Red Hot Chili Peppers - good live show?
 

Hey all,

I noticed that the Peppers are playing my state this May. I've got "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "Californication", and "By The Way" and love almost every track on them. I was all set to go until I began to read some show reviews from other fans (mostly on the Ten Club message boards).

What I'm asking is weither they are a good live band or not. I'm starting to not trust other people's opinions. I read a lot of reports that the Goo Goo Dolls sucked live but I definitely didn't think that last year. Anyway... what should I expect from a RHCP? Also is the floor geniunely a mosh mess? I know that "By The Way" is a dominately mellow album but I'm afraid when the old stuff kicks in. I really want to be on the floor without getting my ass kicked.

Any advice is great.

Aaron

I saw them with the Foo Fighters in 2000 at an amphitheatre (with bolted seats so no room to mosh although the crowd, while young, was not the moshing type... just alot of hopping up and down) and they were fantastic! I was actually a bigger Foo Fighters fan than RHCP but they made me a believer. One thing though is that I had 5th row seats, which always makes for a different concert going experience. Still I would recommend them no matter what kind of seats you get. I was fortunate enough to land 7th row seats for their June 5th show...can't wait!

I saw them also with the Foo Fighters in Austin. RHCP were not that great IMO. No energy, no crowd interaction, no nothing. Never gonna make the mistake of seeing them live again.

I saw them in 2000 with STP and the were(and still are) the best group i've ever seen...live or not

I was 2nd row for a GA show in Columbus in 2000 and thought they were pretty awesome. I don't know where everyone is getting off saying they suck live.

Well I've seen the RHCP about 8 times in the past 11 years going back to Lolla 92.
And it really is hit or miss with them for live performances.

If it's your first time seeing them, and you like their albums, based on what you said already I think you'll be IMPRESSED.
The people probably complaining, are probably comparing to past performances or to other "great live performers" (you said yourself you got reviews from tenclub, and PJ are known for GREAT live shows).

The last two times I saw them one was GREAT and one was almost TERRIBLE.

The great one was with the Foo Fighters. It was just a good setlist (closed with Sir Pyscho) and very energetic.
I was on the floor about 1/3 the way back.

The Terrible one, it was in an amphitheatre and I was Actually FRONT ROW DEAD CENTER right in front of them.
Usually the creates a BETTER show for me. But it was just TERRIBLE. They didn't have the energy or passion into the songs or setlist. Stone Temple Pilots blew them out of the water that night.

I saw them in Orlando with the Foo Fighters during the Californication tour and they were excellent. Maybe I was biased at the time because they've been my favorite band for a long time (up until the release of the horrible "By The Way", sadly :().

I REALLY wish I could have seen them years ago, but I"m glad I finally got to see them. They're coming around again, but I just don't think I could sit through listening to any of their new songs to justify seeing them again :(

If you like them, and have never seen them live, I'd say go for it.

I saw them with the Foo Fighters in 2000 as well and was not impressed. The Foo Fighters blew them off the stage, IMO.

One time I saw them they were fantastic, the other time they were merely okay.

RHCP has always been one of my favorite bands, and i love their live sound.. flea/john/chad do a LOT of jamming together on stage, which is awesome.. i'll be seeing them 4 times on this tour - albany, MSG, nassau, and raleigh with SNOOP! :)

the only time I saw them was a gem. Garberville, Ca., warm-up gig for the Mothers Milk tour, about 250 people attended the word-o-mouth event. we were all chewing mushrooms and burning the killer bud. I worked at a radio station and talked to the guys prior to the show. Flea and I were burnin' herb at a frantic pace.....and when I offered a blast to Anthony...he just shook his head and said.."no way man....the throat." not to mention the girls that were taggin' along. damn..they were fine. when they pulled the famous gag of playing in nothing but tube socks to cover thier privates, and 3 topless back-up singers sluttin' around on stage....I was dancin' like a maniac.

I dont know if they still play with as much fire now...but it's a good bet they still rock.:thumbsup:

Well... I got my hands on a copy of "Scar Tissue" from Woodstock 99. The band is ok. John's solo near the end isn't very inventive. Anthoney's lyrics seem a little lazy. Also that "view" high note during the chorus is pretty sad. Maybe it's easier to pick on the band's live show when I'm just sitting hear listening to it on headphones.

I'm hoping it's entirely different thing live. Not the vocals or the music but the atmosphere. I'll be on the floor watching the Peppers. Flea will be up there going nuts. I'll be seeing these guys whose music I love so much. The music will be loud and the crowd will be crazy. Will I really have time to say "Man... Keidis can't hit the "view". This sucks!" I doubt it.

As I said before... I saw GGD on Last Call. They sucked. I was really sad I had bought tickets to their show. I went to the show... they rocked. Loved the show. Concert atmosphere owns.

Any more advice would be great though. They appear to be a love or hate live group. I still haven't dropped the $42. Would like to know as much as possible before I do. Thanks.

Aaron

I saw them in '89 a few months before Mother's Milk was released and in '90 and both shows were great, very high energy. They ended up hanging out at a party at my sister's house after the '89 show, but I was still in high school at the time and had to be up early, so I went home after the concert and didn't get to meet them. D'oh!!

Hit or miss. They were okay when I saw them on Lolla; but I've seen some live recordings of them which were just awful (painfully bad). Generally, I think Flea and the drummer are tight most nights, but Anthony can't sing live (even more off-key than he is on their albums), and Frusciante can be bad, too (but maybe he's gotten better now, post-heroin).