NickNick Cave: “I’m forever near a stereo saying ‘What the fuck is this garbage’?” he said. “And the answer is always Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
Also Nick Cave: does vocals on a jazzy version of Wichita Lineman for Flea’s 2026 solo album.
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Jon W
Arratoon@Nickiquote Here’s Nick talking about it: https://www.theredhandfiles.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-flea-bear/
Nick Cave - The Red Hand Files - Issue #316 - My best friend recently said something that felt really spiteful to me. It was so unnecessary and mean and I feel just so wounded. I am furious at my friend. How do I forgive her? What do I even do?
Dear Beatriz and Brendan, About twenty-five years ago, I made an offhand and somewhat uncharitable remark about the Red Hot Chili Peppers...
@Nickiquote And here’s Mr Flea talking on the same subject: From Mojo, April 2026
Talking about Cave singing on Mr Flea’s version of Wichita Lineman
Was Nick atoning for what he once told Q magazine: "I'm forever near a stereo saying, What the fuck is this garbage? And the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers."
(Laughs) I mean, of course I would rather him think we were soulful geniuses but I understand.
Nick suggested that you're a "bear whisperer"?
What's that all about?
Nick and I share a mutual friend who might be my best friend in the world, an artist from Leeds, Thomas Houseago. Thomas and I and my daughter and Peter Staley, another friend, went on a backpacking trip in Yosemite a couple of years ago. We went way out into the back country, which is one of my favourite things to do, and we'd been talking about maybe we'd see a bear, but a little scared too because it could kill you.
So we're walking down this thickly-wooded trail, the big river on one side, and I was in the front, and then boom, there's a giant bear right in front of me! Without thinking, I said to the bear, "Bear, I love you. I love you so much. Thanks for having us in your beautiful place, I'm so pleased to see you. May we pass?" And the bear just kind of looked and then ambled off into the woods. (Laughs)
@Nickiquote I loathe RHCP, and his bandmate Kiedis is a nonce, but from interviews I’ve read with him, Flea seems… alright?
@arratoon I honestly have no idea. But I quite like the more experimental stuff that Flea and John Frusciante have done on their own.
Я⊛ḶḶ model ☭i like a few of their songs; i'm not too proud to admit. Does that mean i'm not bad seed?
Martin W@arratoon @Nickiquote
He started a company called Fleabass aimed at providing high quality but low priced bass guitars to help young people get into playing bass. I think that was pretty cool.
He started a company called Fleabass aimed at providing high quality but low priced bass guitars to help young people get into playing bass. I think that was pretty cool.
@MartinW @Nickiquote Yeah, good for him, nice.
Keith@arratoon @Nickiquote I think the thing I like best about him is his enthusiasm and promotion of others. He's a huge Kae Tempest fanboy for example. Conversation here where he lavishly heaps praise on him and you can feel KT getting a little embarrassed in a good way. (Two minutes in).
