33 Things You Should Know About Red Hot Chili Peppers
16. They've got a serious basketball jones.
"Basketball is how we first bonded," says Smith. The band has had courtside Lakers seats for years, and Smith and Flea used to play together on a team called the 69ers. So who's the Jordan of the group? "Flea's a better outside shooter, for sure," Smith admits. "But nobody can take me in the paint."
17. They once headlined alt-rock's ultimate bill.
At a few West Coast shows in 1991, Pearl Jam and Nirvana were the Peppers' opening acts. "We were supposed to have Smashing Pumpkins, too," say Kiedis. "But Billy Corgan backed out because of his history with Courtney Love."
18. They played with fire … and got burned.
When the band headlined Lollapalooza II, the highlight of every night was its legendary "fire helmet" encore. "It was basically just a propane tank and a hard hat," Smith says. "The first time we did it, in San Francisco, it was so windy that my drum tech couldn't get the flame going. But all of a sudden the wind died down and WHOOOSH! — this huge ball of fire. From then on, we were more careful."
19. The Peppers have gone through guitarists like Spinal Tap went through drummers.
Between 1983 and 1995 the band went through seven different guitar players. "I wish it was as mythical and lighthearted as the death of the Spinal Tap drummers," Kiedis said in 1996, during the tenure of Lucky No.7, Dave Navarro. "But I don't think it's any kind of hex or curse." Two years later, Navarro was out.
20. No one thought John Frusciante would live to see 30.
Before he kicked drugs and rejoined the group for 1999's Californication, the guitarist was all but dead. His teeth were falling out; his skin was peeling off; he was quite literally rotting away. "John was embracing it," says Smith. "He wanted to be a junkie. You do that, you're gone."
