!!! were given the job of warming up the stage for the afternoon. An aural assault in the blended form of funk, dance, indie and punk highlighted what they said at the beginning, you will never forget what you are about to hear. An eight piece band can create a lot of noise and this was in evidence as people covered their ears and small children went crying to their parents, at least thats what I expected to happen. !!! put on a great stage show and having two drummers produces some very danceable beats however there was nothing that caught the vibe within, nothing that gripped me and said here I am, come get me! The Chili Peppers have built up a small reputation for getting support from outrageous acts; in 2004 Chicks on Speed were forced to leave the stage under a rain of bottles and numerous other projectiles. !!! received a warmer welcome than that but it may have just been good old English courtesy.
After pulling out of the Roskilde festival in Denmark it was also revealed at the last minute that Goldfrapp were no longer able to perform at the Derby show, this was a disappointment for some and sent tingles down the spine of others who knew what was coming in her place. Ben Harper and his band were the obvious fall back as they are supporting the Chilis on numerous other shows around the UK.
It was fantastic to see a group of musicians somehow manage to blend almost every genre of music you can think of and wrap it up into one easy-to-swallow style. Influences from Folk, Gospel, Rock, Soul and Funk were all easily identifiable and there was also some incredible slap bass that almost put Flea to shame. Harper sang every song as if this was his last chance, an amazing energy was created on the stage and his band, The Innocent Criminals, had a tough time trying to hide what a fantastic time they were having.
Hyde Park 2004 was the last time I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers and after that show there was a distinct feeling disappointment. Two years on and things have changed dramatically. The funky foursome seem to have reinvented themselves with their new album Stadium Arcadium and have definitely mellowed a little in the middle age. An astounding energy was created on stage most notably between Flea and John Frusciante who produced some truly masterful solo works. Now 44 years of age Anthony Kiedis looks as good as ever and no signs of fatigue were visible although he did seem to have a slight lack of breath during one or two songs.
The set list oozed class and demonstrated perfectly how a world class band like the Red Hot Chili Peppers became who they are today and how such a wide cross-section of society have come to appreciate their music. Cant Stop was the opener followed by Dani California which was kind of expected to be near the top of the ranking. Charlie, taken from the new album was dedicated to a very special person who turned out to be Fleas grandma. The bassist, clad in a multi coloured leotard was at the top of his game and confirmed his place as one of the greatest bass players of all time.
Frusciante reeled off a spectacular rendition of the Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love that pleased the 20,000 strong crowd no end. So many songs could have been performed however it is inevitable that you cant please all of the people all of the time and with nine studio albums under their belt, there was not nearly enough time to include them all. By The Way signalled the break before the encore and the last two songs of the night; Under the Bridge and Give It Away which was extremely difficult not to dance to.
A fantastic show was topped off with a stunning fifteen minute long prog-rock style instrumental by Flea, Frusciante and Smith. A different but great end to the night and a thoroughly satisfied feeling ensued. After tonight surely Derby deserves some more bands of this calibre to put them firmly back on the musical map!
article by: James Quinton
published: 06/07/2006 13:02
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.