The Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked the Happel Stadium

The Californian group, who have been bringing their music to the public for 40 years, have won the hearts of fans with a pleasing mixture of rock, funk and pop. The quartet proved that on Friday evening in Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium with a compact, sometimes surprising set.

The reason for the world tour, which has been running since the middle of last year, is ultimately the still existing productivity of the band: singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, who rejoined in 2019, are not just the perfect version of this formation, which has become multifaceted over the years , but apparently had a lot to say to each other after a long break – at least on a creative level. With “Unlimited Love” and “Return of the Dream Canteen” there were two new records to admire last year.

Still in shape

And the Chili Peppers still show this in form: The vibrant rhythm foundation of Flea and Smith is the be-all and end-all on recordings and live, while Freigeist Frusciante soars to melodic heights. The irrepressible joy of playing was already evident at the jam set in at the beginning, before a classic called “Around the World” was supposed to really grab the around 45,000 visitors for the first time. But if you’re prepared for a greatest hits evening, you’ve probably been a bit disappointed. Instead, there was a motley mixture of old pearls, newer pieces and some secret album tips.

Such was of course the crisp “I Like Dirt” from the 1999 feat “Californication”, which impressively cemented the band’s status as one of the most important in the global rock circus. But even before that, fans of the early hours could react properly when the powerful “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” led more than 30 years into the past. But that in no way meant that the catchy tunes were left out completely. After all, the communal choir was not only well served on “Snow ((Hey Oh))”.

“You motherfuckers make us happy”

What is striking about the Red Hot Chili Peppers is still the very music-focused approach. On the one hand, this was expressed in a number of intros or jams set in between, which proved how well attuned the trio Frusciante-Flea-Smith is. On the other hand, in a stage show that was visually impressive due to a video wall running from top to bottom and reminiscent of a waterfall, but by no means relied on clumsy sensationalism. The songs were supported (perhaps the most successful was the recent hit “Black Summer” with a little supernova), but they weren’t marginalized. And you have to use a magnifying glass to look for audience interaction with the Chili Peppers anyway.

After all, Flea let herself be answered quite early on with a “You motherfuckers make us happy!” enraptured, while a short chat between him and singer Kiedis was probably only understandable for the initiated. Which brings us to the common shortcoming of a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert: as charismatic as Kiedis may seem with his engaging voice, live he is not necessarily one of the best in his field. After all, he used a teleprompter to trick the text dropouts that usually occurred. And vocally Kiedis was solid this time. Only: An entertainer has not been lost to him.

Ultimately, there was a show to be experienced that was musically quite spicy, but relied on classic ingredients. Big hits like “Californication” or “By The Way” were the typical guarantees of success, in between there were pieces like “Reach Out” that proved that the band is still relevant today. And anyone who appreciates instrumental finesse is in good hands here anyway. A performance of the old school in new robes, which somehow seemed quite familiar. Despite the rather short playing time of less than two hours, it tasted very good.