To Live and Die in L.A.

“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”: To introduce their new double-record, the Red Hot Chili Peppers return to Chateau Marmont, which inspired the Eagles to “Hotel California”. What makes them come back to this place, where their guitarist – like many other guests too – has faced death?

The City of Angels has two faces. The one, to which the 10-million-metropolis by the Pacific Ocean owes its bad reputation, is smooth, tanned and its problem areas are filled with a bit of silicone. You can meet this face almost everywhere: Desperate housewives carry it underneath their baseball caps through the supermarkets of Santa Monica, daughters of millionaires tighten it in the toilets of bars in Beverly Hills and casting agents hide it away behind the newest issue of the US-Weekly in Melrose Avenue, while they stir sweeteners into their caffeine-free soy-Latte Macchiatos with long-stemmed spoons.

This face is just half of the truth. “It makes me wanna vomit when people project their own superficial views onto L.A.”, Anthony Kiedis will say later with a slightly aggressive undertone in one of the garden bungalows of the Chateau Marmont. “As if it was a place full of artificiality. That’s completely wrong.” Kiedis isn’t patient with people who reduce Los Angeles to the weather, a smiling Arnold [Schwarzenegger] and the omnipresent beauty craze, because he has seen the other face of the City of Angels too: in the VIP-rooms of gloomy bars, at the heroin trafficking spots “under the bridge downtown” and especially here, in this bewitched hotel on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.

The other face of Hollywood doesn’t wear make-up. It’s a deformed grimace with damaged skin and hollow eyes. Since the ’60s, when in the Chateau, as the novel by Roman Polanski reports, “you could almost get high, just by breathing in the vapor coming through the keyhole”, the staff saw this scary face over and over again: in the early morning when meeting Janis Joplin, who couldn’t sleep due to pills and drugs and walked through the hallways like a zombie; in the winter of 1970, when Jim Morrison, dazed by LSD, fell from his balcony into the garden and broke two ribs; and showing all his ugliness in the morning of March 5th, 1982, when John Belushi let someone inject a mixture between heroin and cocaine in bungalow 3 until his breath and heart stopped and he died naked in his bed.

Hollywood isn’t proud of its dark secrets and places like the Chateau specialised in keeping those secrets. “If you really want to fuck up something, then do it in the Chateau Marmont”, said the Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn to his film stars already at the end of the ’30s, because this hotel, which was built like the gothic castle Chateau d’Amboise in the French Loire-Valley, is designed like a fortress. The lobby can’t be seen from the street, there are rear entrances and hidden garden doors and the staff is known for its discreetness. The limits of tolerance are seldom reached – Led Zeppelin drove their Harleys in the 70s through the lobby and still they were always welcome – just John Frusciante crossed these limits in the ’90s.

To give interviews and to present their new double album, the Red Hot Chili Peppers rented a two-storey bungalow in the garden by the pool. Kiedis (43), Flea (43) and Chad Smith (44) move totally relaxed through the old-fashioned rooms. “Hey, did you listen to our album on this equipment? Was the sound good?”, asks Smith a bunch of intimidated Swedish journalists after the listening session of STADIUM ARCADIUM happily. Kiedis and Flea make big cups of yogi-tea and take a look at their interview program together. Before they have to answer question as if on an assembly-line, they go outside to enjoy the sunny day on the terrace of the hotel, which was the setting of one of the darkest chapters in the band’s history. What John Frusciante (36) feels, when he returns to this place, is hard to tell. Those are the same rooms, in which he has seen hell, when his life ran out of hand in mid-90s.

Nobody knew where Frusciante was over months, until the journalist Robert Wilonsky found him in the Chateau in December 1996. “The floor of his suite is full of CDs (from Bowie over Devo to his favorite bands King Crimson and Nirvana), mineral water bottles, cigarettes, magazines and sterile compresses.”, wrote Wilonsky at that time in the “New Times”. Not able to process a childhood trauma without help, Frusciante became a junkie, who had reached his final stage at that point: He had lost his teeth, he had bloodshot fingernails, burns and inflamed punctures all over his body. Because death isn’t an uncommon guest in those “Hanging Gardens of Babylon”, as the author F. Scott Fitzgerald called the Chateau (he was also a guest when he died in 1940 of a heart attack in the kiosk on the other side of the street), the staff just watched with stoic calmness, while the rock star slowly destroyed himself in his suite. Not until he wasn’t able to pay the rent anymore some weeks after the release of the article, the owner threw him out.

Withdrawals and therapy saved Frusciante. “I’m not afraid of a relapse.”, he said in 2002, “I know that that isn’t an option for me.” On the day of the album presentation a cardigan with long sleeves covers his scarred forearms. He walks ducked like an old man, but he smiles. Maybe he still loves this hotel.

John Frusciante is the nerve center of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He’s an obsessed musician, who spends twelve hours a day practicing and improvising over months. He’s a never-ending source of creativity. His input – paired with the liveliness and the keenness to experiment of Flea – saves the band from stagnation. With STADIUM ARCADIUM the Chili Peppers don’t reinvent themselves like they did with CALIFORNICATION. That they nevertheless don’t repeat themselves over and over again, is primary up to the incalculable contributions of their guitarist: For instance with his fast finger picking in “Snow ((Hey Oh))”, with the heavy classic rock breaks in “Readymade”, with the warm and floating chords of “Hard To Concentrate” and with the clear, almost Mark-Knopfler-like solo of “Stadium Arcadium”.

Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to have a normal conversation with Frusciante. As precise and innovative his guitar work is, as vague and tiresome are sometimes his answers. Any question can animate him to talk without drawing a breath about music in general, God, his guardian angel and the ghosts, who visit him (“Formerly they just tortured and insulted me. Now they like me.”). Journalists leave his interview room – a small bedroom on the first floor of the bungalow – always with long faces. One single question about the album, says one of them with a disbelieving look onto his minidisc-device, was answered by Frusciante with a 17 minute long monologue. If you want to know something about the creative process, which lead under the instructions of Rick Rubin at a rehearsal space in the “Valley” of Los Angeles to the 38 new songs – you can find 28 on STADIUM ARCADIUM and the other 10 will be released as B-Sides and bonus tracks – an interview with Frusciante isn’t much help. It’s too hard today for the absent-minded guitarist, to put his complex world of thoughts into words. No, if you want to understand the organism of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, then you shouldn’t talk to the fragile spine of the band. You should talk to its head.

MUSIKEXPRESS: Good afternoon!
KIEDIS: Hello! (A firm handshake. Before Kiedis sits down, he moves his huge chair until he’s sure that he’ll have a direct and straight eye-contact. He wears a green polo shirt and orange trainers of the brand New Balance. His look is clear and alert, his face is slender and a bit haggard. One day he’ll look like Iggy Pop.)

The record…
KIEDIS: How many songs did you hear? 21? (He noisily sips his tea. He’s also bored by small talk and that’s the reason why we stop doing that after a few minutes.)

Why did you always talk openly about the drug past of the band?
KIEDIS: No special reason. But I think that it would’ve been a lot harder to hide it. I could leave the topic out completely, but I could also talk about it. I don’t really care.

Drugs played a major part in this band for a long time. Is it hard to be creative without them?
KIEDIS: I never used drugs to increase my creativity. When I was really young, they just had a damaging effect. I was never productive, when I was high. You’re like a dog that’s chasing its own tail: You have a small and good idea and you’re circling around it for days and weeks.

The experiences on drugs weren’t inspiring?
KIEDIS: There are so many demons in this world, from which you can get your inspiration. There are dark experiences and there are uplifting experiences that can give you inspiration for a song. Drugs aren’t a way to reach my goal on that score. I felt really emotional at times, when I came out of a drug phase. Okay – maybe the intensity of this cleaning process is a valuable tool.

A tool that can’t help you nowadays. Do you now use special methods to become creative?
KIEDIS: Yeah. Traveling helps to free your mind. The best method is to listen to everything that’s surrounding me. Whether it’s music, empty space or the universe – you just have to listen.

The Chili Peppers create new songs when they’re improvising. Isn’t there a certain danger to get stuck in known patterns?
KIEDIS: Theoretically, yes. But the people in this band want to grow and change. John’s never satisfied, when it comes to the point to explore new music. He isn’t interested anymore in the stuff he played six months ago – because he’s already exploring new areas. All of a sudden he’s listening to Bach, for instance. That changes the way he plays. Improvisations are really important for the band and John has a new approach to those jams every six months. He always changes the theoretical superstructure.

“She Looks To Me” on STADIUM ARCADIUM seems nevertheless after a certain pattern.
KIEDIS: Well, this isn’t the most world-shaking song on the record. It has a simple chord progression. But sometimes even the simple things have their place. This song was very important to me. I immediately wanted to write a melody and lyrics for it. We all knew that this wasn’t something innovative. I don’t know if I would call it “after a certain pattern”. It’s just simple and old-fashioned. Traditional.

Speaking of old-fashioned: John plays in almost every song an extensive guitar solo…
KIEDIS: (smiles) It’s just the right time for the return of high-performance guitar solos.

Actually you wanted to make a classical record: eleven perfect songs. You recorded 38. Are you that creative or can’t you criticize yourself that much anymore?
KIEDIS: I guess both are true. I don’t know if it’s a bad thing not to criticize ourselves. Concerning quality, we always control each other.

Are there any ego-problems in rehearsals?
KIEDIS: Many! We had as many conflicts and outbursts of rage as any other band too.

Is it getting easier when you get older?
KIEDIS: I think we’re doing well. John could sometimes freak out and was silent and resentful afterwards. Today he gets angry and 20 minutes later it’s over again. Suddenly he’s interested again what’s there for lunch.

CALIFORNICATION and BY THE WAY were so successful that nowadays many people at the record company can just be paid, if this record also sells by the millions. Does that interfere with your work?
KIEDIS: Thank God, not at all. That’s a different universe. We only have to deal rarely with the record company. Most of the time they do their stuff and we do ours. You can’t find real recognition as a band in their world. Creative work is a lot more important. In the moment, when you create something veritable, you can immediately sense a feeling of fulfillment in the room – the recognition of the universe. That doesn’t happen when you sell stuff, this happens when you create something. That’s rather a spiritual experience.

Speaking of spiritual experiences…A Japanese translator, who was part of some interviews last week, told me that you talk about God all the time. You didn’t even mention God today.
KIEDIS: (smiles) It isn’t easy to use the word God because it’s almost guaranteed that it will be taken the wrong way. Everyone has his own impression of God. There are about five million definitions worldwide for this term.

Are you wearing a Kabbalah-wristband?
KIEDIS: Ah – no. Even though I got it from the child of a Kabbalah follower. But it’s just a wristband that kids bind to show their friendship.

Friendship. A topic that leads us to Kiedis’ partner. He and Flea are inseparable since they were 15. When Kiedis didn’t come to school, Flea walked around insecurely in the schoolyard. “I walked up and down the whole time.”, says the bassist. “I didn’t want anyone to notice that I was alone.” Side by side they survived all the highs and lows they had with the Red Hot Chili Peppers: In many conversations they tried to handle the heroin death of their first guitarist Hillel Slovak, with discipline and teamwork they acquired the huge success with BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK, and with motionless faces they told lies about the not as successful record ONE HOT MINUTE: “Dave Navarro is the perfect substitute for Frusciante” “We were never happier!” etc. They supported each other with never-ending patience from the middle to the end of the 90s, until they could finally start a new chapter with CALIFORNICATION, being finally clean, healthy and a lot more mature. “Without this truthful love, which we feel for each other, we couldn’t function as a band for so long”, says Kiedis in 1995 already. At the same time they’re not even that alike: Kiedis is serious, thoughtful and diplomatic, whereas Flea’s foolish, effervescent and full of passion. After the lunch break he calmly asks for recycling bins, to dispose his plastic plate, before he announces on full blast to “urinate to begin with”. If you look into his sparkling eyes, when he swings himself into a chair, you can see a wise man and a child. You see the heart of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Kiedis says that you don’t criticize yourself so much anymore.
FLEA: We’re more self-criticizing than before! We just produce more music than back then. On this record, hmm… (all of sudden, deadly serious) That’s the best record we ever made.

(smiles)
FLEA: (is silent)

Come on. Everybody says that.
FLEA: I know. We also always say that. But it’s the truth after all. You’ve heard it, haven’t you?

You make BY THE WAY and CALIFORNICATION appear unimportant. They weren’t bad.
FLEA: Maybe I always have the feeling that we found new ways to express ourselves. The repertoire became deeper and we present it better. And we respect each other. Beautiful things arise from that.

Kiedis says that you have conflicts like every other band.
FLEA: Of course. If you try to change, you can’t avoid that. If you want to grow, you have to agree to some pain.

That sounds as if it’s still a challenge for you to be a musician.
FLEA: Totally. Music is a really challenging thing. I always try to get better. But I’m not that clever and not that fantastic. I often have the feeling that I only touch the surface when it comes to music. It can be that I’m an arrogant rock star, but concerning music I’m really humble.

In former times you tried to gain deeper insight.
FLEA: Oh yeah. We all also had our positive experiences on drugs. They open up our horizon and showed us a new perspective. Most of the time though they just blocked the band.

Do you still have access to those experiences?
FLEA: Yeah. The realizations which I had, when I was young, were really helpful. But: If you open a door and look into a new room, then you should have awe and be astonished. Not just open the door, close it, open it, close it and so on. Until it breaks out of its hinges. But drugs aren’t necessary anyways. All the things you can learn through drugs, you can experience on other ways too.

Maybe it’s an easier way? Just a glass of wine can be helpful when you have to be creative when you’re stressed out.
FLEA: Because you relax. You forget your fears and the material world. You connect with your inner world, in which everything’s in a stream without difficulty – a never-ending source of creativity. The wine helps, but there are other possibilities too, to get a connection.

Do you need more discipline without drugs?
FLEA: You have to develop a consciousness for the inner world and develop a relationship. You can’t just ignore this world. For instance: If you have troubles, you can ask God or your higher self for help. It can happen that you get an answer like that: “What? You didn’t talk to me for 20 years, you dipshit. And now you want something?” You know? You have to care about this relationship. That way you build up energy, which you can use, when you need to be creative. The more you care about the relationship, the more it gives you back.

Caroline Myss, who writes self-help books, told you that you don’t have to prove yourself anything as a musician.
FLEA: This was an enormously important lesson. For different reasons I had the feeling that I need affirmation: When I was famous, I was okay; when I was the best performer on stage on earth, then I was okay; when my girlfriend loved me more than anything else and everyone thought that I was the best, then I was okay. Not till then. Instead of loving and accepting myself the way I was. The search for affirmation pushed me into a corner.

I know that feeling.
FLEA: Yeah, many people do. The truth is that it’s okay as long as we’re ourselves and friendly beings. (gets excited) Otherwise it’s never enough. You can never get enough affirmation. You can never fill the hole that we all feel. There’s never enough praise, enough fame, enough respect. If you just love yourself – unconditionally and with the painful hole inside you – , because you have the belief that you’re a more righteous person, everything’s okay.

Did you have to change your life radically?
FLEA: Back then I was suicidal. I had a nervous breakdown and I felt like shit. This was a turning point. It took a while, till everything was okay again. Today I can say that I was never happier in my life. Maybe when I was a really little kid.

Strange – someone told me that you talked about God the whole time last week. Must have been Frusciante.
FLEA: No that was possibly me. Because I love God unfathomable. But I don’t care about religions. It’s irrelevant if you’re a Jew, a Muslim or a Catholic. They’re just people, who want to have faith in a higher intelligence. Just like me. I pray every day. There was a moment in my life, when it was suddenly clear to me that God – who was for me just a vague concept of energy somewhere – existed. Suddenly I knew that I’d never be alone if I build a relationship to God.

Sounds consoling.
Oh yeah. Wonderful. But you know – I love the devil too. He’s also a part of it. Hail Satan!

Hail Satan. This sounds like a man without fear. Did the Red Hot Chili Peppers defeat their demons? “I remember the time [here in the Chateau] like I’d remember the life of another person”, says Frusciante. “It was really depressing and scary, but we survived.”, says also Kiedis. “There’s no reason to pretend that it didn’t happen.” Did they close the past in peace and accept that where’s light, there are also shadows? If they lost the fear of life together with their fear of death, then they’re free today. Free to talk about drugs, pain and the other face of this city, which they looked deeply in the eye for so long. And free to enjoy life on the terrace of a hotel that was scenery of one of the darkest chapters in the band’s history. Why not? It’s a sunny day.