Conceit

A moment of total conceit last week when the Chili Peppers released their first single from the upcoming new album. It's called (the single that is) The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.

What's the first thought that pops into my mind? They must have got that idea from my blog. Because I'm sure there's nothing better that Flea, Anthony, Chad and the new guy like doing but making a cuppa and sitting down to read the inane, bordering on insane, musings of yours truly.

I can see the scene now... a song writing session... Anthony bursts in fresh from a yoga session with his current 18 year old girlfriend... Flea is picking out a new rift on his bass.

A: "I have the perfect song for that little bass line..."

F: "Really? Dazzle me, my friend in all things funkadelic..."

A: "Well you know that blog we all read and love...?"

F: "Of course, The Adventures of Deep Kick Girl Down Under... Love it, man... wonder why she hasn't written much lately. Really loved that New York stuff..."

A: "You know I think that's the chick I met when we toured Oz in the early 90s. The one with our asterisk tattooed on her boob. Your were off doing an interview so you didn't get to meet her, dude. She was a hot chick, man [hey, this is my fantasy, alright!]. Too bad I only like underage stick insects..."

F: "Yeah, OK, dude... get on with it... what's the song idea?"

A: "You know the name of her blog... The Adventures of... well we can't use that name ... copyright reasons, etc... but what if we had a song called The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie? Sort of a hommage to our mutual love of DKG's blog... What do you think?"

F: "Love it, man... Let's get down to work..."

If that's not enough "proof"... how about this line from the song:

"Tugboat Sheila is into memorabilia"

Sheila obviously refers to an Australian girl. That's me, I'm an Australian girl.

The rest of the song is funky nonsense, great tune but can't decipher much meaning from the lyrics. However, a new album means a new tour so there's a huge something to look forward to.

Anyway, what do you think? Am I totally nuts or am I so right it's scary?

Rocktober Day Thirty One: Deep Kick

I started my blog over five years ago with an entry about why I was going to call it The Adventures of Deep Kick Girl. Deep Kick is a Red Hot Chili Peppers' song from the album most fans seem to hate but which I love, One Hot Minute.

The song itself is a little hard to listen to; sort of a rambling monologue and not really their style at all. In a nutshell it's the story of Anthony and Flea and their teenage years as best friends, hanging out, having adventures, getting into trouble.

It's a personal song but one which I can relate to so much. For me the extra special bonus with this song is Flea singing the last verse in his broken little voice (fantastic musician, not so good with the singing).

It's not a song I rush off to listen to very often but just knowing it exists in the world is enough for me.

Deep Kick (live version from YouTube; it was never a single so there was never a proper film clip and I also don't imagine they would do it live much, these days they never do songs from One Hot Minute because I understand John refuses to play Dave's songs - SOB!)

It started when we were little kids.
Free spirits, but already tormented by our own hands
given to us by our parents.
We got together and wrote on desks
and slept in laundry rooms near snowy mountains
and slipped through whatever cracks we could find,
minds altered, we didn't falter
in portraving hysterical and tragic characters in a smog filled universe.
we loved the dirty city
and the journeys away from it.
We had not yet been or seen our friends, selves,
chase tails round and round in downward spirals,
leaving trail of irretrievable, vital life juice behind.
Still, the brothersbloodcomradespartnerfamilycuzz was impenetrable
and we lived inside it
laughing with no clothes, and everything experimental 'till death was upon us.
In our face, mortality.
And lots of things seemed futile then, but love and music can save us,
and did, while the giant grey monster grew
more poisoned and volatile around us,
jaws clamping down and spewing ugly shit around.
Nothing is the same.
So we keep moving.
We keep moving.

(Ooooooooooooh Shit! Ooooooooooooh Shit!)

Went off and got some hair cuts
Lookin wild and got all drugged up
Hopped a train into the night
Got a ride with a transvestite
Two boys in San Francisco
Two boys in San Francisco
Blasted off in a Bart bathroom
Those coppers woke us up
The mothersfuckers woke us up

Two young brothers on a hovercraft
Telepathic love and belly laughs

Storm the stage of Universal
Slim shine talk boy go subversal
Papa's proud and so he sent us
Pounding hearts full and relentless
Two boys in London, England
Two boys in London, England
Climbing out of hostel windows
Wearing gear so out but in though
Come on kid and do the no no

Two young brothers on a hovercraft
Telepathic love and belly laughs

(Oooooooooooh Shit! Ooooooooooooh Shit!)

We went to Fairfax High School
Jumped off buildings into their pools
We'd sit down and grease at Canters
Run like hell they can't catch us
Two boys in L.A. proper
Two boys in L.A. proper
Stealin' anything that we could
Gotta sneak into the Starwood
Gotta peak into the deep good

I remember...
10 years ago in Hollywood
We did some good
and we did some real bad stuff
but the Butthole Surfers said
It's better to regret something you did
Than something you didn't do
We were young
And we were looking
looki-i-ing
looking for that deep kick...
Seen 'em come, seen 'em go...

(And I feel I'm getting close to you)

And with that I bid goodbye to Rocktober. That was fun but now I need a Bex and a good lay down.

Rocktober Day One: Soul to Squeeze

Was there ever any question that I would start with a Red Hot Chili Peppers' song? Surely not.

I can't say this is my favourite of their songs but it's a song that I love so much I have included it on my Funeral Playlist.

As with most Chili Pepper songs the lyrics are open to interpretation but to me this song is about finding your personal peace of mind, your good place; coming to terms with yourself. That's a lifelong project for me and I guess for most people. Just when you find what you think is that place things happen in your life that make you question yourself, in tiny and huge ways.

This is where this song takes me and it ends on a positive, or at least hopeful, note - which is how I tend to view life.

Soul to Squeeze (click here to go to video clip on YouTube)

I've got a bad disease
But from my brain is where I bleed
Insanity it seems
Has got me by my soul to squeeze

Well all the love from thee
With all the dying trees I scream
The angels in my dreams (yeah)
Have turned to demons of greed that's mean

Chorus

Where I go I just don't know
I got to got to gotta take it slow
When I find my piece of mind
I'm gonna give you some of my good time

Today love smiled on me.
It took away my face say please
All that you had to free
You gotta let it be oh yeah

Chorus

Oh, so polite indeed
Well I got everything I need
Oh make my days a breeze
And take away my self destruction

It's bitter baby
And it's very sweet
I'm on a rollercoaster
but I'm on my feet
Take me to the river
Let me on your shore
I'll be coming back baby
I'll be coming back for more

Doo doo doo doo dingle zing a dong bone
Ba-di ba-da ba-zumba crunga cong gone bad

I could not forget
But I will not endeavor
Simple pleasures aren't as special
But I wont regret it never

Chorus

Where I go I just don't know
I might end up somewhere in Mexico
When I find my piece of mind
I'm gonna keep you for the end of time

Let's take a little journey back to 1995. A time, pre-children, when I had the energy to care, to give a rat's, to come out fighting, over the big things in life. A recent rummaging through a mystery box of crap residing under my desk at work revealed an odd little treasure: my correspondence with Drum Media, a popular culture free newspaper which may or may not exist these days; I am long past checking what the current week's gig guide has to offer.

This is the review of Red Hot Chili Peppers' My Friends by Ross Clelland which got my blood boiling:

"You know," said one marketing man in a suit to another, "once we got them to wear more than socks over their old fellas, all we needed was the nice ballad, show how cute the boy Kiedis is, and world domination was ours". And now, attempting to repeat the mega success of Under The Bridge, One Hot Minute's acoustic strummy thing becomes the new single that even your maiden aunt won't ask to be turned down when it comes on the radio, (and it will). By no means bad, but Coffee Shop ("we can dance like Iggy Pop") and the non-LP Let's Make Evil kick somewhat more.

This is the venomous spew I sent the way of Mr Clelland by return post (don't mess with my boys buddy):

Dear Drum,

In reference to Ross Clelland's review of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' My Friends in the 31 October issue of Drum Media: Well, excuse-bloody-me, you cynical bastard. While I would be the first one to jump on Mr Clelland's cynicism bandwagon when it comes to about 90% of what passes for popular music, I must voice a protest at this unfair castigation of one of the few truly inspired bands of the last decade. Yes, the Chili Peppers have been around for a decade. They didn't just appear on the whim of some "marketing man in a suit" to make a few bucks on the strength of some mournful little balland and that "cute... boy Kiedis".

For a start, anyone half familiar with the history of the band and their music would know that it all comes from their souls, from personal experiences with death and love and joy and despair and, above all, friendship. If they were simply after the quick bucks surely they wouldn't have waited for four years to come up with a follow up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik (and Under The Bridge).

It can't be that difficult to churn out boring old crap (as you are suggesting this song is) on a predictably regular basis - just ask Michael Bolton, Jimmy Barnes or one of the countless other "rock icons" who drown us in their meaningless blather. Please do not disregard the Chili Peppers as simply one of that lot - they are head and shoulders (and cocks?!) above the mediocre rabble. Next time try a bit of background research before you cast your judgement!

Sincerely
Kathy Blanter
Lisarow NSW

Gee, it didn't take much to get me going 14 years ago! How self righteous and hilarious. I guess nothing much has changed though. I'd still fight to the death for my precious Chili Peppers. I may be a lot older, a fair bit fatter and a great deal grayer in the hair department but it's good to know their music still makes me feel stuff, even when I think my jaded old heart has forgotten how to feel anything at all.

Feeling sad right now.

One serious reason. That poor little Madeleine who was kidnapped in Portugal a week ago. It was her birthday today and the story on the news made me cry. My heart hurts for her and her family. I can't even begin to imagine the horror her family is living through. I will pray in my non-believer way that she is alive and will return to her family. No punishment is horrible enough for the scum who did this.

One not-so-serious reason. I was watching the 'Til Death Do Us Part Marathon on MTV this afternoon and it made me so sad that Dave and Carmen split up last year. They were so gorgeous during the planning of their wedding and on their actual wedding day. They genuinely seemed like good, weird, but good people. People who really loved, liked and respected each other. I shook Dave's hand at a back stage meet and greet when he toured with the Chili Peppers all those years ago and I felt a deep soul behind those dark dark eyes. I hope you have peace and happiness Dave and Carmen.

I can die very very happy. Last night at the Red Hot Chili Peppers' concert they played I could have lied in their encore set. For me this is the Holy Grail of live Chili Peppers' songs. I've never heard it played live at any of the other four concerts I've been to over the past 16 years. This song tears my heart out and live it is pure magic - a real moment in time.

Apart from that gift from the universe the concert was the best of theirs I've ever seen. Musically they were truly on fire. They really seem at their personal, creative and musical peak. There is something special happening there and it was beautiful to witness. However, it was the audience which really made it a night to remember. There was a vibe, a feeling, a something last night which was awesome. Everyone was on their feet and into it from the first milisecond to the last.

The Blood Sugar Sex Magik concert in 1991 was memorable for being so pathetic (audience wise). The crowd virtually sat with their arms folded for the entire show, excpet for a brief moment when Under The Bridge was performed and everyone sang along, then sat down again. Weird.

The By The Way concert at Aussie Stadium was memorable for all the wrong reasons. We sat in the most horrible position, in the first little seating elevation. You couldn't see a bloody thing. The girls in front of us stood up, so we stood up and the people behind us were shouting for us to sit down. So the whole concert was spent bickering with people about sitting/standing. Fuck! I actually have no memory of the concert itself.

A very memorable part of last night was the support band. As we were going through the tunnel to our seats I whispered to my sister "I think there's a naked dwarf on stage". I was close. It was HarMar Superstar. Now I do admit to being somewhat put off by this [only] underwear wearing, pouchy little man skipping around the stage like a man possessed. But the music is really bloody good. I'm a bit hooked. Check him out.

Anyway, great night. Still floating. Some pics:

Exactly two weeks to go until the Chili Peppers concert.

I'm starting to get bloody excited!

Hump de Bump is my mobile ringtone and it makes me very very happy.