Red Hot Chili Pepper's Pay Tribute To The Guy Who Gave Them A Chance
by Mike Hsu,posted Jun 29 2012 9:47AM
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are International Arena Filling Rock Stars now but back in 1983 they were a struggling young band with a new sound that no one could get a handle on. Except for one guy: Brendan Mullen. He had given many other bands with the same problem a chance to get on stage and show their version of Rock-N-Roll at the legendary Los Angeles club Masque. Bands like Black Flag, Minutemen, The Germs, and X. After The Masque closed he took over booking for Club Lingerie doing some of the first Hip-Hop bookings in the LA area. It was here that a very young Anthony Kiedis and Flea brought in a boombox to play their demo for Mullen. As the tape played Kiedis and Flea danced like maniacs and impressed Mullen enough to start booking them at the club. Their first gig was opening for Bad Brains.
Mullen passed away in 2009 shortly after a stroke and the Chili Peppers included their musical tribute "Brendan's Death Song" on their latest album "I'm With You". The video for the song has a New Orleans Style Funeral theme and shows a collection of circus type freaks and outsiders paying tribute. Much like Brendan Mullen did back in the day, giving them a place of their own to play and hang.
