Keanu Reeves shares his spontaneous bass lesson with Flea
John Wick actor Keanu Reeves is known for his many passions, including guns, motorbikes and music. And, as bass player in the LA grunge band Dogstar, being a celebrity has granted him a new privilege – receiving a bass lesson from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea.
Reeves has revealed that while working on Gus Van Sant’s 1994 movie My Own Private Idaho, which both Reeves and Flea star in alongside the late River Phoenix, the bassist gave him an impromptu lesson.
In a video posted on the guitar brand Fender’s official YouTube channel, Reeves, who’s made his love of several bands public, recalled, “I remember one time I was doing a film, and Flea was in it, or I was in a film with Flea. And I remember there was a house, and there [were] amps and instruments and stuff like that.”
With some free time on their hands, Reeves explained how the lesson came about: “And I was like, ‘Hey, Flea, can you give me a lesson?’ And he was like, ‘Sure, man!’ And he was like [gestures complex bass solo].”
Jokingly referring to Flea’s advanced level of playing compared to his then-beginner status, Reeves shared how the Red Hot Chili Peppers member’s lesson left him somewhat stumped. “And I was like, ‘Alright, so?’ And he was like, ‘Just feel it, man. Just play.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.”
Touching upon how he was drawn to the bass, the musical Reeves recounted, “I think I’m a wild animal playing with a piece of wood. I didn’t learn a lot of songs. I didn’t listen to a song and try and figure it out.”
Leaving some wisdom for future musicians, Reeves said: “Kids: I regret that. If you’re picking up an instrument, it’s cool to figure out what people have done before, but I wasn’t doing that. So, I would just play. So I had no theory.”
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