Atrobe Talbot - Jane's Addiction

  by Matt Williams

published: 28 / 7 / 2009

intro

In our 'Photoscapes' series, Matt Williams photographs seminal Californian alternative rock act, Jane's Addiction, at the London O2 Arena

The Californian band Jane's Addiction has produced two of alternative rock's most charismatic icons in vocalist Perry Farrell and heavily tattooed guitarist Dave Navarro. Inevitably for a group which took its name from Farrell's drug-addicted flatmate of the time, Jane's Addiction has created a lot of controversy since first forming in 1987. The cover of their debut album, 'Nothing's Shocking' 1988), featured two nude siamese twins with their heads on fire. By the time of the recording of their second album, 1989's 'Ritual de lo Habitual', both Farrell and Navarro were battling heroin addiction, while bassist Eric Avery had alcohol problems. There were arguments about royalties and relations between the band members had become by this stage so unsettled that Farrell and Avery recorded their parts for 'Ritual de lo Habitual' at seperate times. A thirteen month tour to promote it broke the band. There was an on-stage fight between Farrell and Navarro in 1991 on the first date of Lollapooza, the travelling alternative rock festival that Farrell had created. While Jane's Addiction survived the tour, they split up when both Navarro and Avery decided to leave the group after final dates in Australia and Hawaii. Jane's Addiction reformed in 2001 without Avery and recorded a third album in 2003, the positively received 'Strays'. They, however, broke up the following year for at the time undisclosed reasons, although Navarro has since said on his website that those reasons were essentially the same as they were for the original break-up. They, however, reformed again with Avery back in the line-up in 2008 and this year toured with fellow alternative rockers Nine Inch Nails across Europe and Australia. For all their internal tensions and controversy, Jane's Addiction are a seminal act. They recorded classic singles in 'Stop!' and 'Been Caught Stealing', both of which shot to number one in the alternative rock chart in America in 1990. Their funk-influenced guitar sound has been a massive influence on groups such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers,of which Navarro was a member of during the band's first hiatus in 1990. They also remain a phenomenally exciting and fiery live act. These photographs of Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro were taken by photographer Matt Williams during the Nine Inch Nails tour at a show at the 02 Arena in London in July.