The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the biggest bands on the planet and over the years there has been plenty of ups and downs within the band. They’re still going strong though and across 2023 will be playing some huge dates, headlining a number of summer festivals, including NOS Alive and Rock Werchter.
Anthony Kiedis is at the heart of that band, and it’s fair to say his life has taken all manner of twists and turns. His passion for music has never waivered though, and there are tons we can learn from the legendary front man, particularly from his autobiography, Scar Tissue…
Firstly, don’t take drugs
Scar Tissue is very candid about his own and the band’s battle with drugs, going into great detail of the effects of addiction to heroin and what it’s like to go through opiate withdrawal. The band suffered greatly at the hands of opioids and lost two members of the band through drug overdoses.
Under The Bridge is all about the bleak relationship Kiedis had with drugs, and if there’s ever an example on why you shouldn’t take heroin, as well as inspiration for getting off it, then Kiedis is a great example.
You can become successful if you are determined
When Kiedis decided he wanted to become a musician, he had no experience of singing, creating melodies, playing an instrument or literally anything to do with music. In Scar Tissue, he talks about seeing a show of Kelvyn Bell, with that being the turning point and inspiration for becoming a star.
He said: “But seeing Kelvyn Bell was inspirational for me, and I had a distinct feeling, even though I didn’t have a concrete means of achieving it, that whatever I ended up doing with my life, I wanted to make people feel the way this music was making me feel.”
There will be bumps along the way, in all walks of life
There are always going to be bumps along the rocky road of life. It’s only natural. However, it’s how you navigate your way over and around those bumps that make you who you are. After the struggles with drugs and loss, it would have been no surprise to see the Chilis call it quits, but they have continued to be one of the biggest bands on the planet.
What’s more, in the early days, the band were not exactly a success, but they persisted chasing their dream and with hard work, and a lot of gigging, they did so in style.
