Red Hot Chili Peppers have denied reports they will cover Led Zeppelin when they play the Super Bowl half-time show this weekend.
The rockers will play the prestigious half-time performance at the annual American Football event with Bruno Mars on Sunday night (February 2) and earlier this week drummer Chad Smith claimed that the group would cover ‘Dazed & Confused’ on the night.
However, this has now been disputed by Smith, who told KROQ that he was just joking. “People in the media are so gullible sometimes. We will, however, be performing side one of Rush’s ‘2112’,” he said.
Smith continued, “Obviously I can’t tell you what we’re going to do, it would ruin the surprise. Come on, you gotta watch! It’s gonna be great, Bruno Mars, we met them, his band are great people, today I’m going to rehearse with them outside in the beautiful weather here in New Jersey, it’ll be a real spectacle, I’m looking forward to it.”
The drummer also explained how the unlikely collaboration came about, “We know of the Bruno Mars, but we’re not homies,” Smith said. “This is what I know: the NFL said to Bruno, ‘You can have a special guest, and choose whomever you like.’ Bruno chose the Red Hot Chili Peppers because he’s a big fan, unbeknown to us. He called us and said, ‘Hey, would you guys be my guest at the halftime show, come and do a jam?’ We said, ‘Sure, sounds like fun.'”
Super Bowl XLVIII takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on February 2. U2 will premiere their new song ‘Invisible’ during the event. The track will appear in an advert announcing a new partnership with Bono’s charity (RED) and Bank Of America.
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, The Roots and Fall Out Boy will perform at a series of pre-Super Bowl events at New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum between January 30 and February 1.