Perry Farrell was already struggling onstage during Jane’s Addiction’s shows leading up to Friday night (Sept. 13) when he shoved and punched guitarist Dave Navarro.
What Happened Before Jane’s Addiction Incident In Boston?
Jane’s Addiction were nine songs into their set Friday night at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston when Farrell began shouting at Navarro toward the end of “Ocean Size.” Videos show the singer walk toward Navarro, bumping into him before he takes a swing at the guitarist who is still playing at the time.
Prior to the incident on Friday, Jane’s Addiction played back-to-back nights at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York. Farrell apologized to the crowd for his performance during the band’s Sept. 10 show.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have to be honest with you. Something’s wrong with my voice,” Farrell told the crowd. “I don’t know if you can hear it but something’s going on. I just can’t get the notes out.”
The following night, Farrell seemingly had difficulty with his voice while trying to push through “Jane Says.” A video from the performance shows Farrell stopping mid-song and speaking with bass player Eric Avery off-mic.
The two would again have a conversation after the song.
Show Was a “Metaphorical Car Crash”
Reddit reviews and comments from the Sept. 10 show posted in the Jane’s Addiction subreddit paint a picture of Farrell not only struggling with his voice that night, but also with his bandmates.
“‘Pigs In Zen’ came on next and in my 200+ acts I’ve ever seen live, I have never seen a worse performance in my life,” Reddit user fauxgadget posted. “Perry mumbled through the first verse and went on a 4ish minute incoherent rant where the second verse should be and everyone was beyond baffled.”
The Redditor, described the show as a “metaphorical car crash,” also said there were multiple conversations between Farrell and Avery during this night as well.
“I overheard someone notice that Eric said something to Perry after that whole nonsense during ‘Pigs’ and noted that Dave seemed furious,” the review, which was posted five days ago, reads. “The same antics continued but not as extreme as that one. He skipped the whole second chorus of ‘Ain’t No Right’ and just wandered the stage aimlessly, no words, not even an effort to hold up the mic.”
Several comments on the post agreed with the review with one even saying”the audience was scared for (Farrell). We kept looking at each other in disbelief.”
Jane’s Addiction has since apologized for the onstage incident during Friday’s show in Boston before cancelling the remainder of their 2024 tour while also announcing a hiatus for the band.
The tour was Jane’s Addiction’s first since 2010 with its classic lineup of Farrell, Navarro, Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins.
Jane’s Addiction Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide
Perry Farrell’s group has endured a steady stream of changes over the years.
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
