Improvisation

Improvisation has always been a major part of the band's signature style, with early shows composed almost entirely of improvisations. In addition, many guitar solos recorded on the current albums and played live by Frusciante are improvised, as are several of Flea's bass solos. The band has, for most of the last decade, opened the show with a short improvisation, always in the same key as the initial song. Sometimes the beginnings, middle sections and/or endings of the songs are extended by long improvisations, such as Give It Away, My Lovely Man, If You Have to Ask, Californication, Parallel Universe, Can't Stop, Throw Away Your Television, By the Way and Dani California. The group has always ended the show with a longer improvisation, usually stemming from the improvisation to Give It Away. The idea of the band improvising at their shows stems from a request that Frusciante asked of Kiedis upon returning to the band for Californication.


Lyrics and songwriting
Through the years, Kiedis' lyrics have dealt with a variety of topics, which have shifted as time has progressed. Themes within his repertoire include love and friendship, teenage angst and good-time aggression, various sexual topics and the link between sex and music, political and social commentary (Native American issues in particular), romance, , loneliness, globalization and the cons of fame and Hollywood, poverty, alcohol, and dealing with death.