Jane’s Addiction apologizes, cancels next gig over frontman Perry Farrell’s onstage fight with guitarist Dave Navarro
Jane’s Addiction apologized to their fans for abruptly ending their show early on Friday following an on-stage scuffle between frontman Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro.
“We want to extend a heartfelt apology to our fans for the events that unfolded last night,” the band wrote in a statement on their Instagram story Saturday night.
The rock group’s statement comes 24 hours after their chaotic performance at the Leader Bank Pavillion in Boston, where the bandmates clashed amid growing “tension and animosity.”
Farrell, 65, was in the middle of singing “Ocean Size” and became visibly aggravated, shouting expletives at the audience and bandmates.
He proceeded to turn to Navarro and rammed his shoulder into the unsuspecting guitarist before the two rockers faced off.
It all culminated in Farrell getting into Navarro’s face, throwing two elbow-like jabs before several crew members and bassist Eric Avery, ran up and restrained the frontman.
The lights lowered on stage, but several punches were thrown as the hot-headed Farrell was escorted away from the crowd’s view.
Due to the fight, the rock group announced it canceled its Sunday show in Bridgeport, Conn. and that fans would be refunded for their ticket.
Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell shared her account of what led to the rocker’s heated outburst during the band’s Beantown show.
She revealed tensions between Farrell and the rest of the band had been growing because his voice was being drowned out by all their instruments.
“He was screaming just to be heard,” Etty Lau wrote on Instagram Saturday.
“Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band,” she added.
“Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But 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.”
Etty Lau claimed that after the other three band members left the stage, Avery “walked up to Perry, upstage, in the dark, behind Dan, put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times.”
“Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried,” she continued.
“Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”
Navarro has yet to personally address the exchange.
Jane’s Addiction performed at NYC’s Pier 17 for two shows last week, including on Sept. 10, where Farrell told the audience he was having issues with his vocals saying, “something’s wrong with my voice.”
The band is still scheduled to perform in Toronto, Canada on Sept. 18.
