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Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro shares cryptic post after Perry Farrell brawl

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US news reporter

Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro has posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account following a dramatic onstage brawl involving his bandmate, singer Perry Farrell.

At the US rock band's performance on Friday (September 13) at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, Farrell was seen in fan footage aggressively approaching Navarro during a performance of their 1988 song “Ocean Size”.

As Farrell yelled at the other musician, he shoulder-butted him before seemingly throwing a punch. Farrell was then tackled and dragged away by crew members and bassist Eric Avery as the stage lights were turned off and the show abruptly ended.

Three days after the altercation and after the band's next performance scheduled for Sunday was canceled, 57-year-old Navarro published two posts on Instagram.

In the first, he posed with his “friend and legendary artist” Joe Coleman, a painter, writer and artist known for his fascination with duality and symmetry.

“One of the good things that came out the other night was the fact that I was able to hang out with my friend and legendary artist [Joe Coleman]”, wrote Navarro. “If you don’t know his work, I recommend you take a look at his profile.”

In the second, he shared a photo of himself taken by photographer Sonny Crockett, showing him on stage holding an acoustic guitar with a “Jane's Addiction” sticker on the back.

“Good night…” he wrote.

Some fans have interpreted this to mean that Navarro may have ended his time with the band.

Makeup artist Angelina Butero seemed to signal the end of an era when she wrote in the comments: “I love you brother. It was a great honor to do your makeup.”

Others sent Navarro messages of love and support. “You're the man, Dave!” wrote one fan. “A true A-lister through and through.”

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“You handled that on stage with tremendous grace and professionalism,” said another. “But I'm sorry it even happened.”

Another comment read: “Dave, you've been through way too much crap to have to deal with what happened last night. I think we all know you could have knocked him out but that's not you. You showed restraint and dignity.

“Your talent is undeniable and I hope you, Stephen and Eric continue to make music together.”

The Independent has contacted representatives from Jane's Addiction for comment.

Perry Farrell was involved in a dispute with his Jane's Addiction bandmate Dave Navarro
Perry Farrell was involved in a dispute with his Jane's Addiction bandmate Dave Navarro (X/Twitter)

On Saturday, a statement shared on the band's Instagram stories said: “We would like to express our deepest apologies to our fans for the events of last night.

“For this reason we will cancel tomorrow night. [Sunday 15 September] Show in Bridgeport. Refunds will be issued at your point of purchase, or if you purchased through a third party (StubHub, SeatGeek, etc.) contact them directly.”

A statement from Jane's Addiction Instagram account
A statement from Jane's Addiction Instagram account (Instagram/Jane's Addiction)

Shortly after the incident, Farrell's wife, Etty Lau Farrell, sent a long message in his defense, claiming there was “a lot of tension and animosity between the members” before the show.

“Perry's frustration grew. Night after night he felt that the volume on stage was extremely high and his voice was being drowned out by the band,” she claimed.

“Perry suffered from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the front row started complaining to Perry and yelling at him that the band was too loud and they couldn't hear him, Perry freaked out.”

Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction performing in 2009
Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction performing in 2009 (Getty Images)

A look back at the band's earlier performance in Tampa, Florida, indicated growing tensions between Farrell and Navarro.

“Farrell let loose many nonsensical tirades about cow pastures, mushrooms, surfing, life in Florida and political arguments with his brother,” while “drinking an entire bottle of wine throughout the entire performance,” Creative lounging reported.

“At one point, during one of his chats, Navarro deliberately played a loud, piercing chord on his guitar to nearly silence Farrell and get the show back on track.”