Dave Navarro has confirmed there’s “no chance” of Jane’s Addiction ever playing again, with the now-viral on-stage altercation last September causing the band to come to a “screeching halt.”
Speaking to Guitar Player magazine, Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro revealed that his least favourite gig in his otherwise legendary career was the viral September 13, 2024, show in Boston – the night Perry Farrell punched and shoved him onstage in full view of a stunned audience.
Footage of the blow-up ripped across social media like wildfire, leading to the near-immediate cancellation of the band’s remaining tour dates.
Not long after, Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery issued a statement citing a “continuing pattern of behaviour and the mental health difficulties of our singer (Farrell)” as the reason for calling it quits.
Leading up to the Boston disaster, Navarro says Jane’s Addiction was experiencing a creative and emotional high point. With all four members finally reunited – especially with Eric Avery back in the fold – Navarro says the European leg of the tour was the most satisfying experience he’d had with the band in years. “These were some of my favourite Jane’s Addiction gigs of all time,” he said.
“There was no bullshit. No props. No dancing. No pyro. No gimmicks. Just us.”
“At our ages, in our 50s and 60s, everybody’s done what they’re gonna do,” he explained. “We weren’t competitive with each other. We were getting along. There was no ego issue. Just four guys making great music, like we did in the beginning.”
“It was just us on a stage, with people going fucking crazy.”
Then came Boston. “There was an altercation onstage (during the Jane’s Addiction show),” Navarro recalled. “And all the hard work and dedication and writing and hours in the studio, and picking up and leaving home and crisscrossing the country and Europe and trying to overcome my illness — it all came to a screeching halt and forever destroyed the band’s life.”
“And there’s no chance for the band to ever play together again.”
“That gig, September 13th, in Boston, ended all of that. And for that reason, that is my least favourite gig that I have ever played,” he said.
Despite the collapse of Jane’s Addiction, Navarro has stayed creatively active with Perkins and Avery — though the trio hasn’t released any new music just yet. As for the legacy? Navarro seems resigned.
“The experiences are there,” he said, pausing to collect his thoughts. “But the potential of having those types of experiences ended that night.”
“It is what it is. And that’s my answer.”
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