Veteran rockers The Red Hot Chilli Peppers performed their first Melbourne concert at Marvel Stadium to a capacity crowd on a warm summers night, having last toured Australia for series of A Day On The Green concerts back in 2018. Forming in 1983 with the original band members Anthony Kiedis and Flea and with a total of 13 Studio Albums and over four decades performing they were there to be heard and entertain.
Since their last Australian tour the band have released two new albums Unlimited Love and Canteen Dream and received a Star on Hollywood’s walk of fame. Red Hot Chili Peppers, the American band that bought funk and punk rock to create a new musical style in the 1980s showed no sign of slowing down opening the show with a jam session with bassist Flea, guitarist John Frusciante and Will Ferrell lookalike drummer Chad Smith before singer and front man Anthony Keidis joined them on stage to sing Can’t Stop.
The energy and vibe of all band members was fantastic as they played as a group and in sync with various solo’s throughout the night, Flea stealing the show with his alternative dance moves and headbanging throughout. Chad Smith also providing drum solo’s with Kiedis moving around the stage like a man possessed .After receiving criticism earlier on in the Australian leg of the tour it seems they have taken the feedback on board and changed the setlist to appease their legion of fans who came to hear the classics, but no one said it was a Greatest Hits Tour.
The highlights of the night were Universally Speaking, Suck my Kiss, Californication and Under the Bridge. Although there was very little interaction with the crowd although Flea did mention that he was born at Ringwood hospital and he lived in a house that his dad built in the 1980’s in Mt Waverley and was glad to be back which sent the crowd wild. Keidis thanking the crowd before leaving the stage.
In what was an unusual pairing Post Malone opened the show, the America singer and all-round nice guy opened with Wow to a display of pyrotechnics in the background and hyping the crowd by waving and acknowledging their banners and signs. Playing all his well-known hits including I like you, Stay, Circles and Sunflower. Postie engaged with the audience at every opportunity declaring that he has been on tour for a while and he “Fucking love this country” while enjoying a cigarette thrown to him by a fan which he lit up and continued to perform. Pausing for a moment he declared he needed to do a shoey which he completed like a champ. While performing to a backing track Postie never missed a beat to the delight of his fans and in turn without a doubt converting some RHCP along the way including myself.
Cant wait to see Postie back in Australia
