Before he was one of the most famous bassists of all time, Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers was a scrawny punk kid, meandering around the streets of L.A., going to clubs, taking drugs and getting into trouble.

acid 730814Michael Peter Balzary (his given name) had a horrific childhood, as his step-father was psychotic, but he was also a jazz musician and Flea followed in his footsteps, picking up music early and honing it as a Fairfax high school student with his friend Anthony Kiedis.

If you’ve ever read or watched an interview with Flea, you know the guy has many stories to tell, and his new memoir, Acid For The Children (yes, he means that literally) promises to spin some tempestuous tales of his rockstar adventures and his freaky pre-Peppers formative years. He’ll talk about it all with Malcom Gladwell at this book signing and Q&A.

Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway, downtown; Wed., Nov. 13, 7-10 p.m.; $29-$100. facebook.com/events/709596006208320/.

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