It’s been nearly a year since fans watched Jane’s Addiction come apart in real time, when frontman Perry Farrell had a meltdown on stage and started taking swings at guitarist Dave Navarro.
Now, Rolling Stone reports that Navarro and his Jane’s Addiction bandmates, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins, have filed a lawsuit against Farrell, claiming that the onstage altercation resulted in the cancellation of both their North American tour and a planned album.
The complaint was filed on Wednesday, July 16, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that the group lost over $10 million as a result of the tour’s cancellation.
Jane’s Addiction members allege they were subject to “violent outbursts” by Perry Farrell
“The Band can no longer function as a result of the Defendant’s conduct, including his sudden, violent outbursts and demonstrated inability to serve as the Band’s frontman and vocalist,” the complaint states. “The physical, emotional, and financial harms Defendant has wrought have deeply impacted the Plaintiffs, their families, and their loved ones, and it is time for Defendant to face the consequences of his actions and be held accountable.”
The Jane’s Addiction members’ lawsuit also alleges that Farrell was often drunk and unable to perform at the level necessary to deliver a quality concert for fans.
“Plaintiffs (and others in attendance) had observed during the Tour that Perry regularly appeared onstage in an advanced state of intoxication,” the complaint adds. “He would often drink wine onstage and slur his speech. Perry frequently went on long, rambling discursions between songs for no apparent purpose other than for his own amusement. The problems with Perry’s performance would often worsen as the night wore on and he became more intoxicated.”
Navarro is also suing Farrell for assault and battery, stemming from the altercation.
Jane’s Addiction’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, stated Rolling Stone, saying, “Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins had high hopes that they could capture the pure spirit of the band’s early days and build on it. Initially, they did, in the studio and onstage. But … they did so with a fourth bandmate who was, by turns, unwilling or unable to perform to a reasonable standard and who repeatedly threatened to derail the tour.”
Frost added that Farrell’s actions during the on-stage incident “abruptly and unilaterally ended all the plans for a Jane’s Addiction revival” and “left his bandmates holding the bag for an unfulfilled tour and record deal… Dave, Eric, and Stephen never wanted it to come to this. But they have been wronged, want the accurate story told, and they deserve a resolution.”
At this time, it does not appear that Farrell
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