S Poddar
Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction fought it out onstage during a September 13 concert in Boston, which was stopped due to the altercation. Released recently, Imminent Redemption is the first new music from the Los Angeles-based alt-rock band who had welcomed its original lineup back-a lineup that includes Farrell, Navarro, Stephen Perkins, and Eric Avery-in long years to their line-up since. Of course, there are already feelings in the group, though-the tension surging between some of its members.
Footage taken by fans at the show captures Farrell as the instigator of the altercation, walking up to Navarro during the song Ocean Size and shoving him while he was playing. Farrell even appeared to attempt a punch before crew members and Avery intervened to break up the fight. The lights were cut and Farrell was escorted off stage. The performance had already covered 11 songs up to that time when it was short-circuited by the incident.
There have been reports from people who were in the audience that the friction had been building up since earlier in the show. One claims on the social media that the argument began during the song Mountain Song during which time, Farrell was observed yelling at Navarro; the signs were said to have worsened during Three Days that ended in the physical confrontation during Ocean Size.
A photographer at the performance used social media to add additional context. He explained that Farrell had held a bottle of wine the size of his head throughout the entire show. According to the photographer, Navarro and Avery were in discussion with each other and looked more on edge than usual. “Everyone thought it was part of the act, kind of odd but still a little.”. We were looking forward to the band taking a bow and coming back for an encore, thunderous applause. But two minutes later on, the house lights rose and walk-out music started, and the show was over.
This wasn’t the first hint of the internal conflict within the group. Loyal fans had become worried that something was amiss with Farrell’s wellbeing given the circus-like miserable performance a few days earlier in New York. It was during the show when Farrell confessed to everyone that something was wrong with his voice: “Something’s wrong with my voice. I just can’t get the notes out all of a sudden.” Avery also posted on Instagram how that night was rocky for him as he wrote, “Looking forward to getting another crack at this spectacular rooftop venue tonight. I’m optimistic we will be better.”.
Rumors have abounded for weeks, and the lead guitarist has made comments to reporters before interviews that he thinks an album from the reunited lineup in their first full-length since 1990’s Ritual De Lo Habitual is nigh. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Navarro said, “That’s more than likely going to happen. We’ve recorded material.”. I don’t know if they are coming out as singles or if we put out a full album, but I really am looking forward to getting it on vinyl.
Now 57, Navarro was thinking about the durability of the group, to which he had adhered when he was just barely 17 or 18. “There’s always obstacles in collaborative creative efforts,” he said, “but overcoming those obstacles is where the solution occurs-and the solution, should it reveal itself, can be pretty thrilling.”
Jane’s Addiction had recently completed a very well-received tour across the UK and Europe, playing London’s legendary Roundhouse along the way. This is the last one because I don’t need you to give me a f***ing hand to get me to come back out,” Farrell said as he introduced the final track Stop! and informed there would be no encore, NME noted in a four-star review of the London show.
The raw performance of this band proved their relevance nearly four decades since they had all formed. While longertime fans have been waiting for new material from Jane’s Addiction, this latest on-stage scuffle in Boston reflects the tensions that have long been the case with the band. Just how these sort of tensions will impact future shows or a potential new album remains to be seen. Still, their passion and intensity, which defined them at the outset, are rampant as ever.
