The Uplift Mofo Party Tour (also known during 1988 dates as the Monsters Of Funk Tour) was a

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

to support their third studio album ''

The Uplift Mofo Party Plan ''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' is the third studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 29, 1987 by EMI Manhattan. Due to prior obligations resulting in temporary personnel changes following the band's formati ...

''. Founding drummer,

Jack Irons Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962) is an American drummer. He is the founding drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and is a former member of Pearl Jam and Eleven. Alongside his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, Irons h ...

returned the band the previous year to finish out the band's tour and record the next album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, which ended up being the only album and full tour to feature the four founding band members:

Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...

Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

Hillel Slovak Hillel Slovak ( he, הלל סלובק; April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was an Israeli-American musician best known as the founding guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar wor ...

and Irons. It was the band's biggest tour at the time and featured their first trip to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Kiedis, who started to develop a major drug problem on the previous tour, started to fall deeper into his addiction and Slovak's addiction to heroin only grew stronger as well. Slovak died of a heroin overdose a few weeks after the end of the tour on June 25, 1988. The surviving three members regrouped for a small boat trip with then manager,

Lindy Goetz Lindy David Goetz (born December 5, 1947) is notable as the longtime manager of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. History Lindy Goetz was a promotion person for record companies, who later became a talent manager in the Los Angeles area. In 1972, Goetz, ...

. It was there that Irons decided he could no longer deal with being in the band and Slovak's death was too hard for him to handle so he decided to quit the band again, this time for good. A 30-minute film titled ''

Red Hot Skate Rock ''Red Hot Skate Rock'' is a 30-minute music film filmed on September 20, 1987 by Vision Street Wear at the Vision Skate Escape in Los Angeles. The film features an 8-song performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the band's The Uplift Mo ...

'' was released in 1988. The footage was shot on September 20, 1987, in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, by

Vision Street Wear Vision Street Wear is an American apparel company focused on BMX and skateboarding. Started in 1976 by Brad Dorfman, the company sponsored early skateboarding greats such as Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, and Mark Gonzales. Although the company is most ...

and featured an 8-song set by the band while many of the top skaterboarders from that era performed demos. The film was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

in 2002 under the name, '' Vision: Vision DVD Volume 2''.

Tour

The Chili Peppers noted that during the tour, their fan base had rapidly increased both in size and enthusiasm. Kiedis recalled "During the ''Uplift'' tour I remember actually feeling a change taking place not just in the amount of people showing up at the gigs but the intensity of the fan base."Mullen, 2010. p. 165 Flea added that "We were in love with those songs and how much fun we were having playing them." Despite the band's new enthusiasm, Kiedis and Slovak continued to struggle with their worsening drug addictions. Kiedis was even briefly fired by the band prior to the tour. Both Kiedis and Slovak stopped using heroin prior to the tour and decided to help each other "steer clear" of the drug.(2002) "

Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is a documentary television series on VH1. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group. The program examines the beginning of their career, their road to success, and the hardships they may have ...

: Red Hot Chili Peppers episode". VH1. During the tour both experienced intense heroin withdrawal, with Slovak much more unstable than Kiedis. His withdrawal symptoms took a toll on his ability to play his instrument; at one point Slovak had a mental breakdown and was unable to play a show, leaving the rest of the band to play an entire set with no guitar. He recovered a few days later, but his bandmates felt he was not healthy enough to perform and replaced Slovak with

DeWayne McKnight DeWayne Stephen "Blackbyrd" McKnight (born April 17, 1954) is an American guitarist. He was a member of The Headhunters, a jazz-funk fusion band from 1975 through 1978 and Parliament-Funkadelic from 1978 through 2008. He served briefly as ...

for a few shows. After a few days with McKnight, the band decided to give Slovak another chance, and he rejoined for the European leg of the tour. Kiedis attempted to take Slovak to drug addiction counseling, but Slovak had difficulty admitting that his addiction was serious enough to require medical help. The tour is also notable for

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

being the supporting act for the first two and a half months. Faith No More was at the time promoting their second release and major label debut ''

Introduce Yourself ''Introduce Yourself'' is Faith No More's second studio album, released in 1987. Due to the limited availability of the first album, ''We Care a Lot'' (until it was re-released on CD years later), many, including the band, once considered this ...

''. Guitarist Jim Martin recalled: "We were travelling in a box van with no windows. We drove all the way to the east coast for the first show.

asked me if we liked to smoke

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

. I said: ‘Yes’ and he said: ‘We're going to get along just fine’. We did something like 52 dates in 56 days." Faith No More is said to have been heavily influenced by the Chili Peppers' sound, which is very evident with their first major label album. A long feud between Kiedis and future Faith No More frontman

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...

started in 1990 when Kiedis accused Patton of ripping off his sound and style. Although he was not a member of band at the time of the tour in 1987, Patton later stated that by 1990, Faith No More were "really big in Europe and enjoying a lot more notoriety than the Chili Peppers were" which annoyed Kiedis and sparked the grudge. The feud would continue for years with Patton's other band,

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

, impersonating the Chili Peppers onstage during a Halloween show in 1999 including making fun of Slovak's death and pretending to shoot up heroin on stage. Around that time, Patton had given an interview accusing Red Hot Chili Peppers of sabotaging potential bookings for Mr. Bungle.

Slovak's death

Upon returning home, Slovak isolated himself from the rest of his bandmates, and struggled to resist the drug without the mutual support provided by his friends, Kiedis in particular. A few weeks after the band returned from the tour, the members attempted to get in contact with Slovak, but were unable to find him for several days. Slovak was found dead by police in his Hollywood apartment on June 27, 1988. During his autopsy, authorities determined that he had died on June 25, 1988 due to a heroin overdose. Irons subsequently left the group, saying that he did not want to be part of a group where his friends were dying. Kiedis and Flea debated whether they should continue making music, but ultimately decided to move ahead, hoping to continue what Slovak "helped build".Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 224

replaced Slovak but was quickly fired from the band after three shows while Irons' replacement,

D.H. Peligro DH, Dh, dh, or dH may refer to: Places * DH postcode area, in the United Kingdom for the area of Durham and surrounding towns * Diamond Head, Hawaii, a volcanic tuff cone on Oʻahu Organisations * D+H, a Canadian financial services company * Dep ...

would last long enough to play some shows with eighteen-year-old guitarist

John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...

, who was a fan of the group and idolized Slovak. Peligro was replaced in November 1988 after the group held a lengthy open auditions and eventually chose drummer

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...

Songs performed

Tour overview

Out of the album's eleven songs, "Walkin' on Down the Road" is the only one to never be performed live. Flea mentioned that "Behind the Sun" was played live only one time in 1987, but the band was not very happy with the result, so they never played it live again. During the tour the band played a

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

tribute show on September 2, 1987. Kiedis provided vocals on a cover of "

Foxy Lady "Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album ''Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is o ...

" while

Bob Forrest Robert O'Neil "Bob" Forrest (born February 15, 1961) is an American musician who is best known for his work with the Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. Forrest, a recovering drug addict, has worked for years as a recover ...

and members of

Fishbone Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ' ...

provided vocals on the other songs with the Chili Peppers as the backup band. The band also played a special show minus Kiedis on April 2, 1988 with Bob Forrest fronting the band. The tour also marked the first appearance of an instrumental jam that later became "Magic Johnson" on their next album, '' Mother's Milk''. This tour marked the last time "Battleship", " Behind the Sun", "Buckle Down" and "No Chump Love Sucker" were performed live.

Opening Acts

*The Borman Six *

The Busboys The BusBoys is an American rock and roll band known for its association with Eddie Murphy and performing in the film ''48 Hrs.'' Formed in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, the original lineup featured brothers Brian O'Neal (keyboards, vocals) and ...

Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been ...

The Dickies The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy mel ...

*Doggy Rock *Double Freak *El Grupo Sexo *Electric Third Rail *

*Fetchin' Bones * Firehose *

*Franky Jones *Go Go Rillas *Great Train Robbery *Loves Laughter *Mundo Aparte *Poets' Corner * Primus *

The Sidewinders The Sidewinders (later the Sand Rubies) was a rock band from Tucson, Arizona, who released two major-label albums and scored two radio hits in the US before a lawsuit forced a change of name. Another album was released on a major label but by that ...

* Slammin' Watusis *

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train (Soul Asylum song), Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rule ...

* T.S.O.L. *Tai Pink *Talk Back *

Thelonious Monster Thelonious Monster is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, led by singer-songwriter Bob Forrest and named after jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Active from 1984 to 1994, again from 2004 to 2011, and reforming a second time in ...

Urban Dance Squad Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986. The band consisted of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, rapper, and DJ. Urban Dance Squ ...

Personnel

*Flea - bass, backing vocals *Jack Irons -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

*Anthony Kiedis-

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

*Hillel Slovak - *

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

References

External links

Red Hot Chili Peppers websiteThe Side: Red Hot Chili Peppers Touring History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uplift Mofo Party Tour, The Red Hot Chili Peppers concert tours 1987 concert tours 1988 concert tours