Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis

I have been dipping in and out of Scar Tissue (2004), the autobiography of Anthony Kiedis, front person for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. As a moderate Chilis fan, and more an admirer of Flea, I've had my eye on Scar Tissue for a while. It has received polarised reviews; I can understand why.

For someone who has spent most of his life loaded, this is a surprisingly detailed account of a man's perpetual chase for the next high, either through drugs, women, or music. To be honest, that gets quite boring to follow after a while. Clean again for now, Kiedis has been in an out of rehab, and has had more relapses, than we've had hot dinners. Although blatantly honest, Scar Tissue never really does more than scratch the surface. There is no narrative structure; the story is really just a series of events loosely tied together by Larry Sloman, much in the style of "and then, this one time, at band camp ...". But, really, it's mostly the same, all the way through.

I usually come away from reading a biography with a sense of knowing and empathy for the central subject. I don't feel I've got that with Scar Tissue; I'm not certain, but I think my opinion of Kiedis has actually dropped. As a group, there are still some defining musical moments from the Chili Peppers, but their journey to this place is not half as musical as I'd thought it was. Considering their circumstances, and Kiedis's early introduction to the drugs scene, I guess that's not overly surprising. I'm still keen to see the group perform live one day and will always recognise Under the Bridge (1992) as a slice of musical perfection. I doubt they'll make it here to Wellington, though.