Fans of Jane’s Addiction in attendance at Boston’s MGM Music Hall got a surprise Tuesday night when the usually volatile frontman Perry Farrell cold-cocked the band’s guitarist, Dave Navarro, onstage, abruptly ending the show. The freak-out went down during the song “Ocean Size,” which ended the show really quick and out of nowhere, very chaotically. Fans were more likely left questioning what was going on than with answers as the band took an early exit from the stage.
It happened on the band’s eleventh song of the night-considerably less than a typical Jane’s Addiction set. The tensions simmered throughout the night and finally boiled over as Farrell, incensed-looking, went toward Navarro mid-song. While Navarro played, Farrell controversially bumped him and began arguing heatedly. Navarro, looking clearly confused, placed a hand on Farrell’s chest in an attempt to diffuse the situation. That was when things started to go downhill fast: Farrell punched Navarro. The scene immediately turned chaotic, with bassist Eric Avery and stage crew members rushing to separate the two musicians. Soon, Farrell was whisked away offstage.
The crowd’s response was immediate-a hail of boos just as the stage lights were irrevocably cut, ending the concert abruptly. Many fans stood around in shock, expecting a full set and only getting half of what the band normally performs. What should have been one of the high points of their co-headlining tour with Love & Rockets had turned into a night to remember-what a disaster.
This wasn’t the first sign of discord between Farrell and Navarro. Tensions had been simmering since the band’s reunion tour kicked off in August 2024. While their return had been highly anticipated by fans, the onstage chemistry between Farrell and Navarro seemed increasingly fragile. At past shows, Farrell had held court with extended, erratic banter, at times seemingly grating on Navarro. Another flashpoint came during a rendition of “Mountain Song,” with Farrell quite demonstrably frustrated with Navarro, yelling at him mid-song.
But behind the scenes, sources close to the tour said Farrell’s vocal struggles and erratic behavior had been a growing concern: The singer suffered through inconsistent vocals during many of the performances, part of a larger pattern of erratic actions onstage further fueled by his tendency to drink red wine. Many people speculated that Farrell’s drinking might have contributed to the tension, as his behavior became increasingly unpredictable as the tour wore on.
Surprising fans in Boston was not the fight alone, but the abrupt way the concert came to an end, something rather uncommon. In fact, many put an expression to their disappointment, considering the band’s history and relative rarity of performances together. Social media was soon ablaze with posts from attendees, including videos of the incident and complaints about what happened.
“I’ve been a fan for 20 years, and this was just heart-breaking,”
tweeted one fan. Another attendee chimed in,
“The energy was off from the start, but no one could’ve predicted it would end like this.”
Thus far, neither Farrell nor Navarro, from the band, has spoken publicly about the incident. Neither has said a word of comment, whereas bassist Eric Avery also intervened during the altercation and sources in the tour camp said tension had been apparent between frontman and guitarist since his return.
Ahead in the Future of Jane’s Addiction The Boston concert had been a stop on Jane’s Addiction’s reunion tour, which the band was co-headlining with Love & Rockets. The tour was highly anticipated by fans as it marked Navarro’s return to the lineup after some time off due to health problems and his presence onstage had been a highlight of the band’s shows. It is scheduled to run through mid-October but the fight has thrown the band’s remaining dates into question.
