Perry Farrell: Surf, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll / New York Post

[cursed male]

Surf, Drugs & Rock'n'roll
15 October 2011

Jane’s Addiction singer reveals his secret to staying fit at 52

Few artists have so completely realized the rock ’n’ roll dream as Peretz Bernstein, a self-described “skinny, underdeveloped Jewish kid from Queens.” After high school, he crossed America to live the beach boy life of sand and surfing, but instead got swept up in the wave of Southern California’s ’80s punk scene. He flipped his name to Perry Farrell and became the mastermind of Jane’s Addiction. Famed for hits like “Jane Says” and “Been Caught Stealing,” it was one of the greatest bands of the past 25 years.

Today Farrell is a remarkably young and vibrant 52. He still surfs, drinks, drugs and rocks with his band, which also includes original members Dave Navarro on guitar and Stephen Perkins on drums. The group’s fourth album in 23 years, “The Great Escape Artist,” arrives Tuesday. And Jane’s Addiction arrives in NYC for a pair of rare club gigs tomorrow and Tuesday at Irving Plaza.

Farrell spoke to The Post from his home in Malibu.

Now that you’ve hit 50, you’re married and have two young sons. Do you still get to live a rock-star lifestyle?

Sure. I’ve changed my habits, but I haven’t been abstinent of anything. I haven’t shut myself off to anything. I learned there’s a time and place for everything.

But you don’t indulge the same way you did when Jane’s was peaking in the ’90s?

No. There’s not every hour in the day to get high like there used to be. There just isn’t. I couldn’t still be a success doing that. If there are any regrets I have, it’s that I [used to] let getting high consume me.

What’s to regret about that?

Jane’s would have been bigger if I didn’t waste so much time. You know, some of the biggest bands around today didn’t make the best music -- it’s that they stayed in there and kept working all these years. I just sort of let myself wander off into a dark hole, and held up there for years at a time.

Why did you change?

Vanity, and then my family. I worry that I’m gonna look like crap, I worry that I won’t perform well. Then I have the responsibility of being a father and I have the responsibility of being a husband.

You’ve also kept in shape.

That’s part of my responsibility -- to be attractive to my wife. I make it a point to look good for her. I don’t want her to think the guy she married let himself go to pot. That’s not fulfilling my end of the bargain.

So what’s your health secret for staying so fit?

I attribute it to my being a musician. That might sound kind of crazy, because people think musicians are pretty self-destructive. Yeah, I have a good time on the road, but I’m sensible about stuff -- like how much to drink. I work out in the gyms in the hotels I stay in on the road and when I’m onstage it’s a high-impact aerobic workout. When I’m not on the road with shows to look forward to, I start to go to pot.

How do you say in shape mentally?

Surfing, being in the water. The ocean is very powerful and big, but it’s very serene at the same time. It’s a crazy dichotomy. The ocean grounds me. The instant I get up in the morning, I’m battling children, getting them ready for school. Then I start my day and I have lots of business I attend to, and at night I’m performing. The only time I’m happily doing nothing is when I’m in the water.

Will fans hear an evolution in the Jane’s Addiction sound on the new album?

I love the fact that we haven’t sat back on our heels and depended on our reputation. I couldn’t live with myself, I wouldn’t be happy if we just made another Jane’s record like the last record. It’s risky, but I like to live a risky and dangerous life. I wouldn’t do it any other way.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/m ... 300NO4HHcN

[Larry B.]

I couldn’t still be a success doing that.

I worry that I’m gonna look like crap, I worry that I won’t perform well.

I don’t want her to think the guy she married let himself go to pot. That’s not fulfilling my end of the bargain.

I love the fact that we haven’t sat back on our heels and depended on our reputation. I couldn’t live with myself, I wouldn’t be happy if we just made another Jane’s record like the last record. It’s risky, but I like to live a risky and dangerous life. I wouldn’t do it any other way.

oh, Perry, Perry, Perry... your full-of-shit-ness knows no limits...

[Hokahey]

I thought it was a good interview. Dude's being honest.

[tubro]

I thought it was a good interview. Dude's being honest.

i completely agree. when its all said and done, and all of our philosophical gripes with janes 2011 are finished being aired, we're older; they're older, and there's a root unfairness to asking them to be the 1989 jane's addiction. this is the 2011 perry farrell speaking, and i think it honestly describes where an artist that influenced me with his art and his manner very well deserves to be 25 years later, even if as a fan i can dream of someone who's output remained as attractive to me personally as some other bands output has over a similar period of time. also, while maybe some of his bigger detractors (like eric avery and some of us here) would like a more thorough mea culpa, the guy did take personal responsibility for the reason for years of sub-par output.

one exception, though:

I love the fact that we haven’t sat back on our heels and depended on our reputation.

about that i'd say, 'perry, if you mean that, keep headlining smaller venues, make a decent living, and go out and sell this music.' if they do that, all power to them. i think its more likely that they'll play a few select clubs and then go back to festivals, shed tours with other nostalgia acts, and private gigs, auto-piloting (but rocking their asses off) their way through the same type of setlist that they've played every time they've toured since JA 1.0 broke up. that will make them a lot more money, obviously. and that's their right and certainly, as i've said many times before, the brand they sell to the rock world ('jane's addiction fucking rocks') will get them to a high paying #2 or 3 slot in rock festivals as long as they like, but then perry would be wise not saying that they don't sit back on their heels and depend on their reputation.

[Juana]

I like that interview and like it was said he was just being honest. Might be a little delusional there in the resting on their heals part but other than that, he's basically saying what I believe he feels.

[Kajicat]

I'll agree that he's just being sincere. Who doesn't worry about looking like complete shit one day? Who wouldn't worry about not being successful anymore? I wouldn't want my wife to let herself go after marriage either...I'd be like, "Hey...you didn't weigh 145lbs when we first got hiched!" And yeah, they definitely didn't set out to ride the success of earlier Jane's by having TGEA sound like a retread. No BCS, Stop, Jane's Says, Mountain Song, or Ocean Size tracks...just all new stuff. Some of us might want Mountain Song pt.2 but I prefer them coming up with new sounds, like IF for instance.

[bman]

I'm starting to hate Janes Fans. They are like a mob ready to pounce on Anything someone says. Where's your legendary band?

[Juana]

What legendary band? They haven't been at that level since maybe '97, so not sure what you're going for with that post. I liked the interview it was good to see that Perry has his priorities and he realizes being cracked out negatively effected both Porno and Janes.

[kv]

I'm starting to hate Janes Fans. They are like a mob ready to pounce on Anything someone says. Where's your legendary band?

starting to hate them?! lmao

[bman]

Perryz had a great life. Counter Culture figure in the 80 and early 90's, had a great band. Then moved on to family life and businessman. When he goes he'll have a had a fulfilled life. But I miss the days when he was that counter culture freak! We don't have any of those anymore do we?

[Kajicat]

I'm starting to hate Janes Fans. They are like a mob ready to pounce on Anything someone says. Where's your legendary band?

starting to hate them?! lmao

Whenever I see a post like this I assume the poster just come here to post in the "It Ain't Easy Living" or "I Went to See Your Pictures" sections...because obviously you've hated Jane's for awhile now, right? So there's no reason to login to a message board dedicated to a band you hate, especially after they've just released a mediocre album that does nothing to help change your mind on them, right? The only explanation is that you come here to talk to board members you've known for a long time now about current events and non-Jane's related topics, correct?

I find that strange. If a band I use to love changed so much to the point where I hated them I would go to a different message board. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you out at all or telling you to leave (seriously, not at all), but I guess it just confuses the shit out of me as to why people still come here if they don't like Jane's, have zero hopes in newer material coming out (especially when albums are 8 years apart), and regularly only have negative things to say about the band.

Am I missing something? Again - I mean no harm. Just want some clarification...lulz

[Pandemonium]

I find that strange. If a band I use to love changed so much to the point where I hated them I would go to a different message board. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you out at all or telling you to leave (seriously, not at all), but I guess it just confuses the shit out of me as to why people still come here if they don't like Jane's, have zero hopes in newer material coming out (especially when albums are 8 years apart), and regularly only have negative things to say about the band.

Am I missing something? Again - I mean no harm. Just want some clarification...lulz

Speaking only for myself, I'm really not that big of a fan of the band any more. Part of it is burnout - I've seen them almost half a dozen times doing pretty much the same thing just the last couple years with what, about 15 songs to chose from? I even blew off the LA shows this month out of lack of interest knowing what I'd be in for (and I was right). I don't *not* like them, they've just fallen way down my radar due to other bands more in tune with my current tastes. Depending on how they mount the 2012 tour, I'll see 'em again when they're playing more stuff off the new album just so's there's something different in the set to look forward to.

But I do like hanging out here, the conversations usually decent and there's some good folk here. It's like going to the same ol' bar year after year even though the jukebox has the same 30 cds it's had since 1990.

[Jasper]

I'm starting to hate Janes Fans. They are like a mob ready to pounce on Anything someone says. Where's your legendary band?

starting to hate them?! lmao

Whenever I see a post like this I assume the poster just come here to post in the "It Ain't Easy Living" or "I Went to See Your Pictures" sections...because obviously you've hated Jane's for awhile now, right? So there's no reason to login to a message board dedicated to a band you hate, especially after they've just released a mediocre album that does nothing to help change your mind on them, right? The only explanation is that you come here to talk to board members you've known for a long time now about current events and non-Jane's related topics, correct?

I find that strange. If a band I use to love changed so much to the point where I hated them I would go to a different message board. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you out at all or telling you to leave (seriously, not at all), but I guess it just confuses the shit out of me as to why people still come here if they don't like Jane's, have zero hopes in newer material coming out (especially when albums are 8 years apart), and regularly only have negative things to say about the band.

Am I missing something? Again - I mean no harm. Just want some clarification...lulz

Whenever I see as post like this, I think you're a fucking idiot.

For one thing, the comment was about bman saying he was starting to hate Jane's FANS. kv responded to that because bman has usually been a huge cheerleader of the band, so he's been at odds with THE FANS.

The other thing is that kv doesn't hate Jane's. He may not like them all that much now, but he is a longtime fan, and he's contributed to this community as much as practically anyone. So for you to come to THIS BOARD, where he's part of the furniture, and complain about his presence, makes me think you'd be better off at some other board. You haven't contributed much at all, so give it a rest.

[Artemis]

[Kajicat]

I'm starting to hate Janes Fans. They are like a mob ready to pounce on Anything someone says. Where's your legendary band?

starting to hate them?! lmao

Whenever I see a post like this I assume the poster just come here to post in the "It Ain't Easy Living" or "I Went to See Your Pictures" sections...because obviously you've hated Jane's for awhile now, right? So there's no reason to login to a message board dedicated to a band you hate, especially after they've just released a mediocre album that does nothing to help change your mind on them, right? The only explanation is that you come here to talk to board members you've known for a long time now about current events and non-Jane's related topics, correct?

I find that strange. If a band I use to love changed so much to the point where I hated them I would go to a different message board. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you out at all or telling you to leave (seriously, not at all), but I guess it just confuses the shit out of me as to why people still come here if they don't like Jane's, have zero hopes in newer material coming out (especially when albums are 8 years apart), and regularly only have negative things to say about the band.

Am I missing something? Again - I mean no harm. Just want some clarification...lulz

Whenever I see as post like this, I think you're a fucking idiot.

For one thing, the comment was about bman saying he was starting to hate Jane's FANS. kv responded to that because bman has usually been a huge cheerleader of the band, so he's been at odds with THE FANS.

The other thing is that kv doesn't hate Jane's. He may not like them all that much now, but he is a longtime fan, and he's contributed to this community as much as practically anyone. So for you to come to THIS BOARD, where he's part of the furniture, and complain about his presence, makes me think you'd be better off at some other board. You haven't contributed much at all, so give it a rest.

Jasper you are the BIGGEST FUCKING ASSHOLE on this board, hands down. Notice how Pandemonium was able to give me his 2 cents on the matter perfectly without being an ass? All I did was ask why some people continue to come here even though they pretty much hate everything Jane's has become since 2001 or so, even though Jane's isn't going to magically change back into what they were 1986 - 1991, and continue to put out mediocre albums that are generally letdowns for the hardcore, longtime Jane's fan.

I made it VERY CLEAR that I'm not meaning for KV to leave the board, at all. Obviously I didn't see that KV was replying to BMAN in a sarcastic way, saying that he's shocked that BMAN is only just now starting to hate Jane's fans. Got it now. No problem. Jesus fucking christ, bite my damn head off! Pandy sure didn't kill me over it, but rather decided to just answer my question. God if I met you face to face and you talked like this I would beat the living snot out of you...but I bet you don't act like this in real life. Only when you can hide behind your keyboard.

Is that Jasper

[Jasper]

God if I met you face to face and you talked like this I would beat the living snot out of you...but I bet you don't act like this in real life. Only when you can hide behind your keyboard.

[Kajicat]

God if I met you face to face and you talked like this I would beat the living snot out of you...but I bet you don't act like this in real life. Only when you can hide behind your keyboard.

It's true though, you act like an ass online since you can't in real life because you'd get your ass kicked Tell me I'm wrong!

[Jasper]

I'm truly embarrassed for you.

[S&M]

Look Kaji ...if there was ever a idiot Jasper could of chewed up and spit out it'z me...I can come off very brain dead and a easy target...I think people take his direct manner the wrong way at times...I think he has a very cool side to him...like panda too..didn't dig him at all...or joe...but take some time they alway'z come up with some good reading..and I kinda dig them more and more.......Dontcha think the world is a lot cooler that we all dont think or operate the same way...manners is a good thing tho...some people are way too smart to go for the throat...be sweet fella'z....and with that I will lurk for a bit and shut the fuck up...cuz I can rub at time'z ...and what do I know ....Be blessed

[Kajicat]

Look Kaji ...if there was ever a idiot Jasper could of chewed up and spit out it'z me...I can come off very brain dead and a easy target...I think people take his direct manner the wrong way at times...I think he has a very cool side to him...like panda too..didn't dig him at all...or joe...but take some time they alway'z come up with some good reading..and I kinda dig them more and more.......Dontcha think the world is a lot cooler that we all dont think or operate the same way...manners is a good thing tho...some people are way too smart to go for the throat...be sweet fella'z....and with that I will lurk for a bit and shut the fuck up...cuz I can rub at time'z ...and what do I know ....Be blessed

Yeah I hear ya'. But I don't think I take Jasper's "direct manner" the wrong way when he's calling me a "fucking idiot". I've always enjoyed Pandy on here, and Jasper obviously is good read too but he usually just comes off like an asshole with zero manners yet for some reason he's granted a get out of jail free card. Hell, this thread is perfect example. So I misread something...he jumps down my throat for it. Pandy didn't. Like you said, Jasper can't resist going after an "easy target" (I was one in this thread since I misread the bman/kv convo I guess) so he takes advantage of the situation just because it makes him feel good or lengthens his e-penis or some shit like that. Fucking terrible.

Bottom line: I doubt he acts this way face to face with people in real life. He's probably just another internet tough guy. That's my take. All he can do is reply with funny internet pictures which just makes him look even more pathetic. Or maybe he's just 16 I don't know.

[S&M]

I said could of...I didn't say does go after ......I need to keep to my word and fade...what I say doesn't matter anyway...I'm just saying..you both look like good dudes...and in another world could br friends...why not make that happen in this world...kinda the reason I think we are here for...to overcome and love peace people

[Kajicat]

^ You should post more often. I feel like I'm tripping out every time I read what you say because of all the (....'s) you use instead of periods

I agree with you, Jasper would probably be a real cool dude face to face in real life, but on the net he acts a fool because he knows he can get away with it.

Oh well fuck it.

[S&M]

I usta post too much....when I was bed bound sick with my ticker.....you wouldn't be the first to say my writing style suck'z ball'z...I tried to change that...But in the end it me'z....Be well....and I hope this bored turns the corner and avoids some of the macho shit that made xiola a downer...even tho I loved that site...promise...last post ...I had lemon drops tonight and everyone is snoozing ...too old too be bored what'z wrong with me?...hee hee....gonna hit my volcano and pass out...what a day...off to bed

[JOEinPHX]

Surf, Drugs & Rock'n'roll
15 October 2011

Jane’s Addiction singer reveals his secret to staying fit at 52
The group’s fourth album in 23 years,

OK, i have now seen 18, 20, 23, 25, and 26

No one in the media, and even some band members, seem to be able to figure out how long they've been a band for.

[JOEinPHX]

Also, i thought this was a good interview with Perry.

He almost seems to be humbling a bit now that every record he puts out isn't tagged as "godlike genius"