Rock festival season just got some South American flavor added to the mix. Lollapalooza is traveling to Santiago, Chile, where the event will be held on April 2 – 3, and headlined by Kanye West (who will also headline Coachella two weeks later), The Killers (Brandon Flowers, ditto on Coachella) and, of course, Lolla founder Perry Farrell’s band Jane’s Addiction. “We did not want to come to Chile with a lineup that was anything other than world-class,” Farrell said in a statement. “Our ambition is to plant a very strong seed in Chile. One that will grow over the years, and provide Santiago with an event for the ages.” Others on the lineup include 30 Seconds To Mars, Fatboy Slim, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Flaming Lips. Catch the full roster here. [Via Spinner]

Envision, if you will, a world remade in the image… of late Doors singer Jim Morrison.





Lollapalooza/Jane’s Addiction founder Perry Farrell’s project Satellite Party was more “conceptual wankery that resulted from dude needing something to do” than anything else, with Farrell bringing together disparate elements of the now—flash mobs! Fergie! Nuno Bettencourt?—to create a finished product that was more “interesting way to teach people how not to use Photoshop” than “album you would want to listen to.” The concept album is loosely based on the story of “a collaborative brain trust of artistic visionaries, including writers, musicians and environmentalists called The Solutionists, who seek to redesign and come up with solutions for the world”; it uses the oh-so-courant-then term “flash mob” in a way that more resembles “bitchin’ rave DJed by DJ Peretz, yo.” And it reaches its, er, artistic peak with “Woman In The Window,” which employs a previously unheard loop of the Lizard King musing about love and gardens and riding off into the sunset; either the tape was warped or he was, because his voice wavers and wilts all over the place. What results is one of those zombie creations that sounds slightly out of time, like a backstory-value-added “Free As A Bird” that’s been dragged through the trip-hop mire and grafted to a vaguely “Manzarekian” keyboard noodle.


Farrell describes the song’s “story” as such:

The Heavenly Host sitting with the Solutionists watching the world from above, and he’s telling the Solutionists to legitimize, and with the power of their creativity, they will transform this world. And “Just try and stop us, we’re going to love.” That is the mantra of the Solutionists.

I guess if you’re going to try and make sense of Morrison’s barely coherent ravings, you might as well aim big and accept the Doors singer’s vision of him being God. (“The Doors epitomized everything that I loved about musicians and music. They were the voice of their generation,” Farrell once told the Los Angeles Times. Sigh. And I liked “Been Caught Stealing” so much, you guys!) But unfortunately the other members of Satellite Party weren’t feeling the Jim-preached love, as Bettencourt departed the band shortly after the album was released and Perry went back to Jane’s Addiction Reunion No. 4,857. At least we still have this song! Thank God—er, Jim—for that, right?


Satellite Party ft Jim Morrison – Woman in the Window [YouTube]
Satellite Party [MySpace]
F2K: Idolator Counts Down The 50 Worst Songs Of The ’00s, One By Ear-Splitting One

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler’s fall in South Dakota last week resulted in the spindly frontman breaking his shoulder, according to an interview Joe Perry did with the AP over the weekend. “I’ve seen it a thousand times, him dancing or just twirling around, doing a somersault, he’s really agile, so I don’t know,” Perry told the AP. “We’re like kinda still in shock. What can you say? It’s stuff that could happen to anybody.” But it sure seems to be happening to members of Aerosmith more than anyone else!


The band has 18 more tour dates on its North American summer jaunt, and while there’s been no official word on what will happen with those dates, Ticketmaster is saying that upcoming dates in Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver have been postponed to some point in the future. Meanwhile, Perry is keeping busy: He met up with another Perry onstage over the weekend, sitting in with Jane’s Addiction during their performance of “Jane Says” at Lollapalooza last night.





Hmm. I don’t know if the lower key really works, you know?


Aerosmith guitarist: Tyler broke shoulder in fall [AP]
Jane’s Addiction “Jane Says” Lollapalooza With Joe Perry [YouTube]
Earlier: Aerosmith: Almost As Prone To Injury As The 2009 New York Mets

The perils of not conditioning properly before going out on tour: Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell tore a calf muscle onstage last night in Atlanta, but managed to finish his band’s set through his injury. (At left, a shot of him heading off in an ambulance post-show.) Doctors have ordered him to stay off his leg so it can properly heal, but he’s vowing to soldier on his tour with Nine Inch Nails, which continues tomorrow night in Austin. Perhaps he will sing from a throne? [AP / Pic via Dave Navarro]

Jessica Hopper on nostalgia and psychic growth, in the form of a review of Jane’s Addiction’s three-disc attempt to cash in now, honey: “To believe that Jane’s Addiction headlining Lollapalooza again is somehow historic, to be psyched about this recurrence, is like masturbating to the memory of losing your virginity. Sure, it was meaningful when it happened, but 20 years down the line, it’s a pity if this is what’s getting you off. If what was our pinnacle then is still our pinnacle now, it reflects pretty poorly on how we’ve been spending our time.” [Chicago Reader]

Depeche Mode, Tool, the Killers, the Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, and Jane’s Addiction (well, if they’re still around) are headlining this year’s installment of Lollapalooza, which will descend on Chicago’s Grant Park from Aug. 7-9. Other highlights: Neko Case, Bat for Lashes, Ida Maria, Constantines, and a socially networked lineup page that is proving the Beasties to be the fest’s most Facebook-friendly headliner. (Kings of Leon are close behind, though!) Full roster of artists after the jump.

Depeche Mode
Tool
The Killers
Jane’s Addiction
Beastie Boys
Kings of Leon
Lou Reed
Ben Harper
Thievery Corporation
Snoop Dogg
Rise Against
Andrew Bird
TV on the Radio
Vampire Weekend
The Decemberists
Neko Case
STS9
Animal Collective
Band of Horses
Of Montreal
Arctic Monkeys
Coheed and Cambria
Ben Folds
Fleet Foxes
Silversun Pickups
Kaiser Chiefs
Crystal Castles
Bon Iver
Santigold
Atmosphere
Dan Auberbach
Cold War Kids
Deerhunter
Lykke Li
Robert Earl Keen
Peter Bjorn and John
Heartless Bastards
Gomez
Glasvegas
Federico Aubele
Dan Deacon
Passion Pit
The Raveonettes
The Gaslight Anthem
The Airborne Toxic Event
White Lies
Ra Ra Riot
No Age
Asher Roth
Los Campesinos!
Bat For Lashes
Chairlift
Gang Gang Dance
The Virgins
Amazing Baby
Portugal. The Man
The Knux
Ida Maria
Delta Spirit
Friendly Fires
Manchester Orchestra
Constantines
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
Hockey
Miike Snow
Alberta Cross
Hey Champ
Sam Roberts Band
The Henry Clay People
Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
Cage the Elephant
Living Things
The Low Anthem
Blind Pilot
Langhorne Slim
Other Lives
The Builders and The Butchers
Eric Church
Joe Pug
Kevin Devine
The Green Cards
Carney
Thenewno2

DJ sets etc. at Perry’s Place
Bassnectar
MSTRKRFT
Simian Mobile Disco
DeadMau5
Boys Noise
KiD CuDi
Crookers
A-Trak
Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set)
The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set)
LA Riots
Kaskade
The Glitch Mob
Hollywood Holt
Rye Rye
He Say, She Say
Car Stereo (Wars)
Dark Wave Disco
Moneypenny
Yello Fever
Animal Collective (DJ Set)

Lollapalooza 2009 lineup [Turn It Up]

Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Farrell has decided to save the complaints about his band’s upcoming reunion tour for conversations with reporters: “I’m not going to tell you it’s been all smooches and hugs. But it shouldn’t be because that would be a bore,” he told a Reuters writer while hanging out at Coachella over the weekend. And lo, a new angle for his band’s jaunt with Nine Inch Nails this summer–one that had nothing to do with Trent Reznor’s digital strategies for distributing his records or sniping at other ’90s alt-rock survivors–was born!

“If my band didn’t have issues, if they didn’t throw tantrums, I would think I was with a bunch of suckers. As long as they can handle it, I can handle it. After all we’re just delivering music that people love, so how bad can it be? It could be worse. We could be drafted.”

Drama and historical perspective–not to mention an opening for a reporter to craft a lede about “war”? Oh, Perry, you know how to open the door to 700-word profiles, don’t you. But don’t worry, those of you holding tickets for the NIN/JA tour (which starts May 8) (in case you forgot): Everything’s going to work out.

“I just talked to Eric man-to-man. We’re different people, that’s okay. He serves a different purpose, he’s got a different frequency he operates on. I’m overjoyed that we’re working together. I don’t care that we butt heads as long as when we hit the stage we blast on people.”

Later Farrell told the Reuters reporter that his band had a “small, five-year window left” during which they could milk the nostalgia cow capture the imaginations of those who were still nostalgic for the 1990s. Wait, does this mean that we’re going to have a Satellite Party reunion once 2014 rolls around?

Bitter feuding mars Jane’s Addiction reunion [Reuters]

Street Sweeper, the new collaboration between Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello and the Coup‘s Boots Riley, has been added to the NIN/JA tour—that’s the trek that Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction will take around the country this summer. “We are aiming to make this much more than just three acts sharing a bill,” Trent Reznor said in a statement on the NIN Web site. Just find someone to run a smart drink stand, Trent, and you’ll be on the way. [nin.com]

Street Sweeper, the new collaboration between Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello and the Coup‘s Boots Riley, has been added to the NIN/JA tour—that’s the trek that Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction will take around the country this summer. “We are aiming to make this much more than just three acts sharing a bill,” Trent Reznor said in a statement on the NIN Web site. Just find someone to run a smart drink stand, Trent, and you’ll be on the way. [nin.com]

The beginnings of an itinerary for this spring/summer’s Nine Inch Nails/Janes Addiction tour—which Trent Reznor referred to as the NIN/JA tour on his site (cute!)—are being sketched out. Click the picture of Trent for the dates so far, and note that this list doesn’t include the two bands’ appearance at the Sasquatch! festival in late May.

Fri-May-08 West Palm Beach, FL [Cruzan Amphitheatre]
Sat-May-09 Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheatre]
Sun-May-10 Atlanta, GA [Lakewood Amphitheatre]
Thu-May-14 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion]
Fri-May-15 Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Wireless Pavilion]
Sat-May-16 Chula Vista, CA [Cricket Wireless Amphitheater]
Mon-May-18 Las Vegas, NV [The Pearl]
Wed-May-20 Irvine, CA [Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine Meadows]
Fri-May-22 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre]
Tue-May-26 Englewood, CO [Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre]
Wed-May-27 Kansas City, MO [Starlight Theatre]
*** Fri-May-29 Chicago, IL [Charter One Pavilion] NINE INCH NAILS Only
Sat-May-30 Noblesville, IN [Verizon Wireless Music Center]
Sun-May-31 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Theatre]
Tue-Jun-02 Toronto, ON [Molson Amphitheatre]
Wed-Jun-03 Darien Lake, NY [Darien Lake Amphitheatre]
Fri-Jun-05 Camden, NJ [Tweeter Center At The Waterfront]
Sat-Jun-06 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center]
Sun-Jun-07 Wantagh, NY [Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater]
Tue-Jun-09 Columbia, MD [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
Wed-Jun-10 Burgettstown, PA [Post-Gazette Pavilion]
Fri-Jun-12 Charlotte, NC [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre]

some official NIN/JA tour dates [nin.com]

The beginnings of an itinerary for this spring/summer’s Nine Inch Nails/Janes Addiction tour—which Trent Reznor referred to as the NIN/JA tour on his site (cute!)—are being sketched out. Click the picture of Trent for the dates so far, and note that this list doesn’t include the two bands’ appearance at the Sasquatch! festival in late May.

Fri-May-08 West Palm Beach, FL [Cruzan Amphitheatre]
Sat-May-09 Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheatre]
Sun-May-10 Atlanta, GA [Lakewood Amphitheatre]
Thu-May-14 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion]
Fri-May-15 Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Wireless Pavilion]
Sat-May-16 Chula Vista, CA [Cricket Wireless Amphitheater]
Mon-May-18 Las Vegas, NV [The Pearl]
Wed-May-20 Irvine, CA [Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine Meadows]
Fri-May-22 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre]
Tue-May-26 Englewood, CO [Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre]
Wed-May-27 Kansas City, MO [Starlight Theatre]
*** Fri-May-29 Chicago, IL [Charter One Pavilion] NINE INCH NAILS Only
Sat-May-30 Noblesville, IN [Verizon Wireless Music Center]
Sun-May-31 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Theatre]
Tue-Jun-02 Toronto, ON [Molson Amphitheatre]
Wed-Jun-03 Darien Lake, NY [Darien Lake Amphitheatre]
Fri-Jun-05 Camden, NJ [Tweeter Center At The Waterfront]
Sat-Jun-06 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center]
Sun-Jun-07 Wantagh, NY [Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater]
Tue-Jun-09 Columbia, MD [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
Wed-Jun-10 Burgettstown, PA [Post-Gazette Pavilion]
Fri-Jun-12 Charlotte, NC [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre]

some official NIN/JA tour dates [nin.com]

Many people find it hard to tell the great from the godawful when it comes to 21st-century mainstream rock. To help figure out which is which, here’s “Corporate Rock Still Sells,” where Al “GovernmentNames” Shipley examines what’s good, bad, and ugly in the world of rock and roll. This time around, he celebrates the 20th anniversary of Billboard‘s Modern Rock chart by cherry-picking some of its most oddly notable chart-toppers:

Last month, the Hot 100–the big cheese of Billboard‘s singles charts–turned 50, and the publication’s been rolling out the red carpet in honor of that golden anniversary. But today, another Billboard milestone is passing by with a little less fanfare: the 20th birthday of the Modern Rock chart. The late-’80s college rock explosion resulted in more and more commercial radio stations playing a variety of young bands and singer-songwriters that didn’t quite fit into the Pink Floyd/Van Hagar-heavy format covered by the Album Rock Tracks chart (now known as Mainstream Rock) Billboard responded to that trend on Sept. 10, 1998, when it published the first Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

In the two decades since, the alternative rock format has exploded–in terms of both stations and listeners–and then shrunk some, all the while going through an aesthetic identity crisis seemingly every five years. I’ve occasionally implied that the chart may have outlived its usefulness, given the dwindling listenership and its increasing crossover with the Mainstream Rock chart. But those arguments are largely facetious, and I hope Billboard never takes my suggestion to heart. (I’d have a lot less to follow or write about.) Two months ago, the trade mag actually added a third rock singles chart, Triple-A (as in Adult Album Alternative); the music on that chart more resembles Modern Rock’s jangly early days. So with Triple-A at one pole and Mainstream Rock at the other, the Modern Rock chart is now, more than ever, effectively the center of Billboard’s rock charts and its most important one, which assures that it should be alive and well for as long as there’s terrestrial radio data to track.

A couple years ago, former Idolator regular Anthony Miccio counted down all of the Modern Rock No. 1s on a highly entertaining blog called modernrock4eva, which I’ve looked at from time to time as inspiration for this column, and to remind myself of just how silly and mercurial this chart has always been. For every No. 1 that could be praised as the harbinger of a new era along the lines of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” you have a handful of novelty hits, flukes, and bizarre mid-career diversions. I have no interest in honoring the canon, so I thought I’d go through the chart’s first 21 calendar years and pick one No. 1 from each: not the best song, but the one that was most likely forgotten, never heard, or be classified as a “surprising” hit:

1988: Siouxsie and the Banshees – “Peek-a-Boo”

This isn’t the most obscure of the five songs that topped the chart in its first four months of existence. But it was the chart’s very first No. 1, and I can think of no more auspicious a beginning for this institution than a bonkers dance-pop crossover full of backmasked accordion.

1989: Public Image Ltd. – “Disappointed”

There are some perfectly valid reasons that this band is revered by some much more than John Lydon’s other, more famous band. But this backup singer-aided ball of cheese, one of PiL’s last gasps before Lydon entered an endless cycle of Sex Pistols reunions, is most likely not one of them.

1990: David J – “I’ll Be Your Chauffeur”

Before embarking on this column, I had no idea that being a Bauhaus alum was apparently all it took to top this chart in its early days. Love And Rockets reached No. 1 in ’89, and the next year both Peter Murphy and David J reached the summit as solo artists.

1991: U2 – “The Fly”

There were more obscure No. 1′s from this year, but this wins by virtue of being one of the least-known lead singles from an established band’s blockbuster album ever released. It’s kind of amazing, in retrospect, that U2 managed to release this song first with future Achtung Baby smashes like “One” and “Mysterious Ways” waiting in the chamber. In light of how well they got away with this gamble, it’s easier to understand where they got the balls to release “Numb” and “Discotheque” as lead singles later on.

1992: Lou Reed – “What’s Good”

1992 was, for many people and especially for my 10-year-old self, ground zero for the alt-rock explosion. It was also the year I became aware of the Modern Rock chart–MTV’s 120 Minutes would run through the top 10 before a commercial break each week. But even as some of the decade’s biggest bands were scoring their first hits, the chart was still being dominated by oldsters enjoying their final glimpses of serious rock airplay, including Peter Gabriel, The B-52′s, XTC, and ol’ Lou.

1993: Tears For Fears – “Break It Down Again”

It’s hard to compare this song to any of the Songs From The Big Chair megahits, but this one still sounds tremendous to me.

1994: Counting Crows – “Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)”

Their 1993 debut August And Everything After yielded three Modern Rock top 10 hits, but the only Counting Crows song to ever top the chart was this bouncy outtake, which was tossed on the DGC Rarities compilation.

1995: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “My Friends”

I may not particularly like the many, many power ballads RHCP has recorded since reuniting with John Frusciante. But they all beat the hell out of the one they did when Dave Navarro was in the band.

1996: The Cranberries – “Salvation”

The Cranberries’ metamorphosis from the winsome Irish balladeers of “Dreams” to the creepy doomsayers of “Zombie” and this peppy anti-heroin screed is one of the more fascinating transformations of the mid-’90s alt-rock era. Some of Rihanna’s fashion and artistic choices of late make me wonder if Dolores O’Riordan is her spirit animal.

1997: Live – “Lakini’s Juice”

Along the same lines as “Salvation,” this is a fascinating instance of an overexposed band becoming somewhat interesting at the exact moment that its career took a nosedive. It’s a shame Live’s ensuing commercial decline was full of more pap like “The Dolphin’s Cry” than riffs as fucking nasty as the one here.

1998: The Goo Goo Dolls – “Slide”

1998 was a truly dire year for Modern Rock: It began with the 15-week reign of Marcy Playground, who were succeeded by the seven-week reign of Fastball (you can probably guess the songs). Things didn’t get much better from there, and I can honestly say every single one of the 11 songs that topped the chart that year holds at least one unpleasant memory for me. And while this one isn’t as good as “Iris,” it’s still the least overplayed of these songs that I could choose.

1999: Limp Bizkit – “Re-Arranged”

Most of Limp Bizkit’s fun songs shoehorned in incongrously slow, serious bridges, so it was pretty shocking that they managed to make a whole song out of one of those brooding grooves that turned out to be one of their best hits.

2000: Green Day – “Minority”

Reminding myself that Green Day had such a popular “political” song shortly before American Idiot makes me marvel at how well they succeeded at selling that album as both a comeback and a change of pace.

2001: Sum 41 – “Fat Lip”

2001 was the year that Staind, Nickelback, Linkin Park and Incubus all became power ballad superstars, but at least one band was having some goofy, sloppy fun at No. 1 (well, two, if you count those guys that covered “Smooth Criminal”).

2002: Unwritten Law – “Seein’ Red”

Every time I read this song’s title and tried to remember what it sounded like before looking it up on YouTube, all I could think of was Chevelle’s “The Red,” which reached No. 4 at almost the exact same time that this song topped the chart, features a refrain of the phrase “seeing red,” and has remained a much stronger radio staple in the years since.

2003: Jane’s Addiction – “Just Because”

A perfunctory one-week chart-topper from a hollow, pointless reunion. And thanks to Entourage‘s really, really annoying theme song, it isn’t even the best-known track from its parent album.

2004: The Offspring – “Hit That”

This seems to be about the point where The Offspring decided to back off from the antics of novelty hits like “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy).” But before getting fully serious with their recent hit “Hammerhead,” they had to wean themselves off the silly shit by making a song with farting ska horns, awkwardly deployed hip-hop slang, and a video starring an animated dog.

2005: Audioslave – “Be Yourself”

Audioslave was an ugly marriage of convenience always headed for an inevitable divorce, but this song marked one time they seemed almost convincingly compatible.

2006: The Foo Fighters – “DOA”

Even though it’s just three years old, it’s not even the 10th-most-played Foo Fighters song on radio now. A shame, since it’s just about their only recent single that follows through on the unfulfilled promise of muscular new wave glimpsed on early singles like “This Is A Call” or “Monkey Wrench.”

2007: Incubus – “Anna Molly”

“Megalomaniac” could’ve been their “Lakini’s Juice,” but instead these guys kept at it and made leaner, better hard-rock hits.

2008: Staind – “Believe”

I leave you with the current No. 1, partly to give symmetry to our journey, and partly because I hope someday soon we’ll all have long forgotten that gooey Diane Warren bullshit like “believe in me, ’cause I was meant for chasing dreams” ever topped a chart that’s championed much weirder, better stuff.

My invite to the NME Awards USA apparently got lost in the mail, so the only bits of the for-real-this-time Jane’s Addiction reunion that I’ve had a chance to see are the AP photos and this video interview with the band, in which Dave Navarro looks shiny and talks a lot and Perry Farrell looks kinda sad, until he says “As soft as grass may seem, it cracks the asphalt.” [YouTube / Photo: AP]

“Dave… Get down here. Flea is on his way and wants to jam!”

a) Perry Farrell
b) Pete Yorn
c) Stewart Copeland
d) Steve Vai
e) all of the above!

Ok, the answer is “a,” but in spirit, it was “e.” Perry was rockin’ his reedy little heart out at Tom Morello’s Axis Of Justice show in LA on Tuesday night alongside all those fine artists (as well as Davey Havok and Jerry Cantrell) when he was suddenly inspired to get a little impromptu session together with Jane’s Addiction. The Jane’s Addiction of 1997. Of Kettle Whistle. With Travis Barker replacing the otherwise occupied Stephen Perkins.

Of course I accepted the invitation and immediately rolled over to joined Perry, Flea and Travis Barker for an impromptu Mountain Song. So much fun and for such a great cause. Plus, it gave Perry and I an opportunity to perform again in front of a public audience before hitting the awards show next Wednesday. I have had the good fortune throughout my years as a guitarist to share the stage with some unbelievable talents, but there is no one in the world that I feel more comfortable and at home with musically than Perry Farrell.

At the risk of offending the Jane’s fanbase, I find that last statement kind of sad.

April 15, 2008 [6767]

Original Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery–who’s backed off from participating in his former band’s reunion shows and tours because he (perhaps rightly) saw them as little more than cash grabs–has decided to play a few songs with his old mates at next week’s invite-only, MySpace-streamed NME Awards USA. The band is picking up a “Godlike Genius Award” at the ceremony, no doubt in part because it new how to monetize that ’90s-nostalgia mine when Weiland was still trying to figure out whether or not making an album with Guns N’ Roses members was a good idea. Avery was, understandably, somewhat conflicted about even publicly mentioning that he was even considering doing the show, what with “maybe” meaning “yes” in the overheated gossipsphere that the NME helped create.

i have kept silent this past week about it because i was concerned that if it got out that i was even considering it, that in itself would have been considered an answer and i didnt want to set this in motion until i had really decided either way. so i am sorry for the lack of response to your questions on the blog here.

i went to do dave navarros internet tv show today thinking that i might get some clarity about all this from talking to him. i had only spoken to two other folks about this up to that point. i was really conflicted and i am still unsure that this is the right answer (if there is such a thing) but i am happy to be a part of honoring janes. i am humbled that we are being put into the company of the others who have received this honor from the nme. and finally, i must admit that it has felt really good so far in both heart and mind; just sounds like a cool night. amazing.

Aw, that’s sweet, right? Just be warned, Eric: If Perry tries to buttonhole you into a chat about flash mobs and Solutionists, it’s best to slowly back away. And then run.

ok [ericavery]

Perhaps realizing that he’ll need a revenue stream more lucrative than reality TV and less messy than porn to keep him in tattoos and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, former Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro has hinted on his blog that he wouldn’t be averse to getting back together with Perry Farrell and the gang for one last cash grab reunion tour:

What would happen if a tour came about? You are on record (apparently) as saying your not really interested.

Yeah, well to be honest… My love for the music out weighs any old baggage that might have been. As I have said in the past… If Van Halen and the Eagles can get over their issues, I don’t see why we can’t. I just think that if something like that ever happened, it should be shows only with no new label, management, photo shoots, press and all that crap that clouds the experience. Simply a month or two of theater tour dates to celebrate the music.

Dare I say that this plan sounds … classy? I’m starting to think that the world has really and truly gone mad. Although one does wonder if Navarro is saying “shows only, nothing else” so as to pre-emptively prevent Perry Farrell from having any brainstorms about album art.

More To Come [6767.com; HT antiMusic]

Those of you who have heard Satellite Party, the new flashmobbed-up project from Perry Farrell, have probably been wondering one thing: “Why did Jane’s Addiction break up?” (Okay, that probably comes to mind after “Huh??,” but still.) Well, Farrell places the blame squarely on the menace of reality television:

Farrell told Launch that the idea came to him after JANE’S ADDICTION began falling apart while guitarist Dave Navarro started hosting the “Rock Star” reality series. “My band broke up basically over reality TV, and I just couldn’t believe it,” he said. “So I thought, like, rock and roll has never been about kissing ass and a contest. You know, rock and roll is self-expression. It’s defiance. It’s freedom. So I started to write about a group of people, they call themselves the Solutionists, that take matters into their own hands in this do-it-yourself world where basically the media has given up on the future.”

Honestly, we’re still confused over why Navarro’s involvement in ‘Til Death Do Us Part didn’t serve as a dealbreaker for Farrell. After all, wasn’t the Dave-Carmen reality series just a take on The Gift that had an actual narrative structure? Or is Perry more offended by the possibility of being associated with post-Hutchence INXS than he is by being ripped off wholesale?

PERRY FARRELL Says DAVE NAVARRO’s ‘Rock Star’ TV Show Caused JANE’S ADDICTION Split [Blabbermouth]