AT the end of Sunday night’s gig at the Stadium of Light, the Chili’s enigmatic bass player, Flea, delivered an impassioned plea to the fans to continue to support live music.

It was rousing, almost Churchillian in its nature, and to someone standing on the sidelines, who was not part of the writhing throng in front of the stage, a glorious verdict on the reception the band had received.

As one of the biggest rock groups in the world they could have just finished their set and wandered off into the night, and yet Flea, arguably one of the finest exponents of his chosen instrument, was almost down on bended knee in praise of the North-East crowd.

“This is our life’s mission. This is who we are,” he said, the veins in his neck pulsing like creatures in their own right beneath his skin.

He implored the crowd to listen to music, any music, even ‘old guys with violins’ if it came down to it. His passion was self-evident.

For two hours prior to this act of glorious spontaneity, his fellow band members, lead singer Antony Kiedis, guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and drummer Chad Smith, had shown similar levels of passion, though in an altogether more expected way.

Flea was a mass of unbridled energy was ably supported by Kiedis who danced around the stage in a manner of a drunk dad. Klinghoffer, meanwhile, owned the stage during his solos and then retreated to let others share the limelight and Smith put his own stamp on the performance from behind his impressive drum kit.

It wasn’t all frenetic though. The Chilis have the ability to go from demented fret play one minute, to passages of rhythm so delicate they almost induce emotions few of us are willing to display in public.

From the opening strains of Monarchy of Roses, taken from their latest album, ‘I’m With You’, to the dying embers of the classic ‘Give It Away’ they barely put a foot wrong, only the odd sound issue preventing this from being the most memorable of moments, not only in the history of one of the most inventive bands ever known, but also for a venue and a region whose own reputation on the live music scene is burgeoning. Don’t worry Flea, your craft is in safe hands here.