Put 47 candles on the cake for Michael Balzary today, as it's another birthday for the man known as Flea. Back in the early 1980s, Flea and friends Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons formed the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a band that infused Los Angeles hardcore punk with Sly Stone-esque psycho funk, surf-friendly reggae and twists of metal and hip-hop. Flea's bass grooves stood at the center of the band's sound, so it's no surprise that on the band's biggest hits — including their 1991 smash "Give It Away" — the elastic low end acts as the hook. Throughout the band's long and sometimes troubled career, the diminutive bassist has always provided energy, creativity and plenty of pants-free performances.
He's also made a career as a coveted collaborator. He filled in on bass during the first Jane's Addiction reunion in 1997, formed a band with Johnny Depp called P, provided grooves for Alanis Morissette's smash debut Jagged Little Pill and was recently recruited for a still-unnamed project by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. He's also a passionate advocate for music education, and was so put off by the lack of music programs in Los Angeles public schools that he founded his own conservatory.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have always had a stunning visual sense and have collaborated with some of the best video directors of all time. Flea's finest performance came in the 1995 video for the lead single from One Hot Minute, the only album the band made with Dave Navarro as their guitarist (and a total "Bargan Spin" if there ever was one). "Warped" is a supremely odd clip that nevertheless expresses the sort of energy that Flea has brought to the proceedings for more than 25 years.
By Cara Alwill
It seems like you can't throw a stone without hitting some kind of supergroup lately. The likes of Chickenfoot (Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony) and the planned Trent Reznor/Gary Numan collaboration have brought together like-minded artists from disparate backgrounds and so far produced some interesting results. The latest marriage of rock royalty sees Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke joining forces with Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, OK Computer producer Nigel Godrich, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco (who has worked with They Might Be Giants and David Byrne). Yorke made the announcement on Radiohead's website earlier today that the group will make its live debut this Sunday and Monday, October 4 and 5, at Los Angeles' venerable Orpheum Theatre.
"In the past couple of weeks I've been getting a band together for fun to play The Eraser stuff live and the new songs to see if it could work," Yorke wrote. "We don't really have a name and the set will not be very long, but come and check it out if you are in the area."
Though Yorke has spent much of his time recently performing solo, and this new musical alliance should satiate his desire to bring The Eraser to the stage with a full band. Considering Yorke recently called his new song "The Hollow Earth" a "bass monster," Flea should be able to put his magical touch on that and other songs on the album.
By Elena Torres
Ever since I was 13 and bought the Californication CD back in 1999, I've always found some kind of weird way to identify with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Since then I've seen them in concert three times, bought every CD they've ever made, read Anthony Kiedis' autobiography "Scar Tissue" and done everything else that goes along with being a superfan.
This weekend I got to add another item to my list of personal RHCP milestones: I got to interview Flea. The band's bassist held a charity event for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, and MTV News was invited to the shindig. The Chili Peppers are currently on hiatus, and we wanted to get an update on what Flea has been up to in the meantime. Of course I made sure to be there. Read more...
