Jane’s Addiction‘s guitar and bass tech Dan Cleary has recounted the events surrounding the onstage altercation from the band’s Boston show earlier this month, where Perry Farrell was seen throwing a punch at Dave Navarro. Speaking to the Rare Form Radio podcast, Cleary says that following the events onstage, Farrell punched Navarro again backstage, and this time the hit connected. “I want people to understand it didn’t end there [onstage],” Cleary said. “Eventually Dave walks up to ask what the fuck happened, and Perry punches him again… So any of of this talk of cheap shots… (But) I feel for him, because something is going on mentally. He looked crazed.”
Cleary and another guest on the episode, Todd Newman, a longtime friend of Navarro’s, also say that Farrell tried to quit the band ahead of the beginning of their tour in Vegas, but management and his bandmates were able to convince him to continue. One of Farrell’s frustrations, according to Cleary, was with the lack of backup singers and dancers on this outing. “It’s 2024, it’s a bit of a different time,” Cleary said. “You know, having scantily clad chicks on stage or on video, I don’t think it’s as empowering as maybe the Farrells might think it is… The Farrells sort of couldn’t let go of this thing, to the point that before the first show, Perry quit the band.”
Cleary said that “from that point, Perry did kind of pull away from his bandmates,” but continues, “the band did continue to support Perry through the entire tour. If there was ever parts where… he wasn’t quite sure what part of the song they were in, they would go and say, ‘Here we are.’ If he had a great show, they were the first people to be like, ‘That was fucking awesome. You’re amazing.’ …There was some talk of the fight that ended up happening in Boston was brought on by sound issues on stage, and I have to push back on that in a big way, because… this one’s tough to talk about, because it has to do with: Are there other factors involved than just stage stuff? The three worst shows, this man was clearly fucked up, and we knew it from the moment we saw him earlier in the day.”
Cleary also said that Farrell hadn’t been “drinking a shitload of wine on stage,” adding that he thought there were “emotional issues” involved, and possibly “substances.” “No one’s trying to villainize Perry,” he said later in the episode. “He did do this, and I know this band is over with, but I really do hope that he’s able to figure [things] out… I think that Perry’s apology that was posted on Instagram was heartfelt — and I know that for sure because I’ve checked in and I know that he’s hurting. I feel if I could take that away, I’m sure we would all love to take that away. He’s gonna go through that for a while and it sucks, but I do hope he gets the help. And I appreciate all that he and Etty have done… and what the band has done. I just hate that, at the moment, this is what Jane’s is going to be known for. … This ended on nobody’s terms. It feels like losing someone in a car accident.”
Watch to the podcast episode in full below.
Jane’s Addiction cancelled the remainder of their tour after the incident, and quietly released their new single, “True Love,” a couple of days later. Farrell’s wife, Etty, says he’s seeking care from an ENT and neurologist; he also issued a statement and apologized to his bandmates.