The latest video from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a tribute to the group’s long-running pal Brendan Mullen, who died in 2009. “Brendan’s Death Song” features Anthony Kiedis and Co. taking part in a New Orleans Funeral for their fallen friend.
As the Peppers and a horde of others, parade through the Crescent City, the song rises from hushed elegy to a surging anthem. Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer leads the charge on a pretty, red Gibson. The video, directed by Mark Klasfeld, was filmed in one day in New Orleans.
According to Rolling Stone, Brendan Mullen was a club owner and booker in the Los Angeles music scene. In the early ’80s, after hearing a Chili Peppers demo tape given to him by Kiedis and Flea, Mullen gave the band an opening slot for Bad Brains – a huge moment for the young band. Mullen and the band quickly became great friends.