Flea Names Thundercat "the Best Bass Player on the Planet"

He called Thundercat's recent set with DOMi and JD Beck one of the greatest concerts ever

Photo via @flea333 on Instagram

BY Alex HudsonPublished Nov 7, 2022

Flea has long been one of the most beloved bass virtuosos in popular music — but who does he look to as the next generation-defining bassist? The Red Hot Chili Peppers low-ender has now named his new favourite bassist in the world: Thundercat.
 
On Friday (November 4), Flea posted a series of Instagram stories about the recent benefit concert for his music school, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. (That's the concert where RHCP covered Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit.") This included a photo of Thundercat, whom Flea identified as "the best player on the planet."

He additionally called Thundercat's set with jazz duo DOMi & JD Beck "one of the greatest concerts I have ever seen." He said the set was worthy of inclusion on his list of the most life-changing concerts he's ever seen, which can be found in his 2019 memoir Acid for the Children.

Thundercat toured with RHCP this year as an opening act, and he performed at the band's Toronto show. On Instagram, Flea called him a "good friend."

Read Exclaim!'s recent ranking of RHCP's 20 best songs.


Latest Coverage