Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea has defended not playing live during this year’s Super Bowl half-time show.
Flea responded to reports that his and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer’s instruments were not plugged in while they played Give It Away at the NFL game at the weekend.
On Red Hot Chili Peppers’ website Flea said they were told a backing track would be pre-recorded when they agreed to the show.
“I understand the NFL’s stance on this,” he said.
Flea added: “Given they only have a few minutes to set up the stage, there a zillion things that could go wrong and ruin the sound for the folks watching in the stadium and the TV viewers.”
When Red Hot Chili Peppers’ joined Bruno Mars on stage during the show, singer Anthony Kiedis’ vocal was live but Flea, Josh Klinghoffer and drummer Chad Smith played along with the backing track.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea has defended not playing live during this year’s Super Bowl half-time show
In his online statement, Flea added that the band didn’t feel the need to plug in their instruments because: “We thought it better to not pretend.”
The musician added: “The Red Hot Chili Peppers stance on any sort of miming has been that we will absolutely not do it.”
However, he said the opportunity to play at the event was too much to pass up.
“When this Super Bowl gig concept came up, there was a lot of confusion amongst us as whether or not we should do it, but we eventually decided, it was a surreal-like, once in a life time crazy thing to do and we would just have fun and do it.”
Flea also said the last time the band mimed, or tried to, was in the late 80s when they were thrown off Top Of the Pops during rehearsals because they refused to mime properly.
He explained: “I played bass with my shoe, John [Frusciante] played guitar atop Anthony’s shoulders, and we basically had a wrestling match onstage, making a mockery of the idea that it was a real live performance.”
Flea closed the statement by saying: “I am grateful to the NFL for having us. And I am grateful to Bruno, who is a super talented young man for inviting us to be a part of his gig. I would do it all the same way again.
“We, as a band, aspire to grow as musicians and songwriters, and to continue to play our guts out live onstage for anyone who wants to get their brains blown out.”
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[googlead tip=”patrat_mare”]Belgian festival Pukkelpop 2011 deaths toll raised to five after a severe storm struck, knocking down screens and collapsing tents and stages, officials said on Friday.
Another eight festival attendees were seriously injured according to Hilde Claes, mayor of the eastern Belgian city of Hasselt, were festival have been held. The mayor also told Belgian television that some 65 people had more minor injuries.
Belgian Pukkelpop 2011 deaths toll raised to five.
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]About 65,000 mainly young people were attending Pukkelpop 2011 when the storm struck early in the evening. Many were sheltering in large festival tents, which were whipped away by the wind.
“The storm struck in an incredibly sudden way,” said Hilde Claes, who was there.
“It was a real whirlwind. I have never seen anything like it in Hasselt before.”
The three-day Pukkelpop 2011 was set to have featured rapper Eminem, Foo Fighters, 30 seconds to Mars and The Offspring among others.
According to a post on Pukkelpop 2011 official website, the organizers decided early on Friday to cancel the rest of the festival.
“Pukkelpop is in deep mourning. We truly sympathise with the families and friends of the victims.
Words are not enough. We have struggled with the decision to continue the festival. Therefore we have decided to cancel Pukkelpop 2011.
What has happened is very exceptional and could not have been predicted. We are deeply moved by… “
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[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland – between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg – in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt. It is the second largest music festival in the country after Rock Werchter, with an attendance rate of 180,000 over the course of the event in 2009.
The programme is noted for its wide variety of alternative music, spanning styles such as rock, pop, electronic, dance, hip-hop, punk and heavy metal. The event’s organizers aim the festival to be a “progressive and contemporary” musical event. Notable acts that have performed at previous editions include Sonic Youth, The Mission, Ramones, Nirvana, The Sisters of Mercy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Green Day, Guns N’ Roses, Pixies, Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails and Iron Maiden. The term “pukkel” is the Dutch word for “pimple”.
The Belgian tragedy comes just five days after another five people died when an outdoor concert stage collapsed in heavy winds at the Indiana State Fair in the United States.
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