Red Hot Chili Peppers' lead singer Anthony Kiedis was taken to hospital on Saturday, forcing the cancellation of the band's show in Irvine, California.

"Unfortunately due to illness the @ChiliPeppers were forced to cancel their set tonight at #WeenieRoast," Los Angeles radio station KROQ, which sponsors the annual event, said on Twitter.

Officials at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre confirmed the band's performance had been canceled and that Kiedis had been hospitalized but gave no further details, media reports said.

Billboard magazine reported that Kiedis was taken from the venue in an ambulance suffering from extreme stomach pain, citing a KROQ representative, but that the exact nature of the problem was as yet unknown.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold more than 60 million albums, won six Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. They performed at last year's Super Bowl halftime show, among the most high-profile U.S. gigs for musical performers.