Dave Navarro has officially closed the door on any possibility of a Jane’s Addiction reunion following their infamous onstage altercation last year, declaring there is “no chance” the band will ever perform together again.
In a candid interview with Guitar Player magazine, Navarro didn’t hesitate when asked about his least favourite gig throughout his extensive career. “It would be a gig last September, on Friday the 13th, in Boston,” the guitarist stated, referencing the night that effectively ended the band’s reunion tour and spread across social media platforms.
The incident, which saw singer Perry Farrell physically attack Navarro onstage, brought an abrupt conclusion to what had been dubbed the ‘Core Four’ reunion. The remainder of the tour was swiftly cancelled, with the band citing ‘a continuing pattern of behaviour and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell’ as the reason.
What makes the situation particularly bitter for Navarro is how positively the reunion had been progressing before the Boston incident. Speaking about their European shows with returning bassist Eric Avery, Navarro described them as “some of my favourite Jane’s Addiction gigs of all-time.”
“There was no bullshit: No props. No nothing onstage. No dancing, no pyro, and no gimmicks,’ he explained. ‘The experience prior to that [Boston] gig, when we were in Europe and gelling, really, for the first time — because at our ages, in our 50s and 60s, everybody’s done what they’re gonna do, and we weren’t competitive with each other — we were getting along.”
Navarro reflected on the chemistry the band had recaptured: “There was no ego issue; it was just four guys making great music, just like we did in the beginning. It was just us on a stage, with people going fucking crazy.”
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While avoiding naming names and pointing fingers, Navarro didn’t mince words about the ultimate impact of the Boston incident: “There was an altercation onstage, and all the hard work and dedication and writing and hours in the studio, and picking up and leaving home and crisscrossing the country and Europe and trying to overcome my illness — it all came to a screeching halt and forever destroyed the band’s life. And there’s no chance for the band to ever play together again.”
He concluded with a definitive statement: “That gig, September 13th, in Boston, ended all of that. And for that reason, that is my least favourite gig that I have ever played.”
In the months following Jane’s Addiction’s collapse, Navarro has continued working with band mates Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins, though the trio has yet to release any new music.
