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Chad Smith rocks with Michael Anthony Image: © JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT/epa/Corbis

Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot, collapses into a sofa backstage at The House Of Blues in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 'The Foot,' as he calls the supergroup he's a part of, are due on stage in 20 minutes, and he's only now arrived - barely.

Smith had planned on being at the venue hours prior, but Hurricane Bill's crushing winds kept two planes grounded, forcing him to charter a two-seater ("I got a 70-year-old pilot to fly me, and he was awesome!") to transport him from his Montauk, Long Island home to tonight's show.

"I have two hands and two feet," Smith says, ripping open a bag of beef jerky, "but sometimes I feel like I need three of me to be in all the bands I'm in. Not that I'm complaining."

In addition to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot, Smith is also a member of The Bombastic Meatbats, or Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats to be precise ("I didn't choose that name," he insists. "A promoter in Japan came up with it and it stuck"), a loose, funk-rock collective who are issuing their debut album, Meet The Meatbats, 15 September.

The Meatbats grew out of Smith's recording with former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes. Before and after rehearsals with Hughes, Smith and keyboardist Ed Roth would jam out. Pretty soon, guitarist Jeff Kollman and bassist Kevin Chown climbed on board, and thus, the Meatbats were born.

"I wasn't looking to form another band," Smith says. "Not with the full plate I have. But the stuff we were doing was too good, too fresh. I said, 'We've gotta record this.'"

Which they did in short order, working out the tunes at Smith's pool house in Malibu (he has two residences) and then laying them down at Word Of Mouth Recording in Woodland Hills, California, with Jono Brown producing,

"I'm really proud of the record," Smith says. And at that moment in struts Sammy Hagar, who says, "What is he, talkin' about those Meatballs again?" The Red Rocker lets out a laugh and fixes himself a pre-show drink of - what else? - Cabo Wabo Tequila. "Brother, they're cool," he says, measuring a Super Big Gulp-sized portion of his elixir. "I'm down with the Meatbats. But if they steal my man Chad away from Chickenfoot, I'm gonna have to hurt someone!"

Hagar chortles and splits with his industrial-strength cocktail. Smith leans forward, shakes his head and grins wearily. "It's a weird life I lead, trying to be in all these groups and give a hundred percent to each one. But that's my gig. I made my beds so now I've gotta sleep in them."

Next: What's up with the Chili Peppers?