Red Hot Chili Peppers debut new tracks in London

Red Hot Chili Peppers premiered six tracks from their forthcoming album 'Stadium Arcadium' at a tiny show in London tonight (April 14).

The band tore through a 90 minute set in front of an audience of just 500 people, including BBC Radio 1 competition winners, Dizzee Rascal and model Rachel Hunter, at the Canvas club in Kings Cross.

Security was incredibly tight for the hottest ticket in town. A roadblock was in place some 100 yards from the venue, stopping all except ticket holders getting close. Massive images of the new album were also projected onto the exterior of the club.

Aside from the brand new tracks – ‘Slow’, ‘Charlie’, ‘Call Me Baby’, ‘21st Century’, ‘Hard To Concentrate’ and forthcoming single 'Dani California' – the Chilis also ran through their extensive back catalogue, delighting devotees with tracks including ‘Scar Tissue’, ‘Other Side’ and ‘Give It Away’.

Guitarist John Frusciante also performed Simon and Garfunkel's 'For Emily Wherever I May Find Her' midway through the set.

The band themselves were on jovial form with bassist Flea joking early on: “Don’t read magazines and don’t watch commercials, they rot your brain - unless its our ipod commercial."

Wearing a black sleeveless shirt and a tourqoise tie, frontman Anthony Keidis also drank frequently from a massive white tea-cup between songs.

The intimate gig was the band's first in the UK since their 2004 shows, which included a residency at Hyde Park in London.

The full concert will be broadcast in a special show on Radio 1 on Easter Monday (April 17) from 7pm.

The setlist was:
Can’t Stop
Charlie
Scar Tissue
Throw Away Your Television
Dani California
Me And My
Snow
Other Side
21st Century
For Emily Wherever I May Find Her
Don’t Forget Me
Tell Me Baby
Right On Time
Hard To Concentrate
By The Way
Soul To Squeeze
Give It Away

'Stadium Arcadium' is released on May 8 and the band will return to the UK for a series of dates the following month calling at:

Ipswich Portman Road (June 30)
Coventry Ricoh Arena (July 2)
Reading Madjeski Stadium (3)
Derby Pride Park Stadium (5)
Sheffield Don Valley Stadium (6)
T In The Park Festival (8)
Manchester MEN Arena (11/12)
London Earls Court (14-15, 17-18)