RHCP came out from Hollywood, Los Angeles. They sing repeatedly about Hollywood and L.A. "Hollywood(Africa)" in "Freaky Styley" of course, like "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes," "Out In L.A.," "Organic Anti-Beat Box Band," "Good Time Boys," there are many songs that refer to L.A., Hollywood. And in the album "Californication," it ended up to be the theme of the album itself.

It is natural that they feel much sympathy to their home town where people supported from the beggining of their career, considering the fact they acquired their evaluation through their shows. But, especially the figure of the Hollywood, California which this band describes is very interesting and i feel like seeing one story in their expressions.

In the feature article of West Coast in the magazine "Takarajima" which i told in "Intro," the famous lyric of Eagles' "Hotel California" was introduced. As you may know, it goes So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine" He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine". West Coast...although San Francisco once gave a rise to a hippie culture in 60's, but after the fuss of long-haired hard rock bands, it is thought as dead in terms of music, culture. On the top page of the feature article, a famous jacket picture..."Hotel California" floating in the sentimental sunset of L.A., layouted as a background, lyrical sentense talked about how West Coast had been in low spirit. But when i turned the next page, there was a mixed-up picture collage such as skateboard, Suicidal Tendencies, RHCP...and the title of the article was...yes, i remember, "The Revenge of West Coast!" printed as a bold gothic type. That was a kind of show-up of the article. Looking back from now, my story of RHCP and California just began at the time i turned that page.

RHCP's fights were literally "revenge." "West Coast which people think as dead still alive!" "We represent the Hollywood kids." "We're the best of the West and the West is ours!" What RHCP, riding on the waves showed us was new sense of West Coast culture, new reality of West Coast. Not as dark as New York, but far from old long-haired hard rockers. Fool and cheerful on the surface, but so much distorted in heart, and have much pain inside them. It can be said RHCP was the most band who embodied West Coast culture.

They shoulderd West Coast in their backs. They gave a challenge from West Coast. By training their bodies, armed with funk, freaking their bodies out by their tattoos...

What is the "West Coast culture" like? i imagine it's different from another area, different from the standard culture of the United States(although i don't know if it exists or not) itself. Hollywood is, needless to say, the center of the movie industry(actually, Anthony and Flea are known as actors). This fact seems to make West Coast culture distinguished from East Coast, another area of the United States. My impression of West Coast culture is like this...delicate and sensitive but on the other hand, has a kind of vulgar, and cruel aspect(just like making and selling T-shirts printing the suicide note of a rock star). Innocent but crazy...this two personalities which conflict with each other, i think it's the most feature. "Hardcore soft porn." And this impression seems to be similar to RHCP's one.

The album "Californication" describes RHCP's defeat to West Coast culture itself which they embodied. The lyric of "Purple Stain" which is sung with lazy feeling makes me anxious. It goes, "Knock on wood we all stay good. 'Cause we all live in Hollywood". Nothing stays good, maybe. Because they are in the middle of the place of dispatch, the sending station of West Coast culture (= Californication). The waves which brought through the media must be spread around us, any place in the world, not only in the U.S.A.