The band have just played a headline slot at the Reading and Leeds festivals last weekend (August 26-28) and have released the dates that will see them on a seven date tour in December.

RHCP formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide. Previously they have been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards, of which they have won six and are the most successful band in alternative rock radio history currently holding the records for most number one singles, most collective weeks at number one and most top-ten songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

The band have had hits with Californication, Under the Bridge and Give it Away all reaching within the top 20 in the charts.

The tour will consist of two nights at London’s O2 Arena, one night in Glasgow and two nights in Manchester and Birmingham each. This is following their series of summer festival commitments, where they played T in the Park and Lollapalooza in July.

The band released their first album since 2011 earlier this year in June which was called The Getaway. The record went to number one in ten countries. The last time the Chili Peppers toured the UK was also in 2011, off the back of their tenth studio album I’m With You.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers gained top reviews following their Reading and Leeds festivals headline slot, with The Guardian’s Dave Simpson claiming “Under the Bridge and By the Way prompt multi-generational singalongs and provides, at last, the communal experience the weekend has been waiting for”.

However as with all bands, it’s not always sunshine and light. A fox news reporter called the band “the worst band on the planet” after showing a clip of Flea, RHCP’s bassist, playing with Koko the Gorilla on the network’s show ‘The Five’. Speaking to NME, Flea said: “I remember seeing a poll recently that said people who watch Fox News knew less about world affairs than people who watch no news at all. It’s clearly a funny programme. It doesn’t faze me, not really. It’s funny. I don’t care. They’re all welcome to hate us. God bless ‘em.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers will play:

5+6/12 – London O2 Arena
8/12 – Glasgow SSE Hydro
10+11/12 – Birmingham Genting Arena
14+15/12 – Manchester Arena

Priority ickets will be available from tomorrow, on the Red Hot Chili Peppers official website.