Amsterdam gets Californicated

"Great show!", I let John Frusciante know. "Thanks man!", he answers. He walked past the truck I was loading with Johnny, a fellow crew member of mine. Mug of presumably herbal tea in his hand, walking next to the drum-tech. The Peppers were already finished half an hour ago, and they weren't gone yet. They were taking their time. A few minutes later, just as I shuffled back to the opening of the trailer with my eyes out of focus, I heard Johnny say the same thing to a short fellow with long hair. That turned out to be Anthony Kiedis, holding his thumbs up to us! Boy, were we lucky.
And why? Because the Red Hot Chilli Peppers are at the moment one of the greatest bands on earth! Both financially as artistically. Not in the Netherlands, though. But in the UK, they'll play to half a million people the next three concerts. Tonight they have to be in Manchester. A hell of a ride.
John Frusciante was the best. His guitar sound comes from somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and his own heart. He always looks sincere, caught up in his own world. And we can be only happy he's able to show us that world with such intensity.

The Roots supported the Peppers this time, and they made a good effort. I didn't like all of their stuff. Some of it felt too intellectual, with their spun out blues solos that were way too long for my taste. Show off in the confinement of your own bathroom dudes, don't jerk off on me.

Below I got some more pics of the show.


The Red Hot Chilli Peppers show. I especially liked the video-art you see on the last pic, and the doowop song John Frusciante sang all by himself (first pic). Just his great falsetto voice and his guitar.


The Roots, with the Peppers looking on from the side. Watch below the right corner of the video screen. You can very clearly distinguish the hat of drummer Chad Smith. Chad was nodding his head all the time with the beat... :-)
I don't have to remind you that you have to click on the pic to get a bigger version?