As a prelude to seeing Foo Fighters next month, I took up an offer to see these tribute bands playing locally. To my surprise, my wife wanted to come along too. I am not much of a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I figured I would suffer them as I would any support act, always prepared to be surprised.
The venue was far from sold out, with maybe sixty or seventy people present. A work colleague and her friend had kept us seats so at least the night would be comfortable. My back was still fragile and prone to spasm if I wasn't careful. Put it this way, I wasn't going to be jumping about.
My first impression of the Red Hot Chilipinos was that they'd eaten the Peppers. Not in the sense that what they produced was fiery poo. It was just that RHCP are lean and muscular, whereas these English lads are not. The band did a great job of sounding like the Peppers, though the singer lacked Anthony Keidis's tone and range. Partway into their set, I checked my phone and was surprised it had only been twenty minutes. The longer they played, the more I wished my earplugs were noise-cancelling. They finished strong, but I can't say I enjoyed their hour-and-a-quarter-long set. It didn't matter, though, as I wasn't here for them.
Initially, I was disappointed by Foo Fifers. My wife said afterwards my expectations were too high. The singer was no Dave Grohl. He sang the words but lacked the Grohl growl, his impression more of a rasp. But then, there's a reason Dave Grohl is a rock icon. His talents lie way beyond his songwriting ability. This guy obviously loves the Foos but couldn't go far enough to capture his spirit and charisma.
The night wasn't a total bust, though. The more songs they played, the better they became. By the end, everyone, including myself, was standing, rocking along. The band was good. The less I compared them to the real Foo Fighters, the more I appreciated them. It was a shame they only got to play for an hour and a quarter, too, the gig finishing at 11 p.m.
Would I go back to see them? No.
Was it a waste of money? No.
I had a good time, but these tributes only left me craving to be in the presence of the real thing. (Rock'n) Roll on June.
Ticket Price: £10 (plus BF 1.55).
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