No RHCP Album Yet? Blame Flea’s Bees

Everyone needs a hobby, even those who make their living being rock stars. Chris Cornell likes to cook. Billy Corgan is a big cat fancier. Kirk Hammett of Metallica loves his bull terriers (like me, he has two) as well as surfing. Geddy Lee is a baseball freak and has loads of memorabilia. Brian Johnson of AC/DC is a true petrolhead and collects cars. Then there’s former Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin who turned his gardening jones into a living as a competitive pumpkin grower. No shit. Really.

We can also talk about painting (Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Paul Stanley), model trains (Neil Young), golf (Alice Cooper) and beekeeping.

Wait. Bees?

The first person I ever heard of being into apiculture was guitarist Steve Vai.

Beekeeping is a rough job. Back when I was growing up, my best friend Charlie’s family had a number of hives. The work was hot, sickly sweet and often painful. (Bees hate it when you make off the shit they’ve been working on all summer.)

The latest rock star to pick up the mantle is Flea. While the Red Hot Chili Peppers work on whatever new material they’ve promised us later this year, Flea has been working his hives.

Learn more about how the RHCP bass dude loves his bugs at Stereogum. Pictures appear on his Instagram account.