The Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked Tel Aviv last night, a decade after they canceled their show due to security issues.
As expected, the concert was a great success, as well as their visit to Israel. The group went straight from the airport to the Western Wall on Sunday, and from there they went back to Tel Aviv.
During last night’s concert, the band talked about Hillel Slovak, one of their founding members who died from a drug overdose in the early 1990s. Band leader Anthony Kiedis talked about Hillel on stage, stating, “Hillel Slovak forever!”
Kiedis also added, “I must say, Hillel had his own brand of Israeli funk, pretty sure he invented it. That Israeli funkinstein.” Guitarist Flea added, “We grew up, and we were kids in Los Angeles and we grew up with Hillel and we were best buddies, we got to be in our late teens or so, and he went out to a trip in Israel, and he came back and he was so lit up and so excited and so full of love and to come here today and think of him it’s truly a dream. The band started singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and went back to jamming for Hillel. They later dedicated the song “Other Side” to the city of Haifa, where Slovak was born.
Pro-Palestinian groups in Lebanon, where they performed just a few nights before, were outraged about the Peppers’ decision to do the show in Israel, and even threatened the opening acts in Beirut, leading one of the bands to cancel.
Drummer Chad Smith tweeted last week:
In any city of any country we play..Our sole purpose is to uplift people thru our music. Nothing more. Nothing less ..that’s it.
— Chad Smith (@RHCPchad) September 7, 2012
Watch the band talking about Slovak:
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