JANES ADDICTION LIVE!! | REDHAT
Coverage by Chris Sturk
We got the chance to cover a legendary alternative rock band whose music had helped shape a generation and that band is none other than Janes Addiction. The band performed at the Redhat Amphitheater in Raleigh to a packed house and excited fans. The band had a great supporting act which included the legendary Love and Rockets and a great band making headway in the music scene called, Crawlers. Both supporting acts sounded great and performed with a great and exciting energy.
Janes Addiction formed in 1985 and became a part of the generational shift from 80’s glam rock to alternative rock and roll from the late 80’s to early 90’s with songs such as, “Been caught stealing”, “STOP!”, “Mountain Song”, “Just Because” and many others. I remember cranking the song “Just Because” and “Mountain Song” on repeat on my boombox. Yes, I am that old.
Let’s talk about the show!
As we were waiting for the band to hit the stage you could feel the music fans getting energized and excited, it was palpable. The lights went dim, the background music stopped, and each band member starts to walk out onto the stage and the crowd went wild. The band started into their first song and the energy was fluid, but you could tell something was off. Something from the start did not seem right. As lead singer Perry Ferral seemed to be having issues keeping his balance or even being able to focus during certain parts of the first song. I was not sure if he was just dancing in his classic random style of movement which if you see his past performances, you will know what I am talking about, or if he was drunk. After the first song was done and Perry started to engage the crowd you could tell right away that he was either drunk or under something else, but he obviously was not of clear mind and was slurring his words. During the opening songs of the show, you could see Dave Navarro looking somewhat annoyed every time Perry walked up close to him. Dave would also look at drummer Stephen Perkins as if they were communicating with each other to try and keep the beat with Perry’s somewhat off beat vocal performance. To be fair, Perry did not sound horrible, and he was able to hit some high notes but overall, you could tell he was having trouble getting the words out. Dave Navarro (guitarist), Eric Avery (bass guitar) and Stephen Perkins (drums) sounded great and getting to see Dave Navarro play the guitar was a very cool experience in itself. The overall show was not a bad, but, as the night went on you could tell that Perry was not able to balance himself and I was honestly afraid he was going to fall of the stage at certain points.
The show at the Redhat Amphitheater was a good performance from the band but I know it probably could have been better if Perry was not intoxicated and fully invested into bringing his best foot forward. I was sad to see what happened during their tour stop in Boston (my home city) and how the band has now cancelled the rest of their 2024 tour. I hope that Perry is able to get the help he needs and that the band can repair the damage done and come back together so the music fans who had gotten tickets for upcoming shows can see them perform in the future.
Janes Addiction will always be a band I grew up with and whose music meant a lot to me in my youth. Seeing what happened in Boston is not something any true music fan wants to see; we all want to see the bands we love continue to grow and move forward in their musical journey. I honestly hope the future will be bright for each band member and everyone can weather through this difficult situation. As for the band as whole, I still love ya and will continue to crank some of my favorite Janes Addiction songs for years to come. I hope we see you again soon!
