Perry Farrell enjoys life as musical troubadour

[chaos]

http://blog.syracuse.com/entertainment/ ... _perr.html

Jane's Addiction front man Perry Farrell enjoys life as musical troubadour
Published: Friday, August 03, 2012, 9:40 AM Updated: Friday, August 03, 2012, 10:32 AM
By Mark Bialczak, The Post-Standard

Perry Farrell has a sore hip.

He’s not in enough pain to scrap any live shows, mind you. Alt-rock fans with tickets to see Jane’s Addiction on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse should not panic.

Yet the surfing injury was aching enough to send Farrell searching for a sports medicine doctor near his Santa Monica canyon home.

“I’ll definitely be there (in Syracuse),” the frontman vows during a phone interview at the end of July. “Is it going to affect my movement? It seems like it will at this point. It happened a week ago, and it seems like it’s getting worse.”
Farrell can’t afford to lay very low.

Not with this year’s installment of his Lollapalooza Fest looming.

“Jane’s Addiction is doing the after-party, so from 11 at night to 4 in the morning, we have the city of Chicago in our hands,” he says of the fest, which Sunday night concludes its three-day stay at the city’s Grant Park.

Farrell created Lollapalooza as the travelling farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction in 1991.

Funny thing.

Both the fest and the band have had significant down periods, but neither has ever dissolved for good.

“I would say Jane’s Addiction comes first of anything I do,” Farrell says. “I take care of Jane’s first. I have a big committee that helps me with Lollapalooza. Producers, booking agents. They support me.”

With Jane’s Addiction, though, the music falls squarely on the shoulders of Farrell, along with fellow founding members, Dave Navarro on guitar and Stephen Perkins on drums. Original bassist Eric Avery came back for the 2009 reestablishment of the band, but stayed just one year. Dave Sitek played on the latest album, last year’s “The Great Escape Artist,” and Chris Chaney is the tour bassist.

Farrell, for instance, on this day, was planning a Lollapalooza party video shoot for the song “Splash a Little Water on It.”
“Get the money and cinematographers and all that,” he explains. “It’s kind of strange.”

At the center, always, is the music.

“Music is the root of everything I do,” he says. “I have to make sure the music is first and foremost, sound. The rest is just places to present the music.”

Here’s how Rolling Stone magazine describes the music of Jane’s Addiction: “Led by the flamboyant, outspoken Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction blended art-rock, punk, metal, funk and glam into music that was ambitious and utterly decadent.”

The first two albums, 1988’s “Nothing’s Shocking” and 1990’s “Ritual de lo Habitual” lived up to that fanfare.
Then came the 1991 farewell tour and plenty of time away from each other.

Yet Farrell says it wasn’t difficult to convince Navarro and Perkins to record the latest album, just the band’s fourth studio effort and first since 2003’s “Strays.”

“It was a bit of a selling job, but not much,” he says. “Three were very keen. The bass player wanted to do festivals only and cash in. I was of a different opinion. I say, you need currency or you become a retro act. In my opinion, retro acts recede. You have to be continually planting seeds and getting new crops. You can’t rest on the seeds you planted 25 years ago. They start to diminish.

“The audience that was there then stops going out to your shows and stops buying your music,” Farrell says. “You have to always be creating. You’re an artist. That’s your job.”

ArtistDirect.com gave the album five stars out of five, with the compliment “Rock music was never about being a sycophant; it’s about living on the fringe and pushing the envelope. Jane’s Addiction do both tenfold on ‘The Great Escape Artist.’ The group challenges themselves and the genre. No two Jane’s Addiction albums are alike.”

Farrell says it’s a great record that he’s proud to tour behind.

“We got to do this tour the old-fashioned way. Get out for the people and travel. Be a troubadour. That’s the life of a musician. The recording industry brought so much money and fame that it changed the life of a musician for awhile,” he says. “Now it’s back to the times when a musician was a traveling minstrel, when the job was to make parties special occasions.

Today, that’s what you’re looking at. That’s the job detail. For Jane’s Addiction, that’s been our strong suit.”
Farrell says he’s ready for Jane’s Addiction to stick around.

“I hope (the band) never goes away for good,” he says. “I hope to write another record after we’re off the road.”
He says the public nowadays won’t stand for long periods of inaction.

“Back in the old days, you’d do a record and disappear for three or four years,” Farrell says. “These days you have to stay in the hearts and minds of people, or they quickly forget who you are. I think you have to be putting out product ever year.”

[blackcoffee]

I quietly defend a lot of what Perry says and does, but this is disappointing. The emboldened part seems really hard to believe--and likely what Perry was willing to commit to not Eric.

[Juana]

He can not even mention Eric by name... maybe Eric's wife or g/f or whatever has a fashion fetish like Etty and we just never knew...

[Japhy]

I almost can't believe that comment... surely he was misquoted? Unless EA is 100% full of shit (as no doubt Perry thinks he is) there is no way that that part about playing festivals and cashing in is true. Weren't the small L.A. shows his idea... wasn't he the one pushing to record with Trent? It seems totally bonkers to be reading this.

I fucking love Perry and I always will... but really? Come on now... this can't be true.

[creep]

i don't doubt money was a huge motivator for eric to do this and who can blame him but can anyone count all the festivals that jane's has played since eric left. many many more than when he was in the band.

[JOEinPHX]

What a fucking asshole.

Seriously?

He basically took everything Eric said and pretended they were his own ideas. Even though Perry is the one who did, and continues to, book Jane's on festival gigs around the world for big pay days.

Perry loses more and more credibility every time he speaks. He should have become a recluse and never gave interviews.

Seriously can't stand this guy. Liar! Eric was the real head, you're just foreskin.

[Deconstruction]

http://grungereport.net/?p=13368 I posted on this on my site and pointed out Perry's hypocrisy, or at least gave the other side of the story.

[JOEinPHX]

Seriously, to this day, it blows my mind that Perry wouldn't listen to Trent.

He's one of the few musicians in the world who managed to become huge AND maintain complete credibility.

[creep]

Seriously, to this day, it blows my mind that Perry wouldn't listen to Trent.

He's one of the few musicians in the world who managed to become huge AND maintain complete credibility.

they both have huge egos (musically). It's not that had to understand why it didn't work. dave could have made it work probably.

[zuello]

Wow, really Perry? I stopped reading the article at the part where he lied about Eric. Perry's such a loser these days. He must have always been this way. He had Casey and Warner Bros then though to make him look cool. He tarnishes his legacy with each interview I guess. I always thought Perry exaggerated the drug use to fit an image. This interview really disappoints me. It's bad enough when the die hard fans have lost interest, but with this shit it takes it to another level. What a disappointment.

[Juana]

Yeah I'm just amazed at this, but the general audience outside of us probably have never seen the EA interview as well.. so he is trying to spin it for the audience that does not post here, which is so fucking slimy but then again should we expect anything less?

[crater]

“The bass player wanted to do festivals only and cash in. I was of a different opinion. I say, you need currency or you become a retro act. In my opinion, retro acts recede. You have to be continually planting seeds and getting new crops. You can’t rest on the seeds you planted 25 years ago. They start to diminish.

[creep]

either perry is funnier than i give him credit for or he really is delusional. i'm sure it's hard when everyone kisses your ass and tells you how great you are all the time but he can't seriously believe some of the stuff he says can he?

[Hype]

I'm not sure he actually knows what he's saying some of the time.

[JOEinPHX]

“The bass player wanted to do festivals only and cash in. I was of a different opinion. I say, you need currency or you become a retro act. In my opinion, retro acts recede. You have to be continually planting seeds and getting new crops. You can’t rest on the seeds you planted 25 years ago. They start to diminish.

Perry, 1997: Eric, Rejoin Jane's Addiction!
Eric, 1997: No. I don't want to be a retro act.

Jane's Addiction, 1997: Plays old songs

Perry, 2001: Eric, Rejoin Jane's Addiction!
Eric, 2001: No. I don't want to be a retro act.

Jane's Addiction, 2001: Plays old songs.

Perry, 2003: Eric, Rejoin Jane's Addiction!
Eric, 2003: No. I don't want to be a retro act.

Jane's Addiction, 2003: Writes new record, plays old songs.

Perry, 2008: Eric, Rejoin Jane's Addiction!
Eric, 2008: Only if we can write new songs.
Perry, 2008: OK!

Eric, 2009: here's some new songs.
Perry, 2009: No! We're not recording new songs! Let's record old songs!

Jane's Addiction, 2009: Plays old songs.

Eric, 2010: I quit.

Perry, 2012: Eric only wanted to play old songs and didn't want to write new material.

[Romeo]

seriously Perry??

Considering since Eric's departure part deux they've played almost every major US festival outside of gathering of the juggalos. And if Perry could get them booked for that for the $$$ he would. Let's nt forget the whoring of Janes for playstation, cellphones and internet search engines. yea, Eric was in it for the $$$ Cash in Perry...

AND their radio hit, same old same old set list IS retro.

[farrellgirl99]

sigh

does anybody think there's a legitimate chance they switch up the setlist on the third leg? im seeing them again but am fearing the worst.

i saw on twitter, perry said they are adding Splash. but i figure that will be the only new addition, maybe one other.

[creep]

does anybody think there's a legitimate chance they switch up the setlist on the third leg?

[bman]

i have tix for the 12th and 17th.
I can almost guarantee:
Underground
MNT Song
Just Because
Been Caught stealing
Aint No Right
Ted
SPLASH
Three Days
Classic Girl
Jane Says
Ocean Size
End to The Lies
Stop

[JOEinPHX]

sigh

does anybody think there's a legitimate chance they switch up the setlist on the third leg? im seeing them again but am fearing the worst.

i saw on twitter, perry said they are adding Splash. but i figure that will be the only new addition, maybe one other.

Not going to happen.

Dave actually talked about it on Dark Matter.

He says they will practice stuff 1 time in soundcheck, only for Perry or Steve to say "that doesn't sound perfect" and scrap it rather than practicing it a bit more.

They are just lazy.

[crater]

Perry, 2012: Eric only wanted to play old songs and didn't want to write new material.

Nice list .. I think you could add this before 2008

Perry, 2007: Tours as Satellite Party. Plays mostly Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros songs

[bman]

sigh

does anybody think there's a legitimate chance they switch up the setlist on the third leg? im seeing them again but am fearing the worst.

i saw on twitter, perry said they are adding Splash. but i figure that will be the only new addition, maybe one other.

Not going to happen.

Dave actually talked about it on Dark Matter.

He says they will practice stuff 1 time in soundcheck, only for Perry or Steve to say "that doesn't sound perfect" and scrap it rather than practicing it a bit more.

They are just lazy.

Laziest band ever. Mountain song is downright boring now. Close with it if you need to. I can't believe Whores has been dropped. Irresistable Force and End to the Lies were the 'singles' from the new album, and they have been dropped! Broken People is a cool song. Dropped. Words Right out of My Mouth is a littlke rocker, and cooler now than Aint no right or Been Caught. Standing in the Shower and Idiots Rule are up tempo rockers like Just Because. This band is HORRENDOUS when it comes to set lists.


Here's my 2012 realistic set wishlist:

Up the Beach
Whores
Irresistable Force
Aint No Right
Ted Just Admit
Just Because
Underground
Three Days
Standing in the Shower
Then She Did
Mountain Song
Ocean Size
Broken People
Stop
__________
SummerTime Rolls
Jane Says

[nestos]

funny to read this as perry's words and funny to read some people defending eric. of course he did tour for cash and defends the idea of a legacy so strongly that i can't imagine he would have accepted to record anything new. this guy is not humble, he is full of shit and frustrated not being the genius he think he is. perry is an asshole but at least he feels free to do what he wants (even the worst). jane's is the milky cow for him, as well as for those still in the train. they say they broke because of celebrity growing and they didn't wanted to become famous. hahaha. they are all dying of not being famous anymore.

[Juana]

Well Trent did say that Eric wanted to record I believe Trent over both of them.