Red Hot Chili Peppers

Vocals: Antony Kiedis
Guitar: John Frusciante
Bass: Flea aka Michael Balzary
Drums: Chad Smith

Past members:
Guitars: Jack Sherman
Drums: Cliff Martinez
Guitar: D.H. Peligro
Guitar: Hillel Slovak (deceased)
Drums: Jack Irons
Guitar: Arik Marshall
Guitar: Jesse Tobias
Guitar: Dave Navarro

The Red Hot Chili Peppers started life in the 1980’s riding the wave of burgeoning punk rock talent flooding the LA Scene. Taking inspiration from contemporaries Black Flag and the Minutemen as well as funk acts like Sly and The Family Stone they developed the unique idea of blending the two styles to create their own distinctive sound.

Antony Kiedis, Michael Balzary and Hillel Slovak met at Fairfax High School in California and became fast friends. Slovak taught Balzary how to play bass, while Kiedis focused on acting and poetry, until he was persuaded to put some of his musings to music. They formed under the name of ‘Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Master of Mayhem’ playing strip joints with drummer Jack Irons, developing the unique stage gimmick of performing naked wearing only a tube sock to cover up their unmentionables. Around this time Balzary took on the moniker of Flea and changed the band name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

They were snapped up by EMI, when Slovak and Irons decided to leave, Jack Sherman (guitar) and Cliff Martinez (drums) were drafted in to record 1986’s ‘Freaky Styley’. By 1987’s ‘The Uplift Mofo Party’ they finally managed to record a sound closer to their energetic live performances, Irons and Slovak returned to the fold. Things were looking good following their Abbey Road EP when Slovak died from a heroin overdose in 1988, and Irons left the group for the final time. Anthony Kiedis was also struggling with drug addiction, but he and Flea decided to soldier on.

Parliament guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight and former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro joined the band for a brief spell, and were soon replaced with current guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. In 1989 they recorded the legendary ‘Mother’s Milk’, followed up by the monster hit ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ in 1991 after a move to Warner Bros. Singles ‘Give It Away’ and ‘Under The Bridge’ started a Chili Pppers mayhem that has never died down. The success came at a price and Frusciante developed a hard drug addiction and left the band in 1992.  Arik Marshall joined as the band went onto headline Lollapolooza.

They pulled even more members of the bench with Jesse Tobias brought in to replace Marshall, Tobias was then swiftly replaced with former Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. After a four year break they released ‘One Hot Minute’ in 1995, Navarro left in 1998. Frusciante returned to the fold recording 1999’s ‘Californication’. They released a Greatest Hits Album in 2003, followed by two CD concept album epic Stadium Arcadium in 2006. Always a headline draw at festivals and guaranteed to sell out stadium shows the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a devoted fanbase which grows with each generation. They are likely to keep pulling in the crowds for a long time to come.