The group delivered a great, albeit confusing, set.
Lollapalooza 2018 started last Friday, the 23rd, in São Paulo and has already brought numerous novelties: a Danish band on Brazilian soil for the first time, a duo commanding a gigantic stage, and a set that started hot, cooled down, and heated up again in less than an hour.
Around 3:20 PM, impatient Volbeat began chanting and deciding which song would receive a huge mosh pit. A few minutes late, the Danish band took to the Ônix stage and made their long-awaited debut. Playing in the country for the first time, the band was surprised by the legion of fans who sang every word of every song.
The setlist consisted mainly of tracks from the album Seal The Deal and Let's Boogie (2016) such as “The Devil's Bleeding Crown” which opened the show and “Black Rose”, a big hit that earned the group some records on the Billboard music charts .
Other tracks well-known to fans were transformed into a very fun medley. “Heaven Nor Hell”, “A Warrior's Call” and “I Only Want to Be With You” fueled the excitement and emotion of the audience who were watching them live for the first time, something that fans had been waiting for for a long time.
With strong rockabilly influences, Volbeat created a unique sound and is admired by many for that very reason. Therefore, they couldn't ignore the importance that great artists like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash had in creating that sound. Amidst playful moments where vocalist Michael Poulsen imitated his idols and played his guitar, they took the opportunity to perform "Sad Man's Tongue," a track inspired by Cash.
After a few mosh pits formed (one of them became really big and caught the band's attention), Volbeat finished their incredible and energetic set with "Still Counting," which gave the audience goosebumps right from the first note.
Rock music remained vibrant at Lollapalooza with a show by the English band Royal Blood on the same stage that hosted Volbeat just an hour earlier. Despite some initial antipathy during our conversation the day before their performance at the festival, the duo seemed comfortable and enthusiastic on stage in front of thousands of people.
Headlining the gigantic Ônix stage with just a bass and drums, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher proved that Rock is heading in the right direction, where the past has its value but doesn't define the genre.
By seamlessly blending their two studio albums, Royal Blood (2014) and How Did We Get So Dark? (2017), the duo captivated the audience with their passion for good Rock and Roll. Even those unfamiliar with the band ended up having fun and taking home a new name to add to their Spotify playlist.
Despite being the only day that didn't sell out, Friday ended in a surprising way: thousands of people in front of the Budweiser stage waiting for the soundtrack of their childhood and adolescence: Red Hot Chili Peppers.
A little after nine o'clock, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and Josh Klinghoffer took the stage with an instrumental set that set the mood for what would be a great, albeit confusing, show.
Despite its ups and downs, one thing remained constant: Flea and Chad Smith were the stars of the night. Flea, with his incredible energy, was the spokesperson for the group, while Kiedies simply provided vocals to the sound masterfully delivered by Chad.
Josh may have felt jealous of all the attention the duo always receives, because he decided to do something very daring: in addition to taking on the vocals, something that is customary at shows, the guitarist risked a cover of "Menina Mulher de Pele Preta" by Jorge Ben Jor. What was an energetic set with "Can't Stop," "Snow," and "Otherside," Josh broke with the surprise. The audience's confusion was instantaneous, but soon everyone was moved by the tribute.
The blame, however, wasn't solely on the guitarist. Next, the band played "Sick Love," which kept the audience's spirits low, a mood that only recovered when they performed "Nevermind," a track they played in Argentina last Friday, the 16th, for the first time since 1996.
Perhaps the band took too many risks in the sequence and chose to play it safe in the second part of the show when they played “Californication”, “Hump De Bump”, “By The Way” and “Give It Away”, which closed the night.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers delivered a somewhat confusing show, but maintained the formula of a great, successful band. Of course, a group like this doesn't need to constantly innovate to capture the audience's attention and love, but some changes could be made; after all, we don't know how long Flea will last two hours jumping around. Maybe a long time, maybe not. But for now, a Red Hot Chili Peppers show is a must for those seeking a night of good music and fun.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers setlist at Lollapalooza Brasil 2018 (03/23)
1. Intro Jam
2. “Can't Stop”
3. “Snow”
4. “Otherside”
5. “Dark Necessities”
6. “Menina Mulher Da Pele Preta” (cover by Jorge Ben Jor sung by Josh Klinghoffer)
7. “Sick Love”
8. “Nevemind”
9. “Californication”
10. “Aeroplance”
11. “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
12. “Hump De Bump”
13. “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie”
14. “Pea” (just an excerpt)
15. “Higher Ground”
16. “Under The Bridge”
17. “By The Way”
BIS:
18. “Goodbye Angels”
19. “Give it Away”
Photos by: Camila Cara and MRossi
