Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live at the Madejski Stadium, Reading

3rd July 2006

After the last time I saw the Chilis at the Millenium Stadium I was a little reluctant to pay £40 again as they were pretty lame that evening - although to be fair that was mostly to do with the crowd and the terrible venue.

Being outdoors the Madejski immediately felt better, although we gave up on getting to the bar and settled upon watching the gig from a little way back, deadly sober. It was a great evening, the perfect weather to chill with a band who brought a little bit of California with them. The set list was excellent, a great mix of new and old including Me and My Friends, Give it Away, Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik and Under the Bridge. Mixed up with that was 21st Century (my favourite track by far from Stadium Arcadium), Scar Tissue and various others. Annoyingly they did pander to the crowd and play Dani California, a song I rate as a "c" grade Californication track, and undeserving of any airplay whatsoever. Flea was his usual inimitable self, dressed in some bizarre body stocking and playing whatever random bass licks he fancied which still seemed perfect for whichever song it was. John also sang a song which was great and really made the crowd (well some of them) feel that for once everything came together in perfect harmony.

It was a truly great gig, I enjoyed being able to stand back and take in the class of these musicians rather than getting slammed down the front (as much as I love this too!). the only negative thing was the crowd. I guess down the front I am used to being with hardcore fans of whatever band it is, but with the Chilis moving ever more towards the mainstream there were all ages there from little kids to old people. Bizarrely it wasn't either of these categories that annoyed me most, but the fucking middle aged chavs and teenagers who blatantly thought this was a new band for whom "By the Way" was a seminal album and "Dani California" was a genius song. These people REALLY pissed me off. They all went mad to DC, and stood there like twats to true classics like Give it Away and Blood Sugar.. These people shouldn't be allowed at gigs.

Some of them were even wearing things like heels or big hoop earrings. Unbelievable. What is the world coming to.

Overall it was a great performance, a good venue and nice setlist that all worked well together - lets just keep out the chavs next time though hey!

Set List:

01. Intro jam
02. Can't stop
03. Dani California (why!)
04. Scar tissue
05. Charlie
06. Fortune faded (why!)

Somewhere here was 21st Century

07. I feel love (John)
08. Don't forget me
09. Snow ((Hey oh))
10. Me and my friends
11. Wet sand
12. For Emily, wherever I may find her (John)
13. Blood sugar sex magik
14. Tell me baby
15. London calling-intro + Right on time
16. Californication
17. By the way

--ENCORE--
18. Drum solo
19. Under the bridge
20. You're gonna get yours-intro + Give it away
21. Outro jam