Being my first review please be harsh. i can take it!
Released in November 2003 the Red Hot Chili Peppers, funk maniacs of years gone by and now cooled down melodic rockers, finally decided to take the plunge which many bands before them had taken. The release of a live DVD.
Filmed over the 23rd August, Slane Castle, a seasoned veteran of hyped gigs of a huge proportion staging the legends that are Bruce Springsteen in the 80's, Guns N Roses in the 90's and the giants of world music, U2 in 2001, opened its gates to the chili's 80,000 following.
Spanning 18 songs from years gone by ranging from, as mentioned earlier, the funk crazed Power of Equality to the melodic rock of The Zephyr Song, the Chilis do not give up for one instance, throwing their heart and soul into something they have strived for over so many years. Over such a long period of time their now renowned live act has been honed to almost a legendary status and it can clearly be seen why.
The DVD opens with the screams of 80,000 diehard fans and a taken back Flea and clearly grinning John Frusciante walking onto the stage, it seems even the mega stars of today can become awe struck.
The concert itself opens with, in my opinion, a surprising song the summer hit By The Way. What i feel as a bland beginning to the song begins between Flea and John picking away a very simple, single string riff, Anthony doing what he does best with Chad keeping the steady rhythm, however after a few moments the song really begins. Bursitng into life you can feel the joy bursting out of the screaming fans as Flea gets into his infamous groove, John playing his funky muting and Anthony rapping incohent words into the microphone. The staple diet of so many Chilis fans over the years has once again provided a real crowd pleaser, a perfect start the gig of many people's lives.
Song after song is played with every inch of feel from every member poured into them ranging from the hit single Cant Stop to the Flea dominated Around The World to new releases of Universally Speaking and Throw Away Your Television. Each song is played faltlessly with legendary moments of improvisation in this case standing out, Fleas solo in Around The World and Johns solos within Scar Tissue, both adding a new element to the now timeless classics.
For me the surprise package of the first 9 songs is in my opinion Californications Parallel Universe. For what i thought was a very mediocre song on a very good album, live becomes a sight to be seen, it really shows the power of a strong live act. The song itself opens with a small jam session with John taking over lead vocals for a few moments before leading into the song itself. The chorous within the song is one of energy and throwing your body into the song. The strobe lighting helps accent the energy being given off in particular by Anthony, with a perfect camera angle holding him in freeze frame of mid jump. That is another large aspect that makes this DVD so worthwhile. The direction is excellent all the way through, giving perfectly timed shots from the crowd and the band members faces, providing a link between the two of them. However, as mentioned before, improvisation is the key to this track. Johns bursts into, not the most technical solo ever seen, but one of feeling as you see his face contort with every note he plays. This continues as Flea and Chad hold a constant rhythm, it is very much like Stadium Arcadium, Flea and Chad holding the song together with John feeling his way through. A superb moment.
Within the second 'set' of 9 songs the same trend continues throughout, individual pieces of brilliance while keeping the main structure the song was given within the recorded versions. In this final group of songs, 3 particular moments stand out and must be mentioned.
Firstly Purple Stain. While listening to it with the rest of Californication i thought it was a filler track meaning i never realy got to hear the outro/bridge in its full glory. At three simple words muttered from Anthonys mouth 'Yeah Lets Go' Slane Castle is abused by the Red Hot Chili Peppers full arsenal of skill, in particluar Chad Smiths outstanding drumming. With a simple but effective Flea riff played thorughout what is difficult to describe is played over the top, John and Chad combing superbly to provide one of the DVD's highlights. Chad Smith throwing all his might into his drumkit, his arms flailing widly.
The second highlight follows straight after Purple Stain and is, in my eyes, the perfect example of the Chilis new melodic roots, or roots that have been worked on since Californication. Starting again with a simple but effective Flea bass chord riff, a base is provided throughtout the song. Over the top is layerd finger tapped guitar work from John which is a very creative touch and again shows perhaps he is not the fastest or most complicated guitarsit around but has a creativity that i feel cannot be touched and a willingness not the to sacrifice his own needs for the sake of a song.
Finally, trackwise, Californication has to standout. It is not only a fantastic song done live, but the jam between John and Flea leading into it is perhaps one of the greatest pieces of live music i have ever seen. After so many years playing together they compliment each other perfectly, dualling each others instruments however neither taking control over the other. It is a perfectly worked piece of music and comes to rest perfectly with the Californication intro. It is fantasitc to watch.
Red Hot Chili Peppers live at Slane Castle is a superb buy. All throughout all band memebers stay very strong and all have their own particluar moments to shine. The direction is incredibly solid throughout and shows you what you want. A perfect balance for a near perfect DVD. A point i have saved until the very last that is stopping the concert becoming legendary. The lack of older work. Perhaps they are wanting to move forward in their music, i do not know, however some old classics such as the Higher Ground's would have made this DVD and concert as a whole a classic. It seems that without some element of the Chilis untamed funk pounding your ear drums, a concert of theirs is never complete.
