Jane’s Addiction has announced the cancellation of their entire tour following a high-profile altercation between guitarist Dave Navarro and lead singer Perry Farrell.
The dispute, which occurred during a performance in Boston, has led to the band’s decision to halt the remaining dates of their tour.
The incident took place on Friday night at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, marking the latest show in the band’s first tour featuring their original lineup in 14 years.
Eyewitnesses reported that the conflict erupted during the band’s performance of “Mountain Song,” when Farrell, 65, began shouting at Navarro, 57.
The confrontation escalated, culminating in Farrell body-checking Navarro and reportedly landing a punch during their rendition of “Ocean Size.”
Navarro addressed fans on Monday, explaining the decision to cancel the tour. In a statement, Navarro said, “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour.”
He continued, “Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs.” Navarro expressed regret for not being able to fulfill the tour dates, stating, “We deeply regret that we are not able to come through for all our fans who have already bought tickets. We can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis.” The statement concluded with a somber note: “Our hearts are broken. Dave, Eric and Stephen.”
The announcement followed comments from Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau, who broke her silence about the incident on Instagram. Lau provided an account of her husband’s perspective, explaining that Farrell had been struggling with tinnitus and a sore throat throughout the tour.
She stated that Farrell felt overwhelmed by the high stage volume, which he believed was drowning out his vocals. Lau described how Farrell’s frustration mounted after fans complained that they could not hear him due to the loud performance.
She wrote, “When the audience in the first row started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was playing too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.” According to Lau, Farrell was not merely singing but “screaming just to be heard.”
Lau’s post also detailed the altercation on stage, indicating that Farrell appeared to be intoxicated. She claimed that tensions between Farrell and Navarro began during “Mountain Song” and boiled over by the time they reached “Ocean Size.”
Lau accused bassist Eric Avery of exacerbating the situation, alleging that Avery, while everyone else was trying to de-escalate, “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times.” She criticized Avery’s actions, saying, “Eric, well he either didn’t understand what de-escalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.” Lau concluded her post by noting that while Navarro managed to remain composed during the conflict, Farrell was deeply affected, eventually breaking down in tears.
Jane’s Addiction, formed in Los Angeles in 1985, had previously announced a farewell tour in 1991.
The band’s lineup has undergone several changes over the years, with Eric Avery leaving in 2010 before rejoining for this latest tour.
The current tour was highly anticipated by fans, marking a significant return to the original lineup.
Dayle Gloria, the LA club promoter who played a role in discovering the band in 1986 and is the host of the podcast Nightclubbing with Dayle Gloria, expressed disappointment over the situation.
Gloria commented, “Perry Farrell’s meltdown is tough to see for those of us like me who love the band.” Gloria added, “We all hope that Perry gets the help he needs so he and the band can someday re-capture the magic that is Jane’s Addiction.”
As of now, Jane’s Addiction has yet to announce any plans for rescheduling the tour or resuming performances. Fans who purchased tickets for the canceled shows will likely be looking for updates on refunds or potential future dates. The cancellation has marked an unfortunate end to what was intended to be a celebrated return to the stage for the iconic rock band.
Original article below:
A highly anticipated Jane’s Addiction reunion concert at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston was cut short [1] on Friday night after a physical altercation [2] erupted on stage between frontman Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro.
The incident unfolded during the band’s performance of “Ocean Size,” marking a sudden and unexpected end to the show.
The altercation took place during the band’s first tour in 14 years featuring its core lineup, with fans witnessing tensions between band members escalate into a full-blown confrontation.
Eleven songs into the set, Farrell approached Navarro, yelling at him before body-checking the guitarist during his solo.
Navarro, visibly shocked, attempted to keep Farrell at bay, but the confrontation continued as Farrell threw a right hook at Navarro, hitting him in the process.
Crew members and bassist Eric Avery quickly intervened to de-escalate the situation. According to eyewitness accounts, Avery restrained Farrell, delivering several punches to the singer’s torso as other crew members stepped in to separate the two bandmates.
The altercation brought the concert to an abrupt halt, with Navarro setting down his guitar and receiving an emotional hug from drummer Stephen Perkins before the band exited the stage.
Longer vid of fight that brought tonight’s Jane’s Addiction show to an early end.
Problems started in “Mountain Song” when Perry shouted at Dave. Issues got worse in “Three Days” + boiled over in “Ocean Size.”
Crew + bassist Eric Avery subdued Perry
🎥 MiniSleater on Reddit pic.twitter.com/8I1pbza3VC [3]
— JamBase (@JamBase) September 14, 2024 [4]
The show ended with the band playing just 11 songs, roughly four fewer than their typical setlist for this tour.
Fans and observers pointed out that tensions between Farrell and Navarro had been apparent throughout the concert.
According to reports from JamBase, the disagreement between the two began earlier in the show during “Mountain Song” and continued through “Three Days.”
The Boston incident was the culmination of rising friction, with some fans having already expressed dissatisfaction with Farrell’s performance during earlier shows in New York City earlier that week.
On social media, fans noted Farrell’s struggles with missing cues and singing out of key, while Navarro and other band members appeared visibly frustrated, often exchanging eye rolls and gestures of discontent between songs.
Following the incident, Perry Farrell’s wife, Etty Farrell, took to Instagram to offer her perspective on what led to the onstage fight. In her post, she attributed her husband’s outburst to mounting frustration over technical issues, particularly the high volume of the band’s instruments, which he felt drowned out his vocals.
View this post on Instagram
Etty noted that Perry had been battling tinnitus and a sore throat throughout the tour, and that complaints from audience members in the front row about the excessive volume further contributed to his anger.
“Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night,” she wrote. “But when the audience in the first row started complaining to Perry, cussing at him that the band was playing too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
Etty also called attention to Avery’s actions during the altercation, stating that while other crew members attempted to defuse the situation, Avery “ran up in the dark, put Perry in a headlock, and punched him in the stomach three times,” describing it as a “cheap shot.”
Her comments sparked a mixed reaction online, with some fans accusing her of enabling her husband’s behavior, while others expressed concern about Perry Farrell’s mental health.
Despite the chaotic scene in Boston, Jane’s Addiction has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The band is still scheduled to continue its tour, with the next performance slated for Sunday in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The tour, which includes 15 more dates, is set to conclude on October 16th in Los Angeles.
As fans await further developments, the Boston incident has raised questions about the internal dynamics of the band as it navigates its long-awaited reunion tour.
For now, it remains to be seen whether the tensions between Farrell and Navarro will have lasting repercussions on the remainder of the tour.