Watch the Red Hot Chili Peppers Reunite With Original Drummer Jack Irons
The Red Hot Chili Peppers honored their founding guitarist Hillel Slovak on the anniversary of his death by having the group's original drummer, Jack Irons, sit in for a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." You can watch it above.
Consequence of Sound found the clip, which took place midway through their set on June 25 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.. Before they began, Flea told the crowd about the importance of the date after bringing Irons onstage. "Actually, another founding member of our band, Hillel Slovak, died this day 29 years ago. And his spirit will always live on. And before we play this next song, if you want to give him just a moment of silence, that'd be really beautiful."
Slovak died of a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988. Shortly thereafter, Irons quit in agony and was replaced by Chad Smith. Irons, Slovak, Flea and Anthony Kiedis founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles in 1983. At the time, Irons and Slovak were also in What Is This?, who had signed to MCA, and they quit to concentrate on that band.
After a pair of EPs and and a self-title album, What Is This? broke up, and Slovak returned to the Chili Peppers in time to record 1985's Freakey Styley. Irons came back a year later after his replacement, Cliff Martinez, departed. He subsequently formed Eleven, but left in 1995 to become part of Pearl Jam, which he helped form when he gave the band's demo tape to Eddie Vedder.
Irons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2012.
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