RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: INSIDE THE VEINS OF THE VELVET GROOVE (THE UNAUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY)

Bands may come and go, but it takes a special talent to be around more than 20 years and still be releasing the most vital music of your career.

But that’s exactly what Red Hot Chilli Peppers have been doing lately. After more than two decades in the business, they are still blowing the critics away with their highly original sound and contemporary feel. Now, for the first time, rock biographer Martin Roach has gone behind the music to discover the real story of the Chillis’ survival – a story that takes in drugs, death and much more besides.

Martin has interviewed many key players in the Chilli Peppers’ history, including ex-band members and musicians who’ve played and toured with the group over the years. He reveals what has kept this legendary group going from strength to strength.

The books also puts the band into context within the LA punk rock scene of the 1980s and 90s, providing an investigation into how they managed to withstand and ride out many other trends in American music – including grunge, hip-hop and nu-metal.

The book closes with the inclusion of numerous previously unpublished photographs of the band, many of which have come from the private collections of their friends and associates. The book also boasts the most complete discography ever compiled on the group.