Beantown Band Brawl!
Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro in an onstage rage and was dragged offstage by several staff members, bringing the reunited band’s Boston show to an abrupt end on Friday night.
Pharrell was in the middle of performing “Ocean Size” when he yelled at the crowd at Leader Bank Pavilion, told them to “fuck you” and then began screaming into the microphone.
According to a video of the awkward confrontation posted on social media, Pharrell appeared to become agitated, turned to Navarro on his right and began yelling again, before bumping the unsuspecting guitarist with his shoulder.
The two rockers faced off, and Farrell inched closer to Navarro’s face, but Navarro calmly held Farrell down with a right hand.
Pharrell then elbows the guitarist, but several staff members and bandmates, including bassist Eric Avery, rush over and stop the “Been Caught Stealing” singer, telling him to “stop it.”
The stage lights were dimmed but several punches erupted as the hotheaded singer was led away from the crowd’s view.
The three remaining band members, Navarro, Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins, came to the front of the stage and gave a warm farewell to the crowd.
The band members raised their hands above their heads, pounded their chests and gave peace signs, while the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
Photographer Brian McKenzie, who was tasked with taking photos of the show at the venue, posted to X that the crowd thought the confrontation was just a minor skirmish between band members.
“Perry was carrying a large bottle of wine throughout the evening, and Navarro and Avery were chattering throughout the show and seemed angrier than usual,” he claimed.
“I was there too,” said X-user @deanasc1. “The audience was confused – half pissed that the show ended early and half excited that this might be Jane’s A’s last show.”
Neither the band, Navarro nor Perry had publicly commented on the incident as of Saturday morning.
The band, currently in the middle of a North American tour, has been experiencing issues surrounding their singer during recent shows.
While performing on the rooftop of New York’s Pier 17 on September 10, Pharrell told the crowd that his voice wasn’t in good shape, Variety reported.
“Hey guys, I’m gonna be honest with you. There’s something wrong with my voice. All of a sudden, I can’t make any sound,” the singer reportedly said.
The following day, Avery took to Instagram to reach out to fans, hyping them up for her second show in Manhattan.
“I’m looking forward to performing once again tonight at this incredible rooftop venue and am optimistic that we can do even better,” he said.
Jane’s Addiction will perform at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 15th.
The Grammy-nominated band’s 2024 tour will see a reunion of the four original members following Avery’s return in 2022 and the return of Navarro, who missed the 2022 and 2023 tours due to a long-term COVID battle.
Pharrell admitted he missed his guitarist during Navarro’s absence.
“I wish I had my beloved guitarist close by,” Pharrell told The Washington Post in September 2022. “(But) I live to bring entertainment and art to the world. Doing whatever I can to entertain and amaze you, that’s what I live for.”
To replace Navarro, the band brought in Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.
“How do we find a guitarist to replace Dave Navarro? We had to reach out to people we know and love, and Troy was the best choice of person we considered,” Pharrell said.
