After an onstage fight broke out between Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro, the band have issued a “heartfelt apology” to their fans.
In an Instagram Story shared by the band’s official account on September 14, the band accepted responsibility for the September 13 incident and announced that they would cancel upcoming concerts and provide refunds to audience members.
“We are truly sorry for the incident that occurred last night,” the message read. “As a result, tomorrow night’s show in Bridgeport will be cancelled.”
“Refunds will be issued at the time of points purchase,” the message continued, sharing additional refund details.
An altercation between fellow Jane’s Addiction bandmates Pharrell and Navarro brought an abrupt end to their show at Boston’s Lider Bank Pavilion on September 13. Fan videos shared on social media show Pharrell tapping Navarro on the shoulder and yelling in the guitarist’s face during the concert, after which Navarro was restrained and escorted off stage.
Representatives for Jane’s Addiction and Pharrell & Navarro did not respond to TODAY.com’s requests for comment.
According to Rolling Stone, the commotion comes just months after the band’s original members reunited for the first time in more than 30 years to release a new song, “Imminent Redemption,” in July 2024.
The group has had a tumultuous history, including a breakup in the early ’90s, a subsequent reunion, and further divisions between band members.
Here’s everything we know about the incident that took place between Pharrell and Navarro at a recent Jane’s Addiction concert.
What happened at Jane’s Addiction’s Boston concert?
During a Jane’s Addiction concert in Boston, an altercation broke out between the lead singer and guitarist.
According to fan videos posted to social media, the incident happened while the band was performing “Ocean Size,” when toward the end of the song, Pharrell lunged in Navarro’s direction multiple times, eventually walking up to him onstage and shoulder-bumping him.
The argument escalated from there: After bumping shoulders, Pharrell momentarily backed away and approached Navarro, glaring at him as he approached the guitarist. Crew members began to intervene as Pharrell raised his arms to distance himself from Navarro and appeared to yell in Navarro’s face.
As staff approached, Farrell attempted to punch Navarro but was pulled away. A staff member could be heard telling Farrell to stop, but Farrell appeared to become agitated and attempted to shake off the restraints. Eventually, as the lights were dimmed, additional staff entered the stage, further restraining Farrell and attempting to remove him from the stage.
What was the cause of Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro’s altercation?
The day after the incident, Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, posted a video of the altercation to Instagram on September 14, using the caption to explain what happened “in first person” and “no speculation.”
“There was clearly tension and animosity between the members, the magic of the band dynamic,” Etty Lau Farrell wrote. “And so the dynamite was lit. Perry stood in front of Dave’s face and gave him a body check.”
She wrote that her husband’s “irritability grew with each passing night,” and that that night he felt the stage volume was too loud and that “his voice was being drowned out by the band.”
“Perry had been suffering from ringing in his ears and a sore throat every night,” she added of her husband’s health, “but when people in the front row started complaining to Perry that they couldn’t hear the band because it was too loud, Perry lost it.”
Etty Lau Farrell said things got worse when the band started playing “Ocean Size” before her husband was ready: “The stage volume was too loud at that point and Perry could only hear the bangs and the vibrations of the instruments, and by the time the song finished she wasn’t singing, she was just yelling to be heard,” she added.
She also said that in the aftermath of the argument, her husband “was like a rabid animal for the next 30 minutes” and “instead of calming down, he had an emotional breakdown and cried nonstop.”
What did fans say about this incident?
Fans on social media have had a lot to say about the incident, with one X user joking: “Some people paid for Jane’s Addiction but bought Oasis instead.”
Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher also weighed in on the situation, replying to an X Channel video of the altercation, saying “Bad attitude.”
“I think you just saw Jane’s Addiction’s last show,” another fan speculated on social media.
Another fan added: “Well… so much for the Jane’s Addiction reunion.”
Days before the Boston show, fans who had attended earlier shows on the tour expressed concern about Pharrell and the band’s future.
“Tonight is probably the last time I’ll see Jane’s Addiction live in NYC,” one fan wrote to X on Sept. 10. “Perry Farrell is completely incoherent and the band is clearly furious with him, while the rest of the band sound better than they did on any live recording I’ve heard in their heyday.”
Were any members of Jane’s Addiction injured or arrested?
It is unclear whether anyone was injured during the altercation between members of Jane’s Addiction, and representatives for the band have not yet confirmed whether any arrests have been made.
Was Jane’s Addiction’s tour cancelled after the fight in Boston?
No announcement has been made regarding future Jane’s Addiction tour plans.
After playing numerous shows throughout August and early September, the band will perform at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 15th.
The band is scheduled to perform shows throughout the remainder of September and into mid-October, with the tour concluding at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
TODAY.com reached out to Live Nation to see if fans would be refunded for shows and if any upcoming tour dates would be canceled, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
