On Friday, Sep. 13, during Jane’s Addiction’s “Love and Rockets” tour in Boston, the lead singer of the indie-punk band, Perry Farrell, violently assaulted guitarist Dave Navarro during their performance of “Ocean Size.” Live video footage captured from the audience depicts Farrell shoving and throwing a punch at Navarro. The fight happened just a few months after the band’s original members reunited for the first time in decades for their new song “Imminent Redemption,” released in July of this year. This altercation eventually led the band to announce an indefinite break from making music together and canceling the remainder of their tour.
In the days following the on-stage fight, Jane’s Addiction released a joint statement on Instagram, stating, “To all the fans, The band have made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group. As such, they will be cancelling [sic] the remainder of the tour…” This announcement may shock fans who have been around since the band’s debut album, “Nothing’s Shocking,” released in 1988, but insider sources revealed that tensions had been brewing months before the tour began.
Dan Cleary, the band’s guitar technician, divulges in the podcast “Beantown Beatdown” that the band’s chemistry started to fizzle out a while ago. Cleary noted that Farrell attempted to quit the band shortly before the tour’s launch in Las Vegas on Aug. 9. However, the band’s management team convinced him to continue to perform for the remainder of the tour.
According to Cleary, the band had an ongoing dispute over whether their shows should include backup dancers. Farrell supported this idea, especially since his wife was one of the dancers. However, the rest of the band collectively agreed that group dancers would not impress modern audiences. The decision not to have backup dancers further fueled Farrell’s desire to leave the band.
Ultimately, the tension between band members came to a breaking point when Farrell punched Navarro in the middle of their gig. Following the fight, they canceled the rest of their reunion tour and announced their formal separation as a band.
Despite the physical altercation and canceled tour, Jane’s Addiction quietly dropped a new single, “True Love,” on Spotify without any previous promotion. To say the song drop came as a surprise to fans is an understatement. The song is delicate and melancholic but indistinguishable from the sounds of their other songs. Farrell’s fragile voice evokes a deep sense of yearning as he sings the lyrics, “When I first felt true love/I was very young… floating over something that’s way over your head.” The song feels like floating above the sweet innocence of youth.
At the heart of it, “True Love” is a permanent wave ethereal ballad. Navarro’s slow and hypnotic guitar riffs intertwined with Farrell’s wistful voice create a nostalgic aura surrounding the listener. The song is like a candle slowly melting and fading out into nothingness. “True Love” is introspective and encapsulates the bittersweet taste of being young and in love. The song is a powerful reminder of Jane’s Addiction’s ability to channel vulnerable emotions into a single song.
Whether this marks the end of an era for Jane’s Addiction or a temporary pause, the echoed vocals of “True Love” closes this chapter of the band’s history. Perhaps “True Love” is not only a song but a reflection of experiencing the moments as they occur.
