Peppers set to spice up Slane

ONE big mob oh yeah, oh yeah. The Chili Peppers’ lyrics from the song of the same name sum up the Slane experience.

Much more than One Hot Minute, more like a 24-hour music extravaganza which promises to be a sizzler.

From the Red Hot headliners to the Foo Fighters, PJ Harvey, Feeder and Queens of the Stone Age, none of the 80,000 fans is likely to go home disappointed. As the multitudes converge on the tiny Co Meath village today with an almost cast-iron guarantee of serious sunshine, the Red Cross has warned concert-goers to load up on the sunscreen and drink plenty of water not alcohol.

Red Cross official Liam Cullen said reports that on-site pints would cost 5 could lead to excessive drinking before the concert.

"If the fans are young, they may decide to drink before they come in. Then they come in and sit down in the heat and fall asleep.

What happens then is They get dehydrated and sunburned and they don't even think of drinking water."

Mr Cullen said this led to heat exhaustion and sunstroke.

Red Cross volunteers will be on hand to dole out after-care for sunburn, but protection creams will not be provided.

The Red Cross has issued a number of safety tips including a warning to bring extra clothes for when temperatures dip in the evening; wear a hat if fair-haired or balding; wear medical alert bracelets if asthmatic, epileptic or diabetic and carry some form of identification.

Sunstroke aside, the entertaining antics of the Chili Peppers, voted best live band in the world by MTV, are likely to set a few temperatures rising themselves.

They return following a phenomenal reaction to their 2001 performance as guests of U2 in the grounds of Slane Castle.

Classics such as Under The Bridge, Scar Tissue, Give it Away, Californication, Road Trippin, Around The World, Otherside, By The Way and their latest top 30 smash Can't Stop, are sure to bring new spice to old favourite Slane.