Jane’s Addiction appear to have made up with Perry Farrell and let bygones be bygones – up to a point.
That appears to be the outcome of a formal apology the singer posted to both his and the band’s Instagram accounts. In it, Farrell appears contrite about what happened fifteen months ago onstage in Boston – the night Jane’s Addiction’s latest reunion spluttered to a halt in a flurry of fisticuffs and aggro.
He begins: “To everyone in Boston, and around the world. I’d like to address what happened on stage last year. I’ve reflected on it and know I didn’t handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
“Jane’s Addiction has been at the centre of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons and the impact that we’ve had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down.”
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I’m truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
In reply, the rest of the band – Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins – posted their own Instagram message that gave their side of the story. “We would like to clarify the events surrounding the cancellation of the tour after the show in Boston in September 2024,” they began.
“After that show, without notice to Perry, we unilaterally determined it would be best to not continue the tour and made inaccurate statements about Perry’s mental health which we regret.”
They continue: “Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane’s Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together. We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavours. Jane’s Addiction will forever live in our hearts. We are proud of the music we created together.”
The statements appear to draw a line under the legal action that the band had filed against Farrell, accusing the singer of “assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract”. Farrell, for his part, filed another back at the band, denying the allegations.
Whether the four will ever work together again is another matter, but for the moment hostilities have at least ceased.
