Source: Brian Stukes / On-SitePhotos.com H.E.R. has just been added to this year’s Grammy Awards performers list. The R&B sensation, made the announcement on Instagram early Thursday morning. According to Deadline , H.E.R., along with Miley Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, H.E.R., and a Post Malone-Red Hot Chili Peppers combo will now join Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Dan + Shay, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe and Kacey Musgraves who are also scheduled to perform. The 61st Annual Grammy Awards will be hosted by Alicia Keys. SOURCE: Deadline
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is speaking out in response to criticism that the band mimed its Super Bowl performance alongside Bruno Mars. There’s no mystery. They did mime it, Flea concedes. And he sort of hates himself for it, but had no choice and still thought it was a cool experience. Bruno Mars Halftime Show Unlike some previous halftime performances (and Britney Spears lip syncing every night), the Chili Peppers did feature Anthony Kiedis singing live. It was Flea, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer who were playing air bass, drums and guitar, respectively. Some viewers felt this was extremely lame. Flea will agree with you, but at the same time, says it was the NFL’s way or nothing when it came to the Bruno Mars halftime show performance . Here’s what he wrote to RHCP fans regarding the miming: Dear everybody, When we were asked by the NFL and Bruno to play our song Give It Away at the Super Bowl, it was made clear to us that the vocals would be live, but the bass, drums, and guitar would be pre-recorded. I understand the NFL’s stance on this, 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 t.v. viewers. There was not any room for argument on this, the NFL does not want to risk their show being botched by bad sound, period. The Red Hot Chili Peppers stance on any sort of miming has been that we will absolutely not do it. The last time we did it (or tried to) was in the late 80’s, we were thrown off of ‘The Top Of the Pops’ television program in the U.K. during rehearsals because we refused to mime properly, I played bass with my shoe, John 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. We mimed on one or two weird MTV shows before that and it always was a drag. We take our music playing seriously, it is a sacred thing for us, and anyone who has ever seen us in concert (like the night before the Super Bowl at the Barclays Center), knows that we play from our heart, we improvise spontaneously, take musical risks, and sweat blood at every show. We have been on the road for 31 years doing it. So, 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. We had given this a lot of thought before agreeing to do it, and besides many a long conversation amongst ourselves, I spoke with many musician friends for whom I have the utmost respect, and they all said they would do it if asked, that it was a wild trippy thing to do, what the hell. Plus, we the RHCP all love football too and that played a big part in our decision. We decided that, with Anthony singing live, that we could still bring the spirit and freedom of what we do into the performance, and of course we played every note in the recording specially for the gig. I met and spoke with Bruno, who was a beautiful dude, a real talented musician, and we worked out something that seemed like it would be fun. We recorded a track for the day, just banged one out from our hearts that was very like in spirit to the versions we have been playing live the last few years with our beloved Josh on guitar. For the actual performance, Josh, Chad, and I were playing along with the pre recorded track so there was no need to plug in our guitars, so we did not. Could we have plugged them in and avoided bumming people out who have expressed disappointment that the instrumental track was pre recorded? Of course easily we could have and this would be a non-issue. We thought it better to not pretend. It seemed like the realest thing to do in the circumstance. It was like making a music video in front of a gazillion people, except with live vocals, and only one chance to rock it. Our only thought was to bring the spirit of who we are to the people. 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. Sincerely, Flea
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is speaking out in response to criticism that the band mimed its Super Bowl performance alongside Bruno Mars. There’s no mystery. They did mime it, Flea concedes. And he sort of hates himself for it, but had no choice and still thought it was a cool experience. Bruno Mars Halftime Show Unlike some previous halftime performances (and Britney Spears lip syncing every night), the Chili Peppers did feature Anthony Kiedis singing live. It was Flea, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer who were playing air bass, drums and guitar, respectively. Some viewers felt this was extremely lame. Flea will agree with you, but at the same time, says it was the NFL’s way or nothing when it came to the Bruno Mars halftime show performance . Here’s what he wrote to RHCP fans regarding the miming: Dear everybody, When we were asked by the NFL and Bruno to play our song Give It Away at the Super Bowl, it was made clear to us that the vocals would be live, but the bass, drums, and guitar would be pre-recorded. I understand the NFL’s stance on this, 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 t.v. viewers. There was not any room for argument on this, the NFL does not want to risk their show being botched by bad sound, period. The Red Hot Chili Peppers stance on any sort of miming has been that we will absolutely not do it. The last time we did it (or tried to) was in the late 80’s, we were thrown off of ‘The Top Of the Pops’ television program in the U.K. during rehearsals because we refused to mime properly, I played bass with my shoe, John 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. We mimed on one or two weird MTV shows before that and it always was a drag. We take our music playing seriously, it is a sacred thing for us, and anyone who has ever seen us in concert (like the night before the Super Bowl at the Barclays Center), knows that we play from our heart, we improvise spontaneously, take musical risks, and sweat blood at every show. We have been on the road for 31 years doing it. So, 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. We had given this a lot of thought before agreeing to do it, and besides many a long conversation amongst ourselves, I spoke with many musician friends for whom I have the utmost respect, and they all said they would do it if asked, that it was a wild trippy thing to do, what the hell. Plus, we the RHCP all love football too and that played a big part in our decision. We decided that, with Anthony singing live, that we could still bring the spirit and freedom of what we do into the performance, and of course we played every note in the recording specially for the gig. I met and spoke with Bruno, who was a beautiful dude, a real talented musician, and we worked out something that seemed like it would be fun. We recorded a track for the day, just banged one out from our hearts that was very like in spirit to the versions we have been playing live the last few years with our beloved Josh on guitar. For the actual performance, Josh, Chad, and I were playing along with the pre recorded track so there was no need to plug in our guitars, so we did not. Could we have plugged them in and avoided bumming people out who have expressed disappointment that the instrumental track was pre recorded? Of course easily we could have and this would be a non-issue. We thought it better to not pretend. It seemed like the realest thing to do in the circumstance. It was like making a music video in front of a gazillion people, except with live vocals, and only one chance to rock it. Our only thought was to bring the spirit of who we are to the people. 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. Sincerely, Flea
I spent my night recruiting girls to mud wrestle me….I got one looped into the amazing plan….but realized I had no mud to wrestle in….reminding me that next time I go out there looking for fun…I need to come prepared. It’s like bringing a girl home, being right about to fuck, and her saying “no condom, no party”….and you have no condoms because you never get girls home with you and you used them all masturbating….not that that would ever happen, since no one uses condoms, but I’m trying make you understand the loss, pain and sadness I felt….the good news is I drank through it. Now I’m hungover. Here are some morning links… Some Shitty Ali Larter Mom CLeavage FOLLOW THIS LINK The Best Japanese GIF of the Day FOLLOW THIS LINK Man With No Hands Crushes Red Hot Chili Peppers Song on the Drums FOLLOW THIS LINK Today in Tramp Stamps FOLLOW THIS LINK Milla Jovovich Smiling for Vogue Turkey FOLLOW THIS LINK I would eat the Shit that Comes Out of This Ass – Just to Get High… FOLLOW THIS LINK In Loving Memory of Angelina Jolie’s Breasts. Our thoughts are with her Family in this Hard Time…RIP Motherfucker – Video Tribute FOLLOW THIS LINK Rodeo Clown Backflip over Bull FOLLOW THIS LINK Cat Opens 5 Doors to Go Outside FOLLOW THIS LINK A Little Human BUNGEE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE CLIP FROM HER SEX TAPE / PORN TAPE IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN HER SQUIRT ALREADY FOLLOW THIS LINK
Band’s Saturday-night set was lively and loose, capping a day that also saw spirited sets from Mac Miller and Skrillex. By James Montgomery Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performs at the 2012 Hangout Music Festival Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images GULF SHORES, Alabama — Having been at this for more than two decades now, the Red Hot Chili Peppers clearly know how to headline a fest: play the hits, thank the crowd, occasionally swat at a beach ball, exit stage right. Maybe work a few well-placed curse words in there too. These things tend to be the same. So it’s a testament to both their versatility and their dedication that the Chili Peppers’ Saturday-night set at the Hangout Festival was anything but by the numbers, as the band jammed long and hard, stretching songs to the breaking point (and beyond), much to the delight of the raucous, sun-baked crowd. Perhaps it was because their headlining slot kicked off just minutes after seasoned jam-meisters the String Cheese Incident finished their two-and-a-half hour set (which, for them, was basically just a warm-up), or maybe they were taking their cues from Friday night’s headliner, Jack White , but from the minute the Peps strode on stage, they were playing fast and loose. Drummer Chad Smith, bassist Flea and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer started things off with a reverb-heavy psych jam that only morphed into “The Monarchy of Roses” when frontman Anthony Kiedis bounded on stage, then kept that momentum rolling into “Can’t Stop,” with the trio trading solos while Kiedis nodded in time to the beat. There were, of course, more straightforward moments too: the Peppers tore through a string of hits, including “Dani California,” “Under The Bridge” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,” and attacked songs like “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” and their version of “Higher Ground” with impassioned pounding. Flea was his usual non-sequitur self, spouting stuff like “Sweet Home Alabama, mother—-er!” and “Forgive your parents!” into the mic, and Kiedis was, as always, the warrior-shaman showman, posing and preening, always in motion (he and Flea also made the rather interesting decision to wear pants with one leg cut off above the knee). But there was a general, genial looseness throughout their two-hour set, showcasing Smith’s lock-step drumming, Flea’s precision playing and Klinghoffer’s wild, winding fretwork. At several points, they seemed to be making it up as they went along, gleefully turning a few stray notes into lengthy, twisting jams: Klinghoffer would summon a solo from his guitar, while Flea would flail and pound along, Smith and touring percussionist Mauro Refosco kicked off the band’s encore with a twisting back-and-forth exchange, and after blasting through “Give It Away,” the band closed their set with a lengthy, voluminous instrumental. The Peppers have always drawn from funk, and Flea’s dabblings in Jazz have paced them for nearly twenty years now, but on Saturday night, the improvisational nature of both were readily apparent. Rather than do the usual headlining set, the band wanted to just play. It seems to be a recurring theme of the Hangout fest … and it served as a perfect capper on a day that also saw lively and loose sets from the likes of Gogol Bordello, Mac Miller and Skrillex (who, in a bit of inspired scheduling, kicked off opposite Randy Newman). The Red Hot Chili Peppers breathed new life into time-tested favorites — “Suck My Kiss” was pounding and primal, “Californication” soared to new heights, “Soul to Squeeze” was sanguine and sweet — and appeared to have a blast whilst doing so. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but, if you bring them to the beach (and scheduled them after a jam band), well, you can certainly make them push things to the limit … with fantastic results. If this whole “world-famous rock band” thing doesn’t work out for RHCP, their Hangout set was proof that they’d make a killing on the jam circuit. Your move, String Cheese. Related Photos Rockin’ Out At The 2012 Hangout Music Festival Related Artists Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jack White, Avicii and Justice are also slated to make mainstage appearances at Lolla, set for August 3-5 in Chicago. By James Montgomery Red Hot Chili Peppers Photo: Getty Images Over the course of 20 years, Lollapalooza has developed a reputation as perhaps the most multi-hued of festivals, thanks in no small part to Perry Farrell’s booking of acts that ranged from Ice Cube to Pearl Jam — and just about everyone in between — and his own, uh, uniquely psychedelic outlook on things. But for this year, he’s going to a rather basic color scheme: namely red, black and white. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Black Sabbath and the Black Keys top the bill for Lollapalooza 2012, set for August 3-5 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Joining them are a list of top-notch electronic artists (always a passion of Perry’s), including Avicii, Justice, Calvin Harris and Bassnectar. Lolla 2012 marks the only North American fest appearance for the reunited Sabbath, and it’ll also be the first time in six years that the Chili Peppers (who broke through at Lolla ’92) appear at the fest. White will make his first solo appearance, and the Keys? Well, after years of mid-card service, they finally make the leap to headliner status this year. Florence and the Machine, At the Drive-In, the Shins, Fun., Passion Pit, the Weeknd, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Sigur R
Guns N’ Roses, Donovan and The Faces will also be inducted in April. By Gil Kaufman Beastie Boys Photo: Capitol More than a quarter century after they brought hard rock back to the top of the heap, the original lineup of legendary Los Angeles band Guns N’ Roses will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. Guns were among the acts named on Wednesday as the Class of 2012, which includes fellow L.A. rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers , iconic New York rap trio the Beastie Boys , 1960s pop singer Laura Nyro, the Small Faces (and their later Rod Stewart-led incarnation, the Faces), as well as mellow 1960s singer Donovan. Also on the roster for the induction ceremony, which will take place on April 14 in Cleveland and air on HBO in early May, is early influence blues guitarist Freddie King and nonperformer Don Kirshner, who created the Archies and Monkees and hosted the long-running live-music TV show “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.” Among those passed over this year were the Cure, Joan Jett, Heart and hip-hip duo Eric B. & Rakim. Acts become eligible for the Hall 25 years after the release of their first single or album, so this year’s crop all started releasing music in or before the year 1986. Led by the mercurial lead singer Axl Rose, GN’R re-invented hard rock with 1987’s Appetite for Destruction , which featured such indelible glam-punk hits as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “It’s So Easy.” The band splintered a decade later amid a clash of egos, disagreement over musical direction and drug issues that resulted in Rose soldiering on alone with a parade of replacement sidemen. Before their induction was announced, buzz had already begun to build around a potential reunion between legendarily unfriendly co-founders Rose and guitarist Slash as well as the rest of the classic line-up, which included rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler. Rose is currently on the road with the new Guns. The Beastie Boys have been mixing rock, rap, soul, punk and funk for more than 30 years, helping to cross hip-hip over into the mainstream in a major way with their bratty 1986 full-length debut, License to Ill , rap’s first #1 album. After providing drunken anthems for a generation thanks to “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To) Party,” and “Brass Monkey,” they followed up with 1989’s head-tripping Paul’s Boutique , which set a new standard for artistry in sampling. They’ve continued to rock the mic over the course of five more studio albums, including this year’s Hot Sauce Committee Part Two . Funk-punk lifers the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and released their self-titled debut the next year. Formed around the core of hyperkinetic singer Anthony Kiedis, high-energy bassist Flea, late guitarist Hillel Slovak and former drummer Jack Irons, the band made a name for itself with a spastic combo of funk, punk, hard rock and hip-hop, graduating from an underground fanbase to worldwide stardom and Grammy-winning albums thanks to such landmark tracks as “Give It Away,” “Under the Bridge” and “Scar Tissue.” Like the Who, English mod rockers the Small Faces were heavily influenced by American R&B, which they explored on signature songs “Itchycoo Park,” “Lazy Sunday” and “All or Nothing.” In their second phase as the Faces, members included future Rolling Stones rhythm guitarist Ronnie Wood and singer Rod Stewart. Late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro was just 19 when she recorded her debut in 1966, the same year folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary recorded her song, “And When I Die.” The fragile singer with an eclectic style wrote a string of songs that became hits for other acts, including “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Sweet Blindness,” “Wedding Bell Blues” and “Blowin’ Away.” She also scored her own hit with Carole King’s “Up on the Roof.” Psychedelic Folkie Donovan Leitch scored a number of hits in the 1960s, including “Sunshine Superman,” “Mellow Yellow” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Dissension has become one of the reliable side stories of the Rock Hall ceremonies. While such notoriously splintered acts as Led Zeppelin and the Talking Heads managed to set aside differences for one night (Blondie, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Van Halen not so much), the biggest question this year is whether Rose will make nice with his estranged former bandmates. There are also question marks over whether the Beastie Boys will perform, as the group have eschewed public appearances since the July 2009 revelation that member Adam “MCA” Yauch was undergoing treatment for cancer of the salivary gland in the throat. Related Videos MTV First: Red Hot Chili Peppers Related Artists Beastie Boys Guns N’ Roses Red Hot Chili Peppers
New clip is a tribute to artist Raymond Pettibon, who helped shape the L.A. punk scene the band grew up in. By James Montgomery Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis Photo: Sean Gardner/ Getty Images When I first interviewed the Red Hot Chili Peppers back in June, frontman Anthony Kiedis made it a point to wear his now-ubiquitous OFF! cap (the same one he’d wear in their “Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” video ), a tribute to the punk supergroup made up of members of Black Flag, Red Kross and Rocket From the Crypt, to name just a few. The reason I mention that now is because the Peppers just premiered the video for “Monarchy of Roses,” the second single from their I’m With You album, a stark, surging, (mostly) black-and-white thing very much indebted to the work of artist Raymond Pettibon, who made his mark designing album covers, logos and flyers for Black Flag, SST Records and just about anyone else associated with the L.A. punk scene of the late ’70s/early ’80s. So, in a way, months before “Roses,” Kiedis was already tipping his, uh, cap to Pettibon. Shoot, he even mentions the artist in the lyrics to the song, which makes the clip — directed by Marc Klasfeld — even more fitting. And when you consider the fact that the Peppers basically grew up in the scene Pettibon helped shape (they caught an early break thanks to impresario Brendan Mullen , who booked them at his infamous Club Lingerie), you realize that this video has actually been a in the works for a very long time indeed. While it might not be as flashy or instantly memorable as some of the band’s other clips, it fits both the grit of the song — and the Peppers’ entire legacy — perfectly. Pettibon’s bludgeoning black-and-white images, which he often matches with harrowing texts taken from popular culture, art criticism and commercials, are a true combination of the sacred and the profane, and you could reasonably argue by that logic alone that they’ve been inspiring Kiedis’ lyrics for years now. The argument could also be made that, by sheer will alone, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have finally earned the right to be considered right alongside bands like Black Flag (and artists like Pettibon) in the pantheons of Left Coast rock, punk or otherwise. Which adds a whole new wrinkle to the “Roses” video, really: It may be their coronation, though I am reasonably sure they did not intend it to be. They’re too humble. And always paying tribute, to Mullen (on the I’m With You track “Brendan’s Death Song”), to their punk forefathers (Kiedis’ OFF! cap) and, really, to the artist who managed to inject iconography into the whole thing. That he did it in such a stark, shocking way was a testament to the music and the ethos of the era, and as “Roses” proves, it’s a solid fit for the Peppers too. After all, like Petibon’s work, they know a thing or two about bleak times. And they’ve never been afraid to get a little bloody, either. What do you think of the video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tha Carter IV is still #1 despite sharp drop-off in sales. By Gil Kaufman Lil Wayne Photo: C. Flanigan/ WireImage Lil Wayne will make it an easy two in a row at the top of the Billboard 200 chart with Tha Carter IV next week, when the album holds on to the #1 spot thanks to sales of 219,000. After just missing out on moving 1 million copies in its debut, the disc easily passed the mark, approaching 1.2 million even as sales dove 77 percent in the second go-round. Suffering an equally big drop was the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You, which lost 75 percent of its first-week business, moving down three spots to #5 as sales reached nearly 288,000. Among the new faces in the top 10 are country giant George Strait , whose Here for a Good Time debuts at #3 on sales of 91,000, and the Beatles ‘ 1, which shoots back into the #4 position thanks to a remastered physical and first-time digital release that helped it move 60,000 units. But the week’s biggest gainer is Maroon 5 ‘s year-old Hands All Over, which has gotten a major boost thanks to a re-released version with the new top 10 hit “Moves Like Jagger.” The disc climbs another 16 slots to #7 as sales picked up by 97 percent to 29,000. The rest of the top 10: Adele, 21 (#2, 121,000), Jay-Z and Kanye West , Watch the Throne (#6, 49,000), NOW 39 (#8, 27,000), Beyonc
