By the way, these ripened Chili’s are still Red Hot!

Review: Emma Whitelaw

AFTER a support set by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers took to the stage at Hyde Park on Friday night (June 25, 2004) – much to the sheer delight of an estimated 100,000 strong crowd.

A semi-clad Flea opened the set with a bluesy jam along with fellow band members, Chad and John. Front man, Anthony Keidis, soon followed, bursting onstage as they kicked into a highly amped Don’t Stop.

Dressed in an all white ensemble and sporting a new longer-style do, Keidis was not only looking fabulous, he was in top form!

With the energy of someone half his age, he belted his way through such high-energy tracks as, Around The World, Get On Top and their latest, and some may say greatest, offering, Fortune Faded.

Die-hard Peppers fans, and newcomers alike, all blissfully danced away to the Chili’s quintessential Californian groove.

After a brilliant rendition of Scar Tissue they followed up with equally marvellous versions of By The Way, Otherside and the incredibly funky Californication.

The highlight of the night would have to be when they played their epic, Under the Bridge. To say the crowd went wild would be an understatement!

Every member of the massive audience knew the lyrics and gleefully sang along.

As far as London venues go, Hyde Park has got to be one of the best!

Although left to the mercy of the elements, as those who went to the previous weekend gigs know only too well, it really is a fantastic location for an outdoor event.

And with a backdrop as gorgeous as a London summer sunset, it really was a breathtaking experience.

An extremely befitting accompaniment to the idyllic surroundings were the lyrics of The Zephyr Song, 'I feel it more than ever, And in this perfect weather, We'll find a place together'.

The boys powered through one hell of a set – which literally, like the sunset behind us, seemed to go on forever! Not that this was a problem, they could have played all night as far as the captivated crowd were concerned.

But, alas, the show eventually had to come to an end, but they did not disappoint. Finishing with an electric encore, which concluded with none other than their massive hit, Give It Away.

The amazing thing about the Chilis live is their unique ability to capture an identical quality of sound as that which appears in their recorded material.

To see a band that sounds as good onstage as they do on CD is a real rarity and a pleasure to behold. They really are an astounding live act!

If you‘re ever lucky enough to see them live, I strongly recommend it. The good news is all three London shows have been recorded with a view for a live album due for release at the end of this year.

The Californian lads definitely haven’t lost it and, just like their namesakes, they are most certainly getting hotter with age!