A Jane’s Addiction show came to an abrupt end on Friday night (13 September) when a visibly furious Perry Farrell threw a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro and had to be physically restrained by crew members.
The reunion gig was underway in Boston following two outdoor New York shows that received mixed reviews from fans and critics, who remarked on Perry’s apparently lacklustre performance.
At the Leader Bank Pavilion, Farrell reportedly shouted at Navarro during the ninth track of the set, “Mountain Song”, with tensions building further as the gig continued.
Then, as the band were performing their 1988 song “Ocean Size”, Perry appeared to bark at Navarro before walking over to him and aggressively shoving him with his shoulder.
As Navarro spoke to him and put his hand on Perry’s chest to try and keep him away, the singer then appeared to take a swing at him with his fist before being tackled by crew members and pushed off the stage.
The stage lights were swiftly turned down and the music stopped, as the audience began to boo and jeer.
Fans shared footage of the dramatic incident on social media, with others waiting to see if the band plan on continuing their long-awaited reunion tour. The shows mark their first in 15 years and are being co-headlined by fellow Nineties group, Love & Rockets.
The Independent has contacted Jane’s Addiction’s representative for comment.
A review of the band’s earlier show in Tampa, Florida, hinted at brewing tensions between Farrell and Navarro.
“Farrell launched into many nonsensical rants about cow pastures, mushrooms, surfing, living in Florida, and arguing with his brother about politics,” while “chugging from a full bottle of wine throughout the performance,” Creative Loafingreported.
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“At one point, during one of his ramblings, Navarro deliberately cranked out a loud, piercing chord on his guitar, as almost to silence Farrell and get the show back on track.”
Perry had also expressed frustration over apparent vocal issues at the first of the band’s two New York shows, confessing: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have to be honest with you. Something’s wrong with my voice. I just can’t get the notes out all of a sudden.”
Bassist Eric Avery, who helped pull Perry away from Navarro during the incident on Friday night, wrote on Instagram last week: “Looking forward to getting another crack at this spectacular rooftop venue tonight. I’m optimistic we will be better.”
On Navarro’s latest Instagram post, which features a shot of him performing during the New York gig on 9 September, fans have been sharing messages of support.
“Nothing but respect for Dave Navarro and Eric Avery,” one said.
“Real sad to have witnessed the s*** tonight,” another wrote. “You were INCREDIBLE and I’m grateful I got to see it. Hate how it ended. You didn’t deserve that.”