What makes a punk band? Most will say noisy, fast, aggressive music, an out-there look and an uncompromising attitude that makes legions of impressionable teenagers start spiking up their hair and stop tidying their rooms. That’s not untrue, but if the American punk scene of the 1980s proves anything, it’s that a punk band really can be anything. From the dark, satirical wackiness of the Dead Kennedys, to the unsmiling rage of Black Flag to the funky monks themselves, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Secondly, at the very least, they came up through the same Southern California scene that gave the world the Circle Jerks, Minutemen and Descendents. An early iteration of the band even had Cliff Martinez of the Weirdos on the drums, so their pedigree is impeccable.
So it makes sense that when the soul of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist and all-around alternative rock godhead John Frusciante, was asked to list his 12 favourite songs by the radio station Dublab and punk rock was a major part of his list. Sitting pretty on an eclectic list containing the likes of Marvin Gaye, Captain Beefheart and Iggy Pop, these four songs showed off the punk rock spirit that has run through the band from the very beginning.
The Chilis, they of the loose-limbed funk-rock, clowning attitude and strategically placed socks, were absolutely a punk band. If you want to be a cop about it, maybe any band that plays stadiums loses the right to be called punk. If that’s the first, I pray for any party you might mistakenly be invited to.