I farted in Marilyn Manson’s face

Discussing the best rock guitarists you will sooner or later mention John Frusciante. The two most successful album of the Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” (1991) and “Californication” (1999) are due to his skills. A few days ago, Frusciante’s third solo album was released.

Hamburg.

Reason enough for LAUT to meet the Peppers guitarist in at Hamburg Hotel for an interview. In a relaxed meeting he talks about making music with and without his band colleagues, the importance of electronic music, his relationship to Eminem and Marilyn Manson and about German bands who are just marginally know, even by German freaks. The evening prior to the interview, Frusciante did a showcase gig in the Prinzenbar.

LAUT: John, you have already done three solo shows in Europe. How does it feel to be on stage without the Chili Peppers?

John: When I am alone up on stage it is something completely different compared to the Chili Peppers shows. I love playing my songs on the guitar. When I’ve composed a new song, I’m not only playing it to my friends in the band. All my friends will get to hear it, no matter where I am. This can be at my house or on a tour bus, simply everywhere. And all of them like my songs.

When I am on tour on my own, I am thinking about this kind of playing. It cannot be compared to the feeling of going on stage with the Chili Peppers. There, an enormous energy come up which results when we are together. No one feels responsible for the other, it is just the four of us playing together. But when I play my own songs to people, I feel an energy that I have started myself with my life.

LAUT: Why do you do so few solo shows? As we’ve heard, the Chili Peppers are already waiting for you in the studio…

John: Well, that’s right. I’ve got to be back at a certain point of time cause the Chili Peppers have a show in L.A. lined up and we are also starting to record our next album.

LAUT: So you would like to play more shows?

John: Sure. I really enjoyed doing the last two shows and I can’t hardly wait for the next one. There’s one more gig in Paris and one in Amsterdam. In March it’s New York, cause the Chili Peppers have got things to do there as well and then there’s L.A.. Well, I’d really like to play more gigs, but at the same time I’m looking forward to more work on the next Chili Peppers album.

LAUT: What does making music with your buddies mean to you?

John: The time when I was working on new songs for the band every day was the best time in my life. My only reason for being here is to wake up in the morning, listen to music and play along on my guitar to songs by which I want to be influenced. If I happen to get ideas, I grab my tape recorder. That’s what makes me happy. I think that the two most beautiful moments in my life were the recording sessions for “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” and “Californication”. That’s why I’m really looking forward to recording again.

LAUT: Does it matter to you how your friends like your music?

John: Oh yeah, my friends love it.

LAUT: Your band colleagues as well?

John: I’m not sure about Chad, I’ve never given him any of my stuff. But Flea and Anthony both love my music. (He thinks for little while.) Well, you know, when this solo album was released, I had already recorded two CDs which had not been released.­ I don’t mean those two old records.

These records were recorded in 1999 throughout the year before I started to compose the songs for my new album. I did them distribute it among my friends. Now I want to release this old stuff song by song as b-sides, like the four bonus-tracks on my new single “Going Inside”. So little by little I’m going to spread the old stuff, because it is good. (laughs)

LAUT: Now back to your new album: Especially the instrumental tracks “Ramparts” and “Murderers” have an atmosphere which reminds me of your way of playing the guitar on “Californication”. By which criteria do you decide that a song will, for example, become a Chili Peppers song?

John: I recorded my new album during the “Californication” tour. Apart from me, no one is interested in recording songs while on tour. “Ramparts” and “Murderers” were written in March 2000 and if I had wanted to reserve one of the songs for the Chili Peppers, I’d still be waiting today….

However, there is one song for the Peppers which I did on my drum machine. Somehow I’d gotten the idea of UK surf music style guitar lines à la The Ventures or The Shadows with underlying techno beats. Anthony liked one of my recordings and wanted to make a song of it. I also, okay, if you think you can sing along to it, then I won’t release it.

LAUT: So there are no musical conflicts?

John: No, no. Anthony and Flea support me where they can. If I had told them, I wanted to promote my solo work for the next five months, they would have said “OK, do that as long as it makes you happy”. But, of course, they are glad that I don’t do that.

LAUT: Concerning the instrumentation of the album it was said that you were mainly influenced by New Order and Depeche Mode. Are these bands your personal favourites in the same way as Syd Barrett, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix?

John: Yeah, that’s the same for me. I think that in each era period of time there are the same energies which make it possible to create good music. But all of this is a question of being impartial in such sense that you see that those energies take on different shapes in different periods of time. For me those energies that once made Jimi Hendrix create new sounds are the same energies that come over Depeche Mode when as recorded “Violator”; an album that does sound like no other rock album before. Well, you know, there was a time in my life when I was a little child and I though: Music was at it’s best in the 60s. But I don’t feel this way anymore. The more I opened myself to all varieties of electronic music of the past 20 years the more I had to realize that some of this stuff is at least a guiding and exciting as the music before it.

LAUT: During your gig last night you mentioned that guitarist Michael Rother is an inspiration for you. What does German music mean to you?

John: Oh, well German music, together with certain other things, will be very much a new element part of the next Chili Peppers album. All of us love Neu! and Can, Harmonia and Cluster. And yes, Kraftwerk definitely one of Flea’s and my favourites. But first and foremost all of us dig Neu! where Michael Rother played guitar. This will find it’s way into the mix cause everything you listen to does also influence you. The rhythms and structures of dub and techno music are also going to play an important role on the next album. Of course it’s going to sound like the sound the four of us create. However, I think that we are able to create a similarly multilayered sound with our instruments as you find in some of the electronic stuff. When recording “Californication” we listened to a lot of Tricky, Portishead and Björk and tried on purpose the create an original atmosphere. But the next album will be influenced by more than just trip hop.

LAUT: After such a difficult time as you’ve been through it seems
nearly incredible to us to reach such enormous success like that of “Californication. Do you feel privileged?

John: Yes, very much. To tear away from something like what I’ve gotten away from is a thing that I can’t take responsibility for. Some powers in the universe out there must really love me. I know that a lot of invisible powers are fighting for me. All I can do is to thank them every day by making the best music that I’m able to.

LAUT: Perhaps you know that Eminem and Marilyn Manson are also in Hamburg at the moment. Did you meet one of them?

John: (hesitates) Well, I haven’t met Eminem so far, but I’ve met Marilyn Manson’s folks. I’ve always felt a strong dislike for him ever since he wrote bad things about The Smiths in his book. That’s why I don’t like him, because I love The Smiths. But, you know, a couple of good friends of mine are also his friends, so what the heck. I don’t have anything against him, I just try to be friendly ever since I farted into his face once during an interview…. (laughs). That was years ago, I guess that he was probably writing for a fanzine in Florida and was saying that he’d interviewed me, Anthony and Flea for this zine. I must have been 18 at that time, at least I can’t remember, but at a certain stage I must have farted into his face… (everyone laughs). Later he told me that he’s now doing the same with interviewers. (laughs).

LAUT: Speaking of Manson, do you think that artists in general can be held responsible for glorifying violence?

John: No, cause for me art has always something to do with opposites. A song dealing with sadness can make someone smile. That’s just like punk rock which around 1980 seemed to glorify violence for some people. Punk rock was exactly what got me down back then. I could vent all my feelings by listening to this music. If I hadn’t had punk rock I’d probably have reached a point where I would have killed people.

When a person kills another person it’s fate and I don’t think that any kind of music can make a person do that. There must be greater energies involved which can’t be stopped. Whereas music may have the power to balance these energies. For me, music has no other purpose but to bring people together. And people such as Eminem … you know for while Flea’s daughter was crazy about Eminem until at one stage she said that he’s a mean guy. I didn’t oppose when she liked him, I even bought her his album, but I was really happy for her when she found out herself. I don’t want her to go out with guys like Eminem, I want her to meet a great guy with charm and so on… (laughs). If Eminem is her idea of a perfect guy, well, then I don’t know. (laughs).

LAUT: Do you have an opinion regarding “One Hot Minute”?

John: To be honest, I haven’t listened to it from beginning to end. I do only know the hits on it.

LAUT: Does it hurt when you hear these songs?

John: It’s strange for me. It’s about as if you are watching your ex-girlfriend having sex with another man. It’s unpleasant cause you know that you should be there. And the things that I’ve heard are not really my favourites, they sound unbalanced to me.

LAUT: John, thank you very much for the interview.