Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith Played To 17 People At Melbourne's Cherry Bar

10 February 2023 | 11:55 am | Mary Varvaris

"Words can’t describe this... Got to play drums in front of my idol…. then he played them with my sticks (and broke them), and then I got to hang with him".

Red Hot Chili Peppers in Sydney

Red Hot Chili Peppers in Sydney (Pic by Brendan Delavere)

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Chad Smith, one of the most well-known rock drummers in one of the most famous bands in the world, Red Hot Chili Peppers, still plays to tiny audiences once in a while.

Two nights ago, Smith showed up at the Cherry Bar in Melbourne's CBD - a venue that's hosted Axl Rose, Arctic Monkeys, and Lady Gaga in impromptu gigs - and played to just 17 people. Smith reportedly performed two AC/DC songs, If You Want Blood and Up to My Neck In You. Vocalist AC Dan and guitarist Josh May joined him.

"Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is a legend," Cherry Bar owner James Young wrote on Facebook. Young also stated that Smith was rewarded with a Cherry Bar drink card following his performance.

Melbourne drummer Seth O'Donnell watched the action take place and later met the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer. "Words can’t describe this," O'Donnell's Instagram post reads. "Got to play drums in front of my idol Chad Smith…. then he played them with my sticks (and broke them), and then I got to hang with him".

Check out the footage below.

 On Tuesday night at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, fans were treated to all three major hits from Blood Sugar Sex Magik - for the first time on their current Australian tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers performed Suck My Kiss and Under The Bridge. Give It Away was also represented.  

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In The Music's review of the first show of the tour in Brisbane, we noted the strange setlist omissions.

"There’s just one problem: after more than 90 minutes of amazing music, energy and chemistry,  that highly anticipated encore never comes, leaving lovers of classics Can’t Stop and Under the Bridge feeling somewhat jilted," reviewer Jess Martyn wrote. "At the end of the night, two things are certain: Flea deserved much more time on the big screen and skipping the encore only works if you don’t leave two of your biggest songs off the setlist.

"Now to listen to Can’t Stop on repeat."

Chad Smith crashes Cherry Jam…

Shout out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for lending us their drummer… Chad Smith spontaneously jumps up at Cherry Jam last night with Dan and Josh and thumps out AC/DC’s ‘Up To My Neck In You’… What a top bloke! Chad Smith Redhotchilipeppers

Posted by Cherry Bar on Wednesday, February 8, 2023