Red Hot Chili Peppers Return to the Stage, Anthony Kiedis Discusses Health

After Anthony Kiedis’ health scare earlier this month that forced Red Hot Chili Peppers to cancel several performances, the band returned to the stage last night to play a set, including one of their new songs, at Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio. After their postponed shows, the Ohio performance marks the band’s first concert since the announcement of their new album, The Getaway. They debuted “Dark Necessities,” the lead single off the forthcoming album, live for the first time, alongside crowd favorites like “Californication” and “Suck My Kiss.”

Before the performance, Kiedis sat down with ET Canada to discuss the health issues that had prevented him from performing in California the prior week. Kiedis explained that his original diagnosis with intestinal flu was exacerbated by excess scar tissue from a past operation, on top of another virus he contracted on the road. The result was intense stomach pain and a high fever that forced the frontman to go to a hospital and cancel upcoming gigs in Irvine and Burbank.

“It was a painful and sad thing to have to cancel shows, we don’t really do that,” Kiedis said. “I’d rather play deathly ill than not at all but in this particular instance I was starting to go down to the ground. I got some help and now I’ve got to figure things out.”

The singer also noted that the experience has made him reassess his approach to health, as the rocker is now 53. “I feel good, not great, but good. I think I had to get sick to take a look at myself and get to the causes and conditions of my overall health. So it turned out to be a good thing, albeit painful,” he added.

Check out the first live performance of “Dark Necessities” below: