Flea Names 'The Best Australian Bands Ever'

Melbourne-born, California-raised bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea, has named his favourite Australian bands on Twitter, inciting conversations many of us music lovers enjoy on a regular basis.

Answering the question, “Who’s Australia’s best band of all time?” posted by the Twitter user The Extreme Music Enthusiast in March, Flea responded a few months too late but still entertained his 383.5 thousand followers.

“The best australian [sic] bands ever are the birthday party [sic], the bee gees [sic], and ac\dc [sic],” Flea said yesterday (23 July), naming three different artists to The Extreme Music Enthusiast’s original poll, which mentioned Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Avalanches and Crowded House. The fourth option was, “If other, please say who”.

Speaking of The Avalanches, the duo responded to Flea, writing “100% (+ the easybeats) [sic]”. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, likely disagreeing with those calls, replied: “C’mon”. Other Twitter users responded with Little River Band, AC/DC, INXS, Midnight Oil and metalcore outfits Northlane, Parkway Drive, and Alpha Wolf, among others.

the best australian bands ever are the birthday party, the bee gees and ac\dc https://t.co/Ru4UKJexDC

— Flea (@flea333) July 22, 2023

At the end of March, Flea premiered his new podcast, This Little Light, a 15-part series featuring a revolving door of the most recognisable names in music, including Rick Rubin, Cynthia Erivo, Thundercat, Patti Smith, and Margo Price. 

This Little Light aims to spotlight teachers and early musical experiences - the exploration of influences and early lessons - and how they influenced the trajectory of his guests' careers.

"I wanted to do This Little Light to benefit my music school, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music," the bassist revealed in a statement, per Rolling Stone. "The idea behind it being music education, falling in love with music and embarking on a musical journey for your life. Everybody’s path is so different, and it’s fascinating to learn how every musician came to music and developed their study of it over time."

In The Music's live review of Red Hot Chili Peppers at Suncorp Stadium in January, we said about Flea, "Far from a one-trick pony, Flea also pulls out some of the most energetic dance moves and handstands you could hope to see on any stage without ever missing a bass note."