RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Bassist Dismisses Talk Of Retirement

According to The Pulse Of Radio, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea has said that talk of the band retiring is premature. Flea was asked by TMZ about recent comments made by CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, in which Smith mused about the end of the band, saying that while he still loved recording, "the touring part... I don't know if we can continue."

Smith's remarks led to speculation that the band could be thinking of calling it quits. But Flea wasn't having any of it, calling the speculation "silly talk" and adding: "We never really look past the immediate future, but we're on tour right now, we're rocking out, we feel in the spirit, letting the music move us."

Flea continued: "To be honest, since we first started this band 35 years ago, I've never ever known what's next or round the corner or anything. I think the power of the band lies in that — just staying in the moment and the energy that's moving."

The bassist told The Pulse Of Radio that playing in the band and being creative are two things he can't live without. "Playing in the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and playing bass is a very animal, comfortable, instinctual, intense thing for me and a huge part of who I am," he said. "Every time I am involved in any creative process, it always deepens me as a person, just widens my palette of colors to paint with, you know, and I'm always loving doing it. I like being creative, it's when I'm happy."

Smith told podcaster Eddie Trunk that he didn't know how much longer the band could continue, 33 years after releasing their first album. He added: "I mean, three of us are 54 years old — Anthony [Kiedis, singer], me and Flea. Josh [Klinghoffer, guitarist] is 38 or 39, so he's a young man. But I don't know if we can continue to do the long tours — the year, year and a half we normally do. That's a good question."

Smith hinted that for their next album cycle, the CHILI PEPPERS could adopt a similar schedule as METALLICA, who limit themselves to around 50 shows a year.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS are currently on the road behind their eleventh studio effort, "The Getaway", which came out in June 2016 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart.