Red Hot Chilli Peppers ready to make the sun shine again

By Kosta Papageorgiou

It has been five long years since the Red Hot Chilli Peppers brought out an album. To any true RHCP fan that is just far too long. Sort of like a winter lasting much longer than expected. Or your Christmas gifts being delayed by the post office, times a thousand. Their last album which was a double album, Stadium Arcadium probably should have given the hint that these boys were going to go into hiatus for a while. The minute you hear hiatus, it’s like hear that mommy and daddy are going through a rough time and working things out. Hiatus tends to also be a codename for, “we’re just over it”. But huzzah! The Red Hot Chilli Peppers are back! The Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced their return on their official website. They have been working hard on a new album titled, I'm With You, which is due to be released by Warner Bros. early  September. I’m With You is their 10th studio album,

In the words of RHCP vocalist, Anthony Kiedis, "Yeah, the sun is just coming up here." Thank goodness for that. Any person who has appreciated the work of RHCP will agree that life without a Red Hot Chilli Peppers track just is not the same. The new album, I'm With You, produced by Rick Rubin is a 14-song record that also marks the debut of the Chili Peppers' new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined in the fall of 2009 following the departure of John Frusciante. Frusciante had been a crucial writer as well as player on the RHCP's biggest albums, including 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik and 1999's Californication. With a band member who brought so much of RHCP’s essence to the table there were fears that the band would split. Klinghoffer, 31, was a veteran sideman who had recorded and toured with Beck, PJ Harvey and Tricky, among many others. He was also a friend of Frusciante's, working on several of that guitarist's solo records, and had performed with the Chili Peppers on their last world tour, playing extra guitar and keyboards. Thankfully, Kiedis and bassist Flea claim they "had this intuitive feeling," that they are not done but it is only a new beginning. According to Kiedis’ interview with Rolling Stone, “We wanted to maintain the Red Hot Chili Peppers if we could do it in a way that upheld historically what we had accomplished.”

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers will also be touring again. As it stands their tour starts on 9 August 2011 with a performance at AsiaWorld Arena in Hong Kong. Dave Rat (RHCP’s Sound Engineer) has said that RHCP’s “I’m With You” World Tour will go on right through until 2013. A post on his blog reads… “Here comes summer sunshine and time to jump back in to making the world a louder place to live in!” It sounds like exciting times ahead but isn’t this also the perfect time for South African events management companies to bring RHCP to South Africa? Yes, 2011 has been filled with big events such U2 gigging in South Africa and Kings Of Leon and Coldplay playing in the coming months, perhaps the Red Hot Chilli Peppers could be brought here in 2012 or 2013? Something to think about indeed.

You can pre-Order “I’m With You” the new Red Hot Chili Peppers Album on Amazon! I’m With You is released on August 30th 2011! International users can pre-order I’m With You for $17.41 on Amazon.com.