A dramatic confrontation unfolded during Jane’s Addiction’s concert in Boston on Friday night, when frontman Perry Farrell struck guitarist Dave Navarro, leading to an abrupt end to the performance. The incident occurred while the band was performing “Ocean Size” at the Leader Bank Pavilion.
Farrell, in the midst of the song, suddenly began shouting expletives at the audience before turning his anger toward Navarro. He aggressively shouldered into the unsuspecting guitarist and continued shouting, as captured in fan footage shared on social media. Navarro appeared calm, gently holding Farrell back as the frontman moved closer to him, escalating the situation.
Things took a violent turn when Farrell threw two elbow jabs at Navarro, prompting several crew members and bandmates, including bassist Eric Avery, to intervene. They restrained the singer, urging him to “stop.” As the lights dimmed on stage, Farrell was escorted off, but not before further punches were thrown, hidden from the crowd’s view.
The remaining band members—Navarro, Avery, and drummer Stephen Perkins—gathered at the front of the stage, offering a farewell to the audience with peace signs and chest taps, as the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
Photographer Brian MacKenzie, who was covering the show, later commented on social media that the crowd seemed to think the confrontation was staged. He noted that Farrell had been drinking wine throughout the evening, and Navarro and Avery appeared unusually tense during the performance.
“I was there,” another attendee shared on X (formerly Twitter). “The crowd was confused. Some were upset the show ended early, while others thought we might have just witnessed the last-ever Jane’s Addiction show.”
As of Saturday morning, neither the band nor its members had publicly addressed the altercation.
The Boston concert was part of Jane’s Addiction’s North American tour, which has seen several issues involving Farrell at recent shows. During a performance at NYC’s Rooftop at Pier 17 on Sept. 10, Farrell reportedly struggled with his vocals, telling the audience, “Something’s wrong with my voice. I just can’t hit the notes.”
Despite this, Avery had taken to Instagram the next day to reassure fans, expressing optimism for the band’s second performance in Manhattan. “Looking forward to getting another crack at this spectacular rooftop venue tonight. I’m optimistic we will be better,” he wrote.
Jane’s Addiction is scheduled to continue their tour with a performance at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Sept. 15.
This tour marks a reunion of the band’s original lineup, with Avery rejoining in 2022 and Navarro returning after missing previous tours due to long COVID. Farrell had expressed his longing for Navarro’s presence during the guitarist’s absence, telling The Post in 2022, “I wish I had my dear guitar player around.”
To cover for Navarro during his absence, the band enlisted guitarists Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age and Josh Klinghoffer, formerly of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Regarding the choice of replacements, Farrell said, “How do you find a guitarist to fill Dave Navarro’s shoes? We reached out to people we admired, and Troy fit the role best.”
