Electrifying energy to match the F1 race

American alternative rock veterans Red Hot Chili Peppers performing at the Singapore Grand Prix 2019 concert on Sunday. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

REVIEW / CONCERT

FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND FATBOY SLIM

Padang Stage/Sunday

It took them 17 years but American alternative rock stalwarts Red Hot Chili Peppers finally made their return to Singapore in grand fashion by performing in front of a 65,000-strong F1 crowd.

Coming on the massive Padang Stage soon after Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won this year's night race, the funk-rock veterans gave an energetic 100-minute performance that matched the high-octane action on the race track.

Fronted by livewire singer Anthony Kiedis, the 36-year-old band played an eclectic set list that included commercial rock hits and fan favourites dating back to the late 1980s.

The band, which also includes bassist extraordinaire Flea, kicked off the show with an instrumental jam before launching into Can't Stop from 2002 album By The Way.

And while the fans cheered loudest to mid-tempo, melodic hits that included Grammy-winning songs from albums Stadium Arcadium (2006) and Californication (1999), it was the manic energy of their fast-paced tracks and impromptu jams that truly stole the show.

Songs like the ultra-bouncy Give It Away, from their breakthrough 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, took on a life of their own in a live setting, with the bare-chested Flea and Kiedis seemingly trying to out-jump each other at every chance.

Drummer Chad Smith might not be the flashiest musician around, but his tight chops were a fitting complement to Flea's masterful basslines.

The latter had plenty of chances to show off in the newer songs from their latest album The Getaway (2016), from the slap-heavy Dark Necessities to the dense Go Robot, in which he brought on an extra player to beef up the bass.

And while guitarist and newest member Josh Klinghoffer's style might have more than a passing resemblance to his predecessor, John Frusciante, his solo take on Prince classic Purple Rain was on point.

Kiedis might seem to struggle with his singing at times - he had trouble reaching the high notes in their breakneck version of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground - but the band's overall hopped-up presence overshadowed the technical flaws.

"We bow at the feet of Singapore," said Flea, who seemed genuinely appreciative of the love shown by the fans.

Earlier in the evening, British dance music icon Fatboy Slim had fans dancing along to a buoyant 90-minute set.

The 56-year-old DJ and producer, whose real name is Norman Cook, added a good dose of rock sensibility to his performance, jumping up and down in time to the music.

He played a seamless, non-stop mix of dance songs that hardly gave a chance for the audience to catch their breath.

Cook also peppered his set list with plenty of tension-building and then releasing it with euphoric beat drops.

Part of the fun was in spotting the samples, which ranged from 1982 rock anthem and Rocky III theme Eye Of The Tiger to more recent tunes such as hip-hop artist Childish Gambino's This Is America.

Signature Fatboy Slim tune The Rockafeller Skank (1998) was mashed up with The Rolling Stones classic Satisfaction and The Ramones' Blietzkrieg Bop, while his live arrangement of Praise You (1998) raised spirits with its gospel music vibes.

Electronic dance music may have evolved much since Cook's heyday in the 1990s, but the dance veteran has lost little of his ability to electrify his audience.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 24, 2019, with the headline Electrifying energy to match the F1 race. Subscribe