Yahoo Lifestyle Jane's Addiction Cancels Tour After Onstage Scuffle Between Lead Singer And Guitarist
Jane’s Addiction has canceled the remainder of their tour after singer Perry Ferrell threw a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro during a concert over the weekend.
The alt-rock legends, known for the songs “Jane Says” and “Been Caught Stealing,” announced they were pressing pause on their reunion in a statement on social media Monday morning.
Addressing “all the fans,” the note said, “The band have made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group.”
“As such, they will be cancelling the remainder of the tour,” it went on.
Fans were told refunds for their tickets would be on the way before the band signed off with a thank you.
After the announcement, Navarro and fellow band members Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins voiced serious concerns for Ferrell’s “personal health and safety” in a joint statement on social media.
It read, “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour.”
“Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs.”
“We deeply regret that we are not able to come through for all our fans who have already bought tickets. We can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis.”
“Our hearts are broken,” the statement ended.
Later on Monday, Ferrell admitted that he was in the wrong in a statement to Billboard.
“This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” he wrote.
“Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation.”
On Friday, concertgoers witnessed Ferrell get aggressive with the band’s guitarist during a show in Boston.
In the incident, which both fans and music journalists shared online, an angry Ferrell appeared to confront Navarro as they began to play their song “Ocean Size.”
As Navarro tried to keep Ferrell at arm’s length, the singer threw a punch at him, prompting the rest of the band and several crew members to step in and separate the pair.
Following the scuffle, Jane’s Addiction posted an apology to their fans and announced they were canceling their Sunday show in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
“We want to extend a heartfelt apology to our fans for the events that unfolded last night,” read a statement shared to the band’s Instagram story on Saturday.
Conflict between Jane’s Addictions members and collaborators is nothing new.
Addressing the band’s tense dynamic back in a since-archived 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, Navarro said the violence between him and Perry was “definitely not something I’m ever nostalgic about.”
This July, HuffPost published an essay by former Jane’s Addiction collaborator and Ferrell’s ex-girlfriend Casey Niccoli, where she detailed the dysfunction within the group and how her creative contribution to the band was later erased from its history.
