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Everybody knows there's nothing big or clever about having a difficult heroin habit, but it's definitely de rigeur if you want your stupid rock group to be taken seriously. Just look at John Frusicante. Easily the crowd's favourite member of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, his arms are covered in really ugly but TODALLY AWESOME track-mark-hiding skin grafts. When he closes his eyes, leans back and sings the harmonies on set-closing smack anthem 'Under The Bridge' he is undoubtedly the coolest white man to ever play in a LA funk rock group. Even if he is addicted to yoga.


As well as playing all the hits - 'Give It Away', 'The Power Of Equality' - the Chilis run through their next single 'By The Way' and three other new songs ('Universally Speaking', 'I Would Die For You' and 'Don't Forget Me') which all sound as good, if not better, than anything on their underrated 'Californication' album. The new songs are kinda Brit-poppy and kinda 60s pop-ish, but proof that, if they manage to stay clean for another couple of years and keep writing songs as good as this, The Red Hot Chili Peppers could wind up being one of the all-time great 'brown' bands.

Andy Capper

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