John Frusciante Reveals His Early Concerns About Being Fired From The Red Hot Chili Peppers

John Frusciante reminisced about his early days in Red Hot Chili Peppers during an interview with Flea on his podcast ‘This Little Light.’ The guitarist expressed his initial apprehensions about being fired:

“There was always this sense that’something bad is happening right now,’ and I was terrified the first few years, always terrified of being kicked out of the band. For the first couple of years, this gave me a terrible sensation in my stomach. Nobody said anything to make me believe that, but I had the sense that the phone would ring and I would hear your voice. “He might be calling me up to fire me,” I would think for a split second.

Although Flea stated that John’s dismissal was never a consideration, the guitarist needed to gain conviction in his playing, he continued:

“I knew I wasn’t as good as I was capable of being, or as good as I had been conditioned to believe I could be, but I didn’t realize that giving up would be the key to unlocking the door to being as good as I could be; it never occurred to me.”

John also disclosed that the ‘Mother’s Milk’ tour helped him overcome his anxieties by stating:

“I suppose the tour for ‘Mother’s Milk’ gave me confidence because I felt welcomed by our audience. We had increased success, and I felt a degree of assurance. I suppose a part of me simply felt, “You can let go now; you can stop trying to be something else.”

After John’s return to the band in 2019, the band is presently on a 23-date world tour in support of their most recent studio albums, ‘Unlimited Love’ and ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, through late November. Here you can find additional information about tickets.

On his podcast, you can hear John Frusciante’s conversation with Flea.