Flea (musician)

Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), better known by his stage name Flea, is the bassist of the Californian funk-rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Flea

Quotes

• We're [the Red Hot Chili Peppers] jamming and that works really well. We don't talk much about songs or how songs should be constructed. We just start to play and see what happens, how they develop. We improvise a lot. We find a groove. We experiment and somehow it turns into music. The Koreans have influenced us a lot, through their loving attitude, evil dictatorship, and funky bass playing.
  • Quoted from NYRock Red Hot Chili Peppers Interview [1]

• The music industry, I've never been concerned with. I've been very fortunate that it has taken care of me. Like a baby being breast fed.
  • Quoted from Guitar Center Flea Interview [2]

• I smell like vitamin C, rose-oil and old smelly socks.
  • Quoted from the 'Off The Map' Dvd (2001)

• I love, I love, I love, killer whales, and I love mangos, and Iggy Pop too, I love Iggy Pop, and eating, getting up in the morning, and going swimming, and taking a good shit, and I love all of you too!
  • Quoted from Woodstock '99 clip (1999)

• People that are uptight about the kiss on the magazine are the same people that are gonna be watching macho football players in tight pants wrestle around and slap each other on the butt and think it's the all russian macho thing to do.
  • [3]

Quotes about Flea

• In Flea’s hands the Jazz Bass becomes both a rhythm and a lead instrument, a clean and a dirty one.
  • Peter Hodgson of Mixdown [4]

• [Flea is] one of the most versatile bassists around and willing to play with anybody, anywhere. Flea's played with the likes of Jane’s Addiction, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits. Not to mention, he's also among rock's great characters and noted for his remarkable stage presence, clothed or not.
  • Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025) [5]