Jane’s Addiction cancels remaining dates of reunion tour after onstage altercation

Photo credit: Navier Grimes

After a tumultuous week of their highly anticipated reunion tour, which ended with an onstage brawl Friday night, Jane’s Addiction has officially canceled all dates on their pending tour. The popular and celebrated alternative rock quartet made their change of plans known via a post on their Instagram account, after canceling their Sunday, September 15, performance in Bridgeport, Connecticut, following their widely publicized live incident. Amidst the various explanations offered by the band members, a picture of the tension emerging backstage.

“To all fans,” the band’s collective cancellation message begins. “The band has made the difficult decision to take a break as a group. As a result, they will be canceling the remainder of the tour.” Fans with tickets to any of the remaining 14 legs of the band’s tour scheduled through October 16 will receive an automatic refund through their point of purchase or by contacting third-party sellers like StubHub or SeatGeek.

Beyond the band’s official account, guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins released a joint statement in a collaborative post, accusing vocalist Perry Farrell of being the main instigator of the band’s recent struggles. “Due to recurring behavior and mental health issues of our vocalist Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue our current U.S. tour,” the musicians wrote.

“Our concern for his health and personal safety, as well as our own, leaves us with no alternative. We hope he finds the help he needs. We deeply regret that we cannot help all of our fans who have already purchased tickets. We see no solution that would ensure a safe on-stage environment or allow us to reliably deliver a great show every night.”

After the band’s Friday, September 13, concert in Boston, which ended abruptly when Farrell punched Navarro and was ejected from the stage by event staff, the singer’s wife Etty Lau Farrell explained that there was some tension building before “the dynamite was lit.” After recounting what happened in the dark brawl, she described her husband’s state after the show: “Perry was a madman for the next half hour — he didn’t calm down, he just broke down and cried and cried.”

Farrell released a statement on the incident: “This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only fitting that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, my fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show. Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full responsibility for how I chose to handle the situation.”

Jane’s Addiction’s reunion tour, co-headlining with other iconic ’90s bands Love & Rockets, marked the first time in 14 years that the band performed with the full original quartet of Farrell, Navarro, Avery and Perkins. Navarro returned to the band after a years-long battle with COVID in May, following Avery’s 2022 reunion with the band, which ended a 12-year strike, his second in the band’s tumultuous history.

Since their arrival on the scene in 1985, the band has broken up twice and had an onstage fight (like their Friday altercation) at the first Lollapalooza in 1991, just before their first disbandment. As the band throws in the towel on their highly anticipated revival, fans may be facing a third hiatus.