Jane’s Addiction Review – Original Lineup, Same Thrilling Riff-Driven Thrashers

Jane’s Addiction has long been shrouded in the spectre of wasted potential. This iconic band from Los Angeles helped define alternative rock in the late 80s with their two seminal albums that fused cosmic, bohemian funk-metal, driven by mysticism, debauchery, and loss. However, the band’s momentum was quickly derailed by exhaustion, heroin addiction, and frontman Perry Farrell’s new role as the mastermind behind Lollapalooza. Subsequent reunions struggled to recapture their original magic, especially feeling the absence of their creative cornerstone: founding bassist Eric Avery, who resisted the reunion offers until 2008, only to depart again two years later amid considerable rancour, seemingly for good.

The Return of Eric Avery: A Game Changer

Eric Avery’s presence on stage tonight is monumental. Restlessly prowling the stage, pounding his bass, and mouthing along to every lyric, Avery’s energy is palpable. His vigour underscores the sense that Jane’s Addiction may have finally rediscovered their mojo. The band’s performance of riff-driven thrashers like “Pigs In Zen” and “Ain’t No Right” are delivered with thrilling ferocity. Dave Navarro’s guitar work is particularly notable, making his instrument sound like a chainsaw, a siren, or a crashing jetliner, sometimes all at once. Dressed in white cowboy attire, with Navarro as his shadowy spaghetti-western nemesis, Farrell relishes every mischievous punk-funk twist of “Been Caught Stealin’” and goes positively feral on the new song “Imminent Redemption,” which feels more like classic Jane’s Addiction than anything from their underwhelming reunion albums.

Bold Moves and Emotional Depth

The band soars highest when they delve deeper into their emotional repertoire. Opening with “Then She Did,” an atmospheric piece reflecting on Farrell’s mother’s depression and suicide, is a bold move that showcases the tender power within their sleek heaviness. “Three Days” once again sounds like the greatest rock epic of the alternative era, its tribal drums chasing one ecstatic crescendo after another as Navarro fires off glorious, alchemical solos devoid of cliché, while Farrell weaves together the carnal and the spiritual.

Rediscovering Their Signature Style

Tonight, Jane’s Addiction plays rock as a thing of beauty as much as a show of strength – always their signature style back in the day but something that has eluded them on the nostalgia-driven reunion circuit. However, with the classic lineup at last realigned, visibly energized to be in each other’s company, and with new material on the horizon, they haven’t sounded this vivid and alive in decades. It might finally be time to believe in Jane’s Addiction again – after all, they clearly do.

Conclusion

Jane’s Addiction has always been a band defined by their ability to blend the mystical with the raw, the beautiful with the powerful. Their performance tonight proves that despite past struggles and missed opportunities, the band’s original lineup still possesses the ability to captivate and thrill audiences. With Eric Avery back in the fold and new material that harkens back to their roots, Jane’s Addiction is poised for a resurgence. Fans old and new should take notice – Jane’s Addiction is back, and they mean business.