After another scorching heatwave in Adelaide, the temperatures finally began to drop just in time for Red Hot Chili Peppers to re-light the fire on stage for the final concert of the 2019 Superloop Adelaide 500 (3 March).
One of the largest crowds ever to attend an Adelaide 500 after-race concert, tens of thousands of people of every generation and walk of life flooded the parklands ready for a night of funk rock.
Gen X and Gen Z alike were singing and dancing along to the band's greatest hits from across the last three decades. Gen X head banging with ears ringing after a big, final day of the Adelaide 500, and little ones with their parents clamping earmuffs over their heads ready for what was about to hit us like a high speed Supercar.
Click here for more photos from the show.
As expected they fittingly opened with ‘Intro Jam’ and ‘Can’t Stop’, followed by late '90s smash ‘Otherside’.
Founding member and long-time bassist, Flea was the only one to directly talk to the crowd; of course doing so in his own way. Addressing us all as a unit, humbly: “Motherf****** Adelaide!”, and making up little songs on the spot about being in Adelaide.
Image © Lisa Vincent
Lead singer Anthony Kiedis, having stripped off his t-shirt only a couple of songs in and showing not even a hint of a 56-year-old except for the brace on his knee, happily skipped and ran around the stage, while Flea and lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer jammed in the middle of the stage.
‘Dani California’, ‘Dark Necessities’ and ‘Californication’ had everyone pulling out their phones to record their fave songs. Before an incredibly underrated Chili Peppers anthem, ‘Don’t Forget Me’, graced our ear drums.
The biggest stand-out for the night was their 1989 version of ‘Higher Ground’, a Stevie Wonder original, which has undeniably become one of the best covers of all-time. A song which has found a very comfortable place high on my Spotify most-played list, the final seconds had me grinning from ear to ear.
Image © Lisa Vincent
Then after yet another mind-blowing jam centre-stage between Josh and Flea, they launched into ‘Soul To Squeeze’ and ‘By The Way’ leaving us all wondering how they had anything left in the tank.
They left the stage and a roar erupted, which would have rivalled the deafening sounds of the race earlier in the day, begging for one more song. And we were given a whole lot more.
Image © Lisa Vincent
Peppered with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic songs, the encore saw the opening act join RHCP on stage to sing, dance and get funky, before the show was closed with everyone together performing a version of ‘Give It Away’.
A massive weekend in Adelaide to kick off Mad March! With young and old alike, I'm wrapped to have witnessed the Chili Peppers perform a red-hot set live down in little old Adelaide.
