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topicnews · September 14, 2024

Jane’s Addiction appearance ends after Perry Farrell punches Dave Navarro

Jane’s Addiction appearance ends after Perry Farrell punches Dave Navarro

Caught sparring: A concert by the reunited band Jane’s Addiction in Boston ended abruptly on Friday night when a visibly angry Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro – and was restrained by crew members. He still appeared physically agitated when he was pushed off the stage.

Several audience members shared their dramatic video of the altercation after the performance ended in disaster. This emotional explosion – which came shortly after several “weird” moments in other cities that have already been discussed in reviews and on social media – has left some fans wondering whether the remaining shows on the band’s long-awaited reunion tour, their first in 14 years, will go ahead as planned.

Footage shared online shows the band in the middle of playing “Ocean Size,” the 11th number in a set that typically includes 14 or 15 songs, when an argument breaks out between the veteran band’s two most famous members. Some fans reported on social media that tensions appeared to have been building for several songs before anything came to blows.

In a video from before the scuffle, Ferrell is seen grunting angrily toward the crowd before turning to his right and yelling at Navarro face-to-face. During a solo, he appears to aggressively bump into the guitarist’s shoulders, and Navarro eventually stops playing and puts a hand on Farrell’s chest to create distance. The singer then appears to lash out. At that moment, as the stage lights dim, three men, including bassist Eric Avery, surround and grab Farrell, who is eventually pushed off the stage and appears to still be fighting back as he is forced into the wings.

After Farrell left, the rest of the band – including Navarro – came to the front of the stage to bid the crowd a gentler farewell. They appeared calm, hugging each other, applauding the audience, tapping their hearts and making the peace sign.

The dispute immediately escalated on social media and there was no shortage of jokes – including countless comparisons to Oasis – but also more serious concerns about the welfare of the band members involved.

“I was there,” tweeted @deanasc1 on X. “The crowd was confused. Half mad that the show ended so early and half excited that we may have seen the last Janes A show ever.”

“Jane’s Addiction broke up before Oasis omg,” read a typical tweet from user @Tribecalledflex.

On setlist.fm, the notes section of the Boston show offered a tongue-in-cheek juxtaposition of trivia about the performance: “Note: Stephen Perkins’ drum kit was decorated with balloons in celebration of his birthday. The set ended early after Perry Farell punched Dave Navarro.”

Press representatives from Jane’s Addiction and tour organizer Live Nation were not immediately available for comment on Friday evening.

Rumors had already been circulating on social media about Jane’s Addiction’s concerts in New York City earlier this week, which took place on the rooftop at Pier 51. At the first of two concerts there, Farrell admitted to the audience that his voice was not in the best shape, reportedly saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have to be honest with you. There is something wrong with my voice. I suddenly can’t get the notes out.” The next day, bandmate Eric Avery posted on Instagram: “I’m looking forward to performing again tonight in this spectacular rooftop location. I’m optimistic that we will get better.”

The following night in New York, things actually improved, as one JamBase reviewer wrote: “I had seen the reports on Farrell’s condition on Tuesday, so I was a little worried when Jane’s Addiction came on. However, all my fears were quickly dispelled, as my first Jane’s experience was great. Farrell sang well, Perkins gave it his all on drums, Navarro was awesome, and Avery anchored the band with his steady bass work. … Some of (Farrell’s) stories were engaging, others dragged on while he drank from a bottle of wine. He was also fixated on a device that was probably meant to add effects to his voice, but didn’t have much of an effect to my ear. As far as singing the songs went, though, Farrell nailed most of them.”

Ironically, given everything that has happened since, the singer broke up a fight at the band’s second New York show. “Farrell actually stopped the last song after noticing a fight in the audience,” JamBase reported. “Farrell had gotten a fan named ‘Bobby’ to make up with the audience member he had been arguing with.”

A review of the band’s Tampa show earlier this month in Creative Loafing may have given a clue as to where the tensions lie between Farrell and Navarro. The Florida critic reported, “Farrell launched into many nonsensical tirades about cow pastures, mushrooms, surfing, life in Florida and political arguments with his brother, among other incomprehensible comments,” while “drinking from a full bottle of wine throughout the performance. … At one point, during one of his chitchats, Navarro deliberately played a loud, piercing chord on his guitar to all but silence Farrell and get the show back on track.”

Jane’s Addiction’s first tour in 15 years is a co-headlining tour with another popular ’90s group, Love & Rockets, also sharing the stage.

Friday night’s fateful show in Boston was the 20th day of the group’s double-header tour, with 15 more to go. At the time of writing, the tour is scheduled to resume, concluding at LA’s YouTube Theater on October 16, marking the group’s return to the venue where they successfully performed once before at the start of their tour in mid-August.

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