Besides bass, Flea plays the trumpet in “Psychedelic Sexfunk Live from Heaven.” The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist is shown using the brass instrument during the band’s energetic concert performance, adding an unexpected jazz and funk color to the show.
The video was filmed at Long Beach Arena in California on December 30, 1989, during the period when John Frusciante had joined the band and Chad Smith was playing drums. EMI released the concert video on VHS in 1990. It captures the group’s loud, theatrical live style before the major commercial breakthrough of Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
Flea’s trumpet playing was not a one-off novelty. He had a longstanding interest in the instrument and later used it on Red Hot Chili Peppers recordings, including “Pretty Little Ditty” from Mother’s Milk. His brass playing helps explain the band’s blend of punk energy, funk rhythms, and improvisational performance.
Viewers can also encounter other horns in related Red Hot Chili Peppers material, including saxophone and trombone players. Those appearances can cause confusion, but the instrument Flea himself plays in this video is the trumpet.