When Michael J. Fox plays Johnny B. Goode onstage in Back to the Future, getting so engrossed in the music that he knocks over his amplifier, the room falls in shocked silence.
A similar silence descended on the audience at a Boston concert Friday night when “The Godfather of Alternative Music” Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro during a song, and then, visibly enraged, Farrell turned on Navarro and threw another punch, sending him flying backwards.
After the scuffle, Pharrell was restrained by staff and escorted off stage as fans began booing him, and minutes later the lights in the venue were turned back on, ending the show.
The incident between the two veteran band members appeared to surprise Navarro and was captured on camera from various angles by members of the audience.
On social media, fans who were at the concert to see the reunited Jane’s Addiction on tour reported that the “issues” started mid-song, when Perry allegedly yelled at Navarro. According to witnesses, the issues continued throughout the concert, which one fan pointed out included a song ironically titled “Summertime Rolls.”
On X, a videographer who said he was at the show tweeted that Perry “had a large bottle of wine with her the whole evening.”
Pharrell, 65, began his career in the 1980s with American post-punk band Psycom, before becoming the lead singer of Jane’s Addiction.
The band, which played a unique blend of psychedelic rock, punk and heavy metal, ended its acrimonious breakup in 1991. Founding member Eric Avery repeatedly refused to take part in a reunion tour over the years, but returned to the band after a 12-year hiatus in 2022. But Navarro, now 57, was unable to join the band’s reunion tour that year or last year due to his long-term COVID-19 situation.
The band reunited in May this year for the first time in 14 years and was in the middle of a long US tour.
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As reported by NME , there was apparently tension between band members when the band performed two nights on the rooftop of New York City’s Pier 17 earlier this week.
Pharrell reportedly told the Pier 17 crowd that his voice wasn’t working well. “I’m going to be honest with you guys. There’s something wrong with my voice. All of a sudden, I’m not getting any sound,” he said.
Bassist Eric Avery later acknowledged the poor performance in New York in an Instagram post, writing, “We are excited to play this amazing rooftop venue once again tonight and are optimistic we can do even better.”
