JANE’S ADDICTION frontman Perry Farrell has apologized to his bandmates, fans and family after an onstage altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro prompted the group to cancel the remainder of their US tour.
“This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarrofans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” Farrell said in a statement posted to his Instagram. “Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation,” he added.
The September 13 show at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston came to a sudden end after Farrell bumped Navarrese‘s shoulder with his own before seemingly yelling at the guitarist. Navarrese then placed a hand between himself and Perry before Farrell appeared to throw a punch at him. Another man then jumped between them, breaking up the fight.
Earlier today (Monday, September 16),JANE’S ADDICTION members Navarresebassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins released the following statement via social media: “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrellwe have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour.
“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.
“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.
“Our hearts are broken. Dave, Eric and Stephen“.
A separate statement posted on the JANE’S ADDICTION social media Monday morning reads: “To all the fans, the band have made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group. As such, they will be canceling the remainder of the tour.” The announcement goes on to say that refunds for the canceled dates will be “issued at your point of purchase — or if you purchased from a third-party resale site like StubHub, SeatGeeketc, please reach out to them direct.”
On Saturday (September 13),Farrell‘s wife Etty Lau Farrell provided a “first person account” of what happened during the Boston concert, writing in an Instagram post that there had been “a lot of tension and animosity between the members” and the “dynamite was lit” that night.
She went on to say that the altercation had been a culmination of Perry‘s “mounting” frustration due to the “extremely loud” volume of the band’s playing, and that her husband felt that “his voice was being drowned out by the band.”
“Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night,” she explained. “But when the audience in the first row started complaining [to] Perrycussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
“The band started the song ‘Ocean [Size]’ before Perry was ready and did the count off,” Etty continued. “The stage volume was so loud at that point, that Perry couldn’t hear [past] the boom and the vibration of the instruments and by the end of the song, he wasn’t singing, he was screaming just to be heard.”
Etty claimed that while Navarrese had tried to keep her husband “at arm’s length to de-escalate the situation,” bassist Eric Avery “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times.” She told a crew member was able to pull Avery away, and he “walked off to the front of the stage to apologize to [the] audience for the show ending early.”
“Dave still looked handsome and cool in the middle of a fight,” Etty wrote. “Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did break down and cried and cried.
“Ericwell he either didn’t understand what de-escalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry,” she added.
In a comment below her original post, Etty insisted that alcohol was not the real issue, despite the fact that Perry was seen drinking from a bottle of wine at some of the recent concerts.
“Unfortunately, that bottle of wine is more of a prop nowadays,” she wrote. “I have gotten angry at him multiple times, that he would leave a beautiful bottle of wine 3/4 full on the stage, when I would’ve loved a glass after the show.”
The Boston show was part of JANE’S ADDICTION‘s co-headlining tour with LOVE & ROCKETS.
Navarrese had missed JANE’S ADDICTION‘s tours in 2022 and 2023 because of a battle with long COVID. To fill Navarrese‘s spot, the band brought on QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and ex-RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.
Farrell admitted to the New York Post that he missed Navarrese during the guitarist’s absence.
“I wish I would have my dear guitar player around,” Farrell said in September 2022. “[But] I live to bring entertainment and art to the world. And whatever I can do to entertain you, to blow your mind, that’s what I live for.”
In a recent interview with Guitar World, Avery it was unsure if JANE’S ADDICTION would still be standing in 2025.
“I still don’t know if we’re a band that you ever assume will be here a year from now,” he told the magazine. “That being said, yeah… there is a revitalization and a reconnection. Let’s hope it lasts.”
