I have to start this post by issuing a warning: Scar Tissue is not for everyone, especially for those with weak stomachs and low tolerances for vulgar conversations regarding topics of drugs, sex and violence. But maybe Scar Tissue should be a piece that everyone reads, regardless of personal background or past experiences. Whether or not the reader can relate to the content in the book, the perspective is fresh, interesting and entertaining, to say the least.
Scar Tissue is the memoir of Anthony Kiedis, the frontman of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. To be honest, I didn't choose to read the book on my own. I used to work for a PR agency that specialized in providing marketing solutions for members of the entertainment community, and the company was commissioned to do PR for this book. As a junior member of the company, I was assigned with the project of reading the book and taking notes that would eventually end up in the hands of a television producer, should it be determined that Kiedis's story was a good fit for the plot of a mini-series. Secretly, I was thrilled. Get paid to read? OKAY. I posted up at my desk, whipped open a Word document for note-taking purposes and dove into the text.
Kiedis's story is wildly different than my own; reading the memoir, then, was pretty eye-opening. Like me, he grew up in the Midwest. Unlike me, he grew up partying with his hippie dad, doing drugs before he hit double-digits and having more sexual partners than should be legal. Sometimes I legitimately felt uncomfortable reading the book because the scenes were so graphic; I feared that if my co-workers walked by, they'd judge me for reading about pornographic encounters and drug deals while in the workplace. Then I remembered that this was what I was supposed to be doing and I started to feel less conspicuous.
The book documents Kiedis's journey into the music world. He was never specifically interested in becoming a singer. He worked in the entertainment industry but the main reason for working was not to establish his rank amongst producers, musicians and actors; rather, the job was a means of earning a paycheck that would cover the cost of his drugs to which he was addicted. Kiedis was always in a relationship with someone; interestingly, the women in his life really started to shape who he became. He spent most of his time doing drugs, drinking and partying.
It wasn't until Kiedis was joking around with some friends, writing raps and setting them to music, that someone asked him to perform with a band as the lead singer. His style was rhythmic, unique and fresh, and people began to get excited about this new guy on the scene. His performances were outrageous and unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
Kiedis was pretty good at messing everything up, though. He consistently went on drug binges that would last for days, causing him to miss rehearsals and get kicked out of bands. No one could rely on him; he could hardly rely on himself. Kiedis lived to party, and that was evidenced by the poor choices he made on a daily basis. It was so interesting to read about his tribulations but certain parts eventually got redundant. That wasn't because his life and his struggles aren't interesting, because they are; it was more because the writing style of the book seemed to recount different situations in the exact same voice, and it was difficult to discern what made one encounter different than another. Eventually, all of Kiedis's screw-ups began to feel the same and it was almost boring when he got in trouble again and again. When would this guy ever learn? I thought to myself.
The end of the book offers redemption and hope. After numerous stints in rehab, Kiedis managed to pick up the pieces of his world. As the reader expects, Kiedis learns so much about himself, about living, about life.
I really enjoyed this book. It definitely put me out of my comfort zone. The writing style and voice were so true to Kiedis's personality that I felt like I was in a 300-page conversation with him. Some parts, particularly his struggles, were certainly redundant, but to his credit, they were based in truth and necessary for plot development.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking to read a memoir about whose life is definitely not out of a cookie-cutter mold. Specifically, if you're interested in learning about the background of the life of someone in the spotlight, this could be a good pick for you. If you choose to venture into Kiedis's world, here's what you might find:
In an excerpt taken from Amazon.com:
One day I showed up to rehearsal and Jack and Hillel, and Flea, who probably loved me more than any three guys on earth, said, "Anthony, we're kicking you out of the band. We want to play music and you obviously don't, so you have to go. We're going to get a different singer and we're going to go on so you're out of here."
I had a brief moment of clarity where I realized that they had every right in the world to fire me. It was really an obvious move, like cutting off your damn foot because it was gangrened so that the rest of your body wouldn't die. I just wanted to be remembered and acknowledged for those two or three years that I had been in the Red Hot Chili Peppers as a founding member, a guy who started something, a guy who made two records, and whatever else would come after that, that was theirs. Part of me was very genuine in letting go of the band. But part of what made it so easy for me to accept was that now I knew I had zero responsibilities and I could just go off with Kim and get loaded.
Much to their amazement I just shrugged and said, "You guys are right. I apologize for not contributing what I should have been contributing this whole time. It's a crying shame, but I understand completely and I wish you guys the best of luck."
And I left.
