The Red Hot Chili Peppers have revealed that John Frusciante has broken a finger, which forced them to cancel a KROQ performance in California earlier this month.
RHCP were scheduled to perform at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, with the injury causing the LA funk rockers to withdraw, but the extent of the injury, and which member was out of action, hadn’t been revealed until the event began.
The announcement came via a video, recorded by Kiedis as he sung his apology a capella, which was played on screens throughout the venue at the KROQ Christmas bash. The band will now play KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas Encore, which takes place March 2 at Kia Forum, meaning their return to the KROQ sphere, which Kiedis says “has always rocked”, isn’t too far away.
It’s a fate every guitarist fears, and while it hasn’t been revealed how the 53-year-old sustained the injury, the revelation follows news in early December that the band would be sidelined for six weeks due to a band member’s injury.
Frusciante, a key player in the group’s success, rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in December 2019 after 10 years away. Since returning to the band he first joined at age 18, they have released two albums, with Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen both arriving in 2022.
The band returns to the road on February 17 at The Venue, Lincoln, California, with dates following across North America.