Electric Eye - Rock & Roll Memories: Jane's Addiction @ Olympia, Paris

In 2024, now that they've been reunited in one form or another for more than twenty years, it’s easy to overlook the significance of Jane’s Addiction, but there was a long period when the band was absent from the scene. After becoming icons of alternative rock, they also epitomized the genre's excesses, leaving fans with only their albums and legend for nearly two decades. Even their reunions felt incomplete, often marred by self-sabotage. Many, including myself, wrote them off when they began touring without guitarist Dave Navarro two years ago. Now, Jane’s Addiction is proving the doubters wrong. The band members, if not exactly sober, are at least functional enough to deliver a powerful performance—and deliver they do.

Historically, Jane’s Addiction was known for their confrontational live shows. Today, they seem content to give fans what they want: classic hits. And they have those in abundance—“Stop!”, “Three Days”, “Been Caught Stealing”, “Mountain Song”, “Ted, Just Admit It...”, and “Jane Says” among them.

Their sound, once the hallmark of alternative rock, has permeated the mainstream. Jane’s Addiction, and their songs, have become something once unimaginable: classic rock. It’s likely the band and their fans never envisioned this trajectory. But just because you are classic doesn't mean you have to behave and become respectable. After all, we are living in an age where a porn star can make or break a U.S. president... I guess it's true: nothing's shocking.

Perry Farrell' voice, unfortunately, isn't as supple as it once was, an is now showing definite signs of wear and tear, a fact that all the effects and echos that he uses can't conceal. It also doesn't help that the man was obviously intoxicated. He was guzzling wine straight from the bottle on stage, but that might not be the main substance he was using... Thankfully, he remains an engaging and charismatic frontman, somewhere between a carnival barker, a trapeze artist and a classical music conductor. Dave Navarro oozes rock n'roll charisma and plays like a motherfucker, putting him on par with other hard rock guitar heroes of his generation like Slash or Zakk Wylde. And to finally hear that original rhythm section of Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery is quite a treat. They are the most unique drum and bass duo in the whole genre, and Jane's Addiction wasn't complete without Avery. Hopefully, the wheels don't come off anytime soon, as this is something Jane's Addiction is accustomed to... But for now, here they all are, at last, reaping what they started sowing so many decades ago... Señoras y señores... Juana's Adicción!

Experience or re-live the concert by playing the setlist in the embedded Apple Music player below