Jane's Addiction was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain commercial success.
Founded by Farrell and Avery following the disintegration of Farrell's previous band Psi Com, Jane's Addiction's first release was their self-titled live album in 1987, which caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records. Their first two studio albums, Nothing's Shocking (1988) and Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), received acclaim and grew a cult fanbase. As a result, Jane's Addiction became a significant part of what Farrell dubbed the "alternative nation'"di Perna, Alan. "Brave Noise–The History of Alternative Rock Guitar". Guitar World. December 1995. The band's first farewell tour in 1991 launched the first Lollapalooza.
In 1997, Jane's Addiction reunited, with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers replacing Avery for a one-off tour. In 2001, a second reunion took place, with Martyn LeNoble and later Chris Chaney on bass. In 2003, Jane's Addiction released their third studio album, Strays, before dissolving the following year. In 2008, the original lineup reunited and embarked on a world tour. Avery left acrimoniously in early 2010 as they began working on new material. In 2011, they released their fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist, with Chaney returning for its recording and tour. For the next ten years, the band toured and performed intermittently.
In 2022, Avery rejoined Jane's Addiction after a 12-year absence. Due to long COVID, Navarro was replaced by Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on tours in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, a reunion tour with Navarro was cancelled after Farrell shoved and punched him on-stage during a concert on September 13, 2024, in Boston, Massachusetts. In January 2025, Navarro, Avery and Perkins announced they were working on new music without the involvement of Farrell. Jane's Addiction's fourth breakup was officially confirmed in December 2025.
History 1985–1987: Formation and Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction formed from the remains of frontman Perry Farrell's previous band, Psi Com. In mid-1985, Farrell was searching for a bassist to replace Kelly Wheeler in the faltering Psi Com. He was introduced to Eric Avery by Carla Bozulich (later of the Geraldine Fibbers), and the pair bonded over a mutual appreciation of Joy Division and the Velvet Underground. They began to practice together, although Avery never became a full-fledged member of Farrell's disintegrating group.Mullen, Brendan. Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Jaddiction. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2005. , p. 48
The new band was dubbed "Jane's Addiction" in honor of Farrell's housemate, Jane Bainter, who was their muse and inspiration. However, the play on words also seems to be there suggesting that "Jane's" signifies "Chains", being a synonym for addiction (i.e. a corrosive habit). "My girlfriend Casey Niccoli and I were sitting in the car," Farrell recalled, "and we started to think about band names. She threw in Jane's Heroin Experience. I thought it wasn't vague enough. If you want to invite people in, you don't want to put heroin on your door."
In its formative incarnation, Jane's Addiction went through four guitarists and featured Matt Chaikin, formerly of Kommunity FK, on drums.Mullen, p. 54
After Chaikin failed to show up for rehearsals, Farrell sought a new drummer. Avery's younger sister Rebecca suggested her boyfriend Stephen Perkins. Avery was uncertain because of their differing tastes in music, but eventually relented.Mullen, p. 75–76 After Perkins was hired, the drummer and Rebecca promised to get their friend Dave Navarro into the group. Based on Perkins' recommendation, the band auditioned and hired Navarro.Mullen, p. 77–78
Jane's Addiction became a sensation on the Los Angeles club scene, primarily headlining at Scream, and won interest from a variety of record labels, including independent record labels Triple X Records and Epitaph Records. While the group decided to sign with Warner Bros. Records, they insisted on releasing their debut on Triple X first.Mullen, p. 113–15 The band's manager negotiated the largest advance up to that point, with Warner Bros. signing the band for between $250,000 and $300,000.Mullen, p. 118 In January 1987, the band recorded its debut Jane's Addiction during a performance at the Roxy Theatre, at a cost of $4,000.Mullen, p. 119–21 Before the album's release, Jane's Addiction supported British band Love and Rockets on a two-month tour in late 1987.Mullen, p. 158 In late 1987, the band opened for former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy at the now demolished Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach.
1988–1989: Nothing's Shocking In January 1988, Jane's Addiction went into the studio to record its major label debut and follow-up to Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking. Warner Bros. gave Jane's Addiction a list of producers to choose from, and the group chose Dave Jerden.Mullen, p. 165
Nothing's Shocking was released in 1988. "Mountain Song" was released as a single; MTV refused to air the song's music video because of a scene containing full frontal nudity.Mullen, p. 179 Farrell then decided to release the music video commercially with added live footage to create the Soul Kiss home video.Mullen, p. 180 Because of the lack of airplay on MTV and modern rock radio, the album only sold 200,000 to 250,000 copies in its first year of release.Mullen, p. 190
After the album's release, the band went on tour, opening for Iggy Pop and The Ramones. By the end of the tour, Jane's Addiction was headlining clubs and theaters.
During the recording sessions, Farrell stated he wanted 50% of the band's publishing royalties for writing the lyrics, plus a quarter of the remaining half for writing music, adding up to 62.5%. Bassist Eric Avery said he and the other members – guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins – were stunned by these demands.Mullen, p. 166 Farrell refused to compromise. One day Jerden drove to the studio to find Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins leaving; Farrell told him the band had broken up and there would be no record. Warner Bros. called an emergency meeting to resolve the situation. Farrell received the royalty percentages he sought, with the other members receiving 12.5 percent each. Avery said the incident had a profound effect on the band, creating an internal fracture.Mullen, p. 168
Not long after the royalties dispute, Farrell and Avery – who had cofounded the band – had a falling-out. This was the result of Avery's newfound sobriety as well as an incident in which Farrell believed Avery had drunkenly tried to pick up his girlfriend. "Unfortunately," Farrell recalled, "the tensions between Eric and I affected the whole family. Some people were asked to take sides, and others just moped about because they didn't know what was going on." Perkins, however, is reported to have gotten along with Navarro, Avery and Farrell.Mullen, p. 169–71
1989–1991: Ritual de lo Habitual Jane's Addiction was scheduled to begin recording its next album in mid-1989. Navarro later stated he had almost no recollection of working on the album due to his addiction to heroin.Mullen, p. 201–02 Ritual de lo Habitual was released in 1990. To support it, the band embarked on a lengthy tour. Farrell recalled, "That thirteen-month tour behind Ritual was half the reason we wound up unable to stand one another. The other half is that I am an intolerable narcissist who can't get along with anyone."Mullen, p. 218
Part of the tour included headlining the first Lollapalooza festival, which traveled across North America in mid-1991. The festival, created by Farrell and Marc Geiger, was to become a farewell for Jane's Addiction, but also a showcase for other cult artists: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nine Inch Nails, the Butthole Surfers, Living Colour, the Rollins Band, the Violent Femmes, and Ice-T's Body Count. The headliners began to get more exposure than ever before: "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop!" became hits and earned rotation on MTV. During the first Lollapalooza show, Farrell and Navarro got into a fight onstage after violently bumping each other mid-song. The band walked off, but came back to play an encore; however, the fight continued and Navarro eventually threw his guitar into the crowd. Regardless, the band continued the tour and played about 25 more Lollapalooza shows, frequently covering Sly and the Family Stone's "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" with Ice-T and Body Count.
Differences between the members on the issue of drug use on the "Ritual" tour led to a schism: Farrell and Perkins regularly partook, while Avery and Navarro abstained. According to Spin,Spin 1991, Vol. 7 Num. 3 between shows, Avery and Navarro sought to avoid temptation by retiring to a section of the tour bus set aside for them. After shows, Avery and Navarro (and Navarro's wife at the time, Tanya) would retire to their hotel. "They have," said Spin, "simply learned that they cannot use drugs of any kind anymore without becoming slaves to them, and that slavery is death."
In late 1991, Avery told Navarro that he planned to leave. Navarro quickly agreed to do the same. The two told their management, who in turn tried to convince them to play in Japan, but Avery and Navarro only wanted to play as much as was contractually obligated. The band played its last shows in Australia and Hawaii before disbanding.Mullen, p. 239–40 "It's weird to be at the end of a cycle like that," remarked Avery, "having run the gamut of the usual 'rock story' from beginning to end: you get signed, get strung out, break up."
1997: First reunion and Kettle Whistle
Dave Navarro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1993 and during a hiatus for the band, Navarro along with Chili Peppers's Flea joined Porno for Pyros to record "Hard Charger" in 1997 for Howard Stern's movie, Private Parts soundtrack. This led to a brief Jane's Addiction Relapse tour, with Flea replacing Avery who declined an invitation to rejoin the band. They produced a compilation album titled Kettle Whistle featuring two new songs with Flea on bass. In 2010, Perkins stated that "Flea, to me, was a great match in '97. As a drummer, he was very exciting for me to work with."
2001–2004: Strays
"I got a phone call from a promoter who asked me if I would be interested in re-forming the band for the Coachella festival in LA," said Farrell in 2001, "and taking the band on tour after that... This comes at a time when this record Song Yet to Be Sung is about to be plucked. Perkins played on three of the songs, and Navarro played with Steve on the single. So there are plans for Jane's' summer tour."
The consequent 2001 Jubilee Tour featured largely the classics, alongside "Hungry" from Navarro's Trust No One and "Happy Birthday Jubilee" from Song Yet to Be Sung. Fans were told to expect a "Sexual Psycho Circus... half-naked, penny rafters, guitar solos, and tribal drums..." Indeed, during 'Classic Girl', scantily clad stage dancers filled the arenas. Avery declined to be involved. Since Flea was busy with the Chili Peppers, Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble was enlisted. (Fellow Pyros member Peter DiStefano guested at one show, to play "Pets".)