John Frusciante

A quick lock on YouTube, where you can find John Frusciante’s drug addiction documented in harrowing detail, is enough to confirm that it’s probably a minor miracle that he’s even still alive. Footage that Johnny Depp shot of the guitarist in the mid-nineties - ostensibly for a documentary, but also to try to shock Frusciante into recovery - depicts him missing teeth and in an emaciated state, with a voice horribly worn by crack abuse. In fact, if you listen to his second solo record, Smile from the Streets You Hold, it’s obvious that he couldn’t even cover up the state he was in on record, with opening track ‘Enter a Uh’ featuring rambling vocals and constant coughing. Thankfully, he’s better now, having been clean for years, and musically, he’s taken a step forward by leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a second time, more amicably than before. On their last record, I’m With You, it seemed clear that they were missing Frusciante’s creative influence; his unique style of guitar playing is evidently difficult to mimic. He’s now fulfilling a long-held ambition to make electronic music, a direction that has polarised fans and critics alike; he’s yet to play any live shows since leaving the Chilis, but expect the opportunity to see one of the most versatile musicians of recent times performing his craft if he ever does.