On September 13, Jane’s Addiction abruptly ended their Boston concert after lead singer Perry Farrell verbally and physically confronted his bandmates, culminating in him punching guitarist Dave Navarro. Footage of the incident quickly spread online, sparking widespread speculation about its origins. So far, only Farrell’s wife, Etty Farrell, has publicly commented, attributing the outburst to “stage volume” issues.
Following the altercation, the band canceled the remainder of their tour and issued a statement about needing time away, but details surrounding the incident had yet to be revealed—until now. Dan Cleary, guitar tech for both Navarro and bassist Eric Avery, shared his perspective on the events leading up to Farrell’s breakdown during a recent episode of his podcast, Rare Form Radio, with filmmaker Todd Newman.
Cleary, who has worked with the band for 17 years, claims that tensions began even before the tour, primarily revolving around the inclusion of onstage dancers. When the original members—Farrell, Navarro, Avery, and drummer Stephen Perkins—reunited in 2022, they agreed to a democratic approach. However, disagreements arose when Farrell insisted on featuring dancers, including his wife, Etty.
“There was a clear majority decision: ‘We just want to be four guys on stage, no backup singers, no dancers,’” Cleary explained. “And Perry pushed back immediately on that.”
Although Cleary alleges that Farrell skipped the band’s rehearsals, the initial European leg of their tour commenced on May 23 at London’s Bush Hall without dancers. However, the issue resurfaced when they returned to the U.S. During a pre-show meeting in Las Vegas on August 9, Farrell presented footage featuring scantily clad dancers, leading to arguments among the group.
Despite Farrell’s initial threat to quit the band before their first show, he ultimately performed that night, and the tour continued. However, tensions flared again after lackluster performances in Florida and New York, the latter of which Cleary described as “the worst show I’ve ever seen in my life,” attributing the problems to Farrell’s intoxication rather than sound issues.
“I don’t want to get into personal matters, but when Etty says it was about sound issues, that’s complete bullshit,” Cleary asserted. “Perry was out of it during those shows—he didn’t know where he was or the lyrics to his songs.”
Claims regarding Navarro’s amp being too loud were also dismissed by Cleary, who stated that the amp had not changed in volume over the past 15 years, maintaining an appropriate level for feedback essential to Navarro’s sound.
During the chaotic Boston show, Cleary noted that the band huddled together, seemingly in response to Farrell’s timing issues. This prompted Farrell to scream lyrics at them, an act Cleary found unsettling.
As the performance continued, Farrell began yelling profanities into the microphone—“Fuck these motherfuckers. Fuck them, fuck them, fuck him”—signaling to Cleary that something was very wrong.
“I felt it immediately,” Cleary recalled. “When Perry pushed Dave, I rushed in to intervene.”
Video footage captured Cleary restraining Farrell, with Avery joining in to hold the singer back. In a moment of escalation, Avery reportedly punched Farrell in the stomach to redirect his aggression. The show was subsequently cut short, but tensions escalated further backstage.
Cleary revealed, “No one knows this yet, but right after the onstage altercation, Perry punched Dave in the face again backstage.” He provided audio of the confrontation, claiming that after Farrell was calmed down, he struck Navarro once more.
The band was five weeks into a ten-week tour, with plans to release a new single, “True Love,” on September 18, followed by Navarro’s signature Supreme Cry Baby wah pedal. Cleary expressed deep sorrow over the situation, emphasizing that it transcended the single incident.
“I’ve cried about this five or six times since it happened,” he admitted. “This was supposed to lead to years of activity, but now there are songs you’ll never hear and shows you won’t see.”
He concluded with a firm statement about the band’s future: “I know fans are holding out hope, but it’s over.”
While Cleary’s narrative reflects the Navarro camp’s perspective, he expressed genuine affection for both Perry and Etty Farrell, wishing them well in the future.
“They have big hearts and can be very generous people,” he said. “I hope Perry gets help and appreciate what they’ve all done, but this is just an unfortunate, crazy situation.”
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