Don’t call them a supergroup. According to bassist Michael Anthony, his band Chickenfoot is all about the music and friendship. The rest is just whatever.
“We’re called a supergroup, but when I think of a supergroup, I think of a prefab kind of thing,” he said, “but this isn’t that. This came out of friendship.”
Despite Anthony’s protests to the contrary, the band is (don’t tell him I said this) undeniably a supergroup, considering each member’s history. Chickenfoot is comprised of Anthony, who also enjoyed a popular career as the bassist for Van Halen; Sammy Hagar, who was also a Van Halen lead singer; guitar god Joe Satriani; and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
A band with those credentials would certainly face some pressure to put out some amazingly magical sounds—the kind of magic that parts clouds and rains down sunshine, culminating in a mass of sweaty bodies all rocking to the same heart-pounding beat. But no. Anthony said the guys in Chickenfoot are only concerned with making music they like and having a good time with each other; the audience is simply welcome to join in.
“We decided to go forward with this, but through the whole process, we didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves,” Anthony said. “We wanted it to be pure fun. We didn’t need the money. It wasn’t ego-driven. It’s just four friends getting together to have fun.”
The group is bringing its wild times and rocking music to the Santa Barbara Bowl on June 9 in what Anthony promises will be a one-of-a-kind show.
“We don’t ever like to be too polished,” he said. “Nobody is ever going to get the same show two nights in a row.”
For this tour, supporting their second album, Chickenfoot III, Kenny Aronoff will fill in for Smith on drums as Smith tours with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, Anthony said, Aronoff is half as crazy as Smith and promises just as much excitement.
The band got its start after Hagar, Anthony, and Smith started jamming together and received requests from audiences wondering when they were going on tour. Hagar decided that if they were going to form a band and hit the road, they’d need a guitarist, so he brought in Satriani. The band’s first performance in Las Vegas cemented the idea of touring as Chickenfoot. Anthony said the connection was instant.
“The first time all four of us got together on stage and jammed, the chemistry was there,” he said, “and right there we all thought, ‘This is so much fun.’ It was more of a friendship-type deal.”
Though they made a splash with their first album, simply titled Chickenfoot, Anthony said Chickenfoot III really demonstrates how the band has come together and matured.
“I think on the first album there was a learning process.” Anthony said. “There was a little more jamming being done, and a lot of the songs were put together that way. The songs are much more refined on this album.”
Can you call a collection of heart-pounding, all-out rock songs refined?
Though the band is touring as Chickenfoot, that’s only one aspect of each member’s career. Whether playing in other bands or taking on side commercial projects, the boys stay busy.
Like Hagar, who sells a line of tequila, Anthony has dipped his toe in the commercial side of things. He produces a line of hot sauce under the label Mad Anthony’s. The venture started because of his well-known love of hot sauce. His fondness for the heat would often cause fans to bring him homemade chili or other fiery dishes. So when a hot sauce manufacturer approached him about a collaboration, it made sense. His only requirement was that he have a say in its creation, because he didn’t want to just slap his name on the label.
“It’s just kind of a fun thing to do, and it’s pretty good-tasting stuff, too,” he said. “The flavors are really good.”
Hot sauce aside, Anthony said audiences are in for a high-octane treat at the Santa Barbara Bowl performance: “The foot will come down on Santa Barbara June 9.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone stands on her own two feet. Send comments to scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 10-17, 2012.