The recently reformed Jane's Addiction were forced to cut their performance short in Boston, MA, last night after a physical altercation broke out between lead singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro. The incident occurred during the song "Ocean Size," marking the 11th track in the band's setlist. Normally, the show would have continued for three additional songs; however, Farrell's aggressive behavior led to an early ending.
Fan-recorded footage captured Farrell verbally attacking Navarro during his guitar solo, exclaiming "fuck these motherfuckers" before mouthing a profane phrase directed at Navarro and subsequently throwing a punch that landed on Navarro's chest. According to eyewitness reports, Navarro's guitar tech, Dan Cleary, quickly stepped in to restrain Farrell, prompting further intervention from the band's crew to escort Farrell offstage.
The audience responded with boos as drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery joined Navarro to express their appreciation for the crowd's support before leaving the stage. Perkins, celebrating his birthday that evening, shared a brief moment with Navarro prior to their departure.
In the aftermath, Cleary posted a photo of the venue on Instagram captioned, "The calm AFTER the storm. Thank you Boston. Sorry Boston." Band members have yet to publicly address the altercation, which has cast a shadow of uncertainty over Jane's Addiction's future.
This incident follows a prior apology from Farrell during a show in New York for his vocal issues. The band has been on tour with Navarro for the first time since his recovery from Long Covid, and they recently released their first new single in 34 years in July, with a follow-up set to drop on September 18. With a history of squabbles during their original run, this latest outburst raises concerns about the reliability of their reunion, despite Navarro's comments earlier this year emphasizing an optimistic outlook on their current dynamic.