems and obstacles. Of course it’s no pleasure to get clean. Not to have a home and money. But in the end all these things are experiences that let me be that John Frusciante that I am now. I’m grateful for this period of my life. Someone who hasn’t made these experiences has no idea of how rough life can be. How it feels when every idiot laughs at you. When everyone meeting you looks away with a disgusted face. Just now where I can be a rockstar for the second time I appreciate the privileges. A couple of years as a junkie without teeth put some things straight.
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