Jane's Addiction

Los Angeles quartet Jane's Addiction are one of the most influential and iconic rock bands to come from the late-’80s and early-’90s alternative boom. Hotly pursued when they first debuted in the mid-’80s, they released a pair of landmark albums — 1988’s Nothing's Shocking and 1990′s Ritual de lo Habitual — before dissolving in 1991. Subsequent reunions yielded additional efforts (2003′s Strays and 2011′s The Great Escape Artist), and they maintained their cult status into the subsequent decades. After over a decade without newly recorded music, the classic lineup returned in 2024 with “Imminent Redemption.” Formed by flamboyant frontman Perry Farrell, formerly of the band Psi Com, Jane's Addiction played a hybrid of rock music: metal with strains of punk, folk, and jazz. Rising from the Los Angeles underground, the quartet — whose classic lineup comprised of Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins, and guitarist Dave Navarro — had already released its debut effort — a self-titled live recording from the Roxy in Hollywood — by the time they were signed to Warner Bros. following an aggressive bidding war. Their official studio debut, Nothing's Shocking, landed in 1988 and immediately courted controversy. The band’s abrasive sound and attitude (typified by the nude sculpture on the cover, which Farrell created with his muse and partner at the time Casey Niccoli) led to some resistance, but Jane's Addiction began to break through to an audience — the album spent 35 weeks on the charts and the band toured with Iggy Pop and the Ramones. Despite internal band struggles and ongoing tensions, they recorded their next album in 1989. Again featuring provocative cover art by Niccoli, the sophomore set Ritual de lo Habitual arrived in 1990 and was the band’s commercial breakthrough, reaching the Top 20 in the U.S. Boosted by the singles “Stop!” and “Been Caught Stealing,” which were also hits on MTV, the LP was eventually certified multi-platinum. Soon after, Farrell inaugurated the traveling rock festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction, alongside acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nine Inch Nails, Butthole Surfers, Living Colour, Rollins Band, Violent Femmes, and Body Count. After the tour was completed at the end of the summer of 1991, the group split. Farrell would continue to be involved with the organization of the annual Lollapalooza festival for the next several years; he also formed Porno for Pyros with Perkins in 1992, releasing their debut record the following year. After a couple of quiet years — which included forming Deconstruction, a band that didn’t release any records until 1994, with Avery — Navarro joined Red Hot Chili Peppers at the end of 1993. By 1997, Perkins and Farrell had dissolved Porno for Pyros, while Navarro was about to resign from Red Hot Chili Peppers. After Navarro began playing with his two former bandmates again during Porno for Pyros’ final tour, a Jane's Addiction reunion tour was announced for fall of the same year. The only catch was that Chili Peppers bassist Flea replaced Avery (Avery refused to participate, as he concentrated on his new band, Polar Bear). To coincide with the short tour, the newly reunited Jane's Addiction issued the album Kettle Whistle, which compiled classic live performances and demos alongside a few newly recorded tracks. The album didn’t fare well on the charts, but the reunion tour was a rousing success. It didn’t lead to a permanent re-formation, however, as members went their separate ways once more after its completion. A planned film documentary of the reunion tour failed to materialize, and Rev, a best-of compilation that chronicled Farrell’s work (with Jane's, Porno, and a few new solo tracks) was issued in 1999. His first solo full-length, Song Yet to Be Sung, saw the light of day in 2001. Navarro’s debut solo effort, Trust No One, was issued a month earlier than Farrell’s, as another Jane's Addiction reunion was announced the same year. Avery again refused to participate, with his spot being filled by former Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn Lenoble. Several years later, Jane's Addiction readied themselves to do it again. In mid-2002, Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins headed back into the studio for their first album of new material in over a decade. Bass player Chris Chaney (Tommy Lee, Alanis Morissette) was added to the group and Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Aerosmith) signed on to produce the new record. Capitol prepped for the release of Strays in July 2003 while Farrell resurrected Lollapalooza after a six-year break. Around 2004, Jane's Addiction announced they had broken up yet again and the members began work on several other music projects. Navarro, Perkins, Chaney, and vocalist Steve Isaacs formed the band the Panic Channel, and released the album (One) in 2006. Also in 2006, Navarro co-hosted the CBS reality music competition Rock Star: Supernova, in which contestants vied to become the lead singer for a supergroup featuring drummer Tommy Lee, bassist Jason Newsted, and guitarist Gilby Clarke. In early 2007, the Panic Channel and Supernova toured together. Meanwhile, Farrell and his wife Etty Lau Farrell, along with former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, formed the band the Satellite Party and released the album Ultra Payloaded in 2007. In 2008, Jane's Addiction reunited, this time featuring the original lineup including bassist Avery, who had not performed with the band since 1991. They quickly re-recorded two tracks, “Whores” and “Chip Away” — which had never officially been recorded in a studio — and joined Nine Inch Nails on a tour aptly-dubbed “NIN/JA.” To coincide with the jaunt, the lavish box set A Cabinet of Curiosities appeared in 2009. In 2010, Avery announced he was leaving the band and was replaced by former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan. Originally added as a temporary member, McKagan ultimately signed on full-time and the band began working on new material. In May of 2010, the new-look Jane's Addiction with McKagan on bass premiered the song “Soulmate” during a Cinco de Mayo concert in Hollywood. McKagan left the group the following year and was replaced by TV on the Radio multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek, who also appeared on the band’s fourth proper studio album, 2011′s The Great Escape Artist. On the supporting tour for The Great Escape Artist, Chris Chaney joined Jane's Addiction and stayed with the band for the next 11 years, a time which was marked by semi-regular concerts and festival appearances. In 2016, Jane's Addiction launched the Sterling Spoon Anniversary Tour which celebrated the anniversaries of Lollapalooza and Ritual de lo Habitual. To accompany the tour, the group released a vinyl box set called Sterling Spoon. A live recording of the tour — Alive at Twenty-Five — was also released in 2017. Into the 2020s, the band teased new music and performed here and there, with a flurry of action bringing them back to the fore in 2022. That year, they launched a full tour with Smashing Pumpkins, Farrell reunited Porno for Pyros, and Avery returned to the fold (resulting in the dismissal of Chaney). Due to illness, Navarro was unable to join the tour and his spot filled by Troy Van Leeuwen (and, on occasion, Josh Klinghoffer and Daniel Ash). By 2024, the classic Farrell, Navarro, Avery, and Perkins lineup finally reunited in London; it was the first time the foursome performed together since 2010. A tour with Love and Rockets was scheduled for that year, coinciding with the release of “Imminent Redemption,” the first original song with Avery in 34 years. ~ Greg Prato & Neil Z. Yeung