Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell (born Peretz Bernstein; March 29, 1959)[4][5] is an American singer, songwriter, and musician referred to as the "Godfather of Alternative Music".[6][7] Farrell began his career with Psi Com in the early 1980s, before becoming the frontman of the band Jane's Addiction. He became well known for his success with Jane's Addiction; the band quickly became a key act in the '80s Los Angeles music scene, blending punk, metal, and psychedelic rock to create a unique sound. Their daring live performances and experimental approach resonated with disillusioned youth, contributing to the rise of alternative music as a form of rebellion and self-expression.
Perry Farrell
Peretz Bernstein
DJ Peretz
March 29, 1959
Queens, New York, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
- DJ
1981–present
As part of Jane's Addiction farewell in 1991, Farrell founded Lollapalooza, which has evolved into an annual festival of multiple genres. Farrell is the frontman of Porno for Pyros, who are releasing new music and touring North America throughout 2024.
Farrell has also released a number of solo albums, and also launched a number of other music related projects, including Kind Heaven Orchestra and Heaven After Dark.
Early life[edit]
Peretz Bernstein was born in the Queens borough of New York City on March 29, 1959. He was raised in a Jewish family, his mother was an artist and his father was a jeweler. When Farrell was three, his mother took her own life, an event which he later wrote about in Jane's Addiction songs "Then She Did" and "Twisted Tales". In an interview with The Guardian, Farrell spoke of his mother's suicide, saying, "'I remember it, yeah. There are some things that have deep-seated emotions for me, but you can't change it and you move on. I think it has a huge part in my appreciation for life, for sure.'"[8] He spent his grade-school years in Woodmere, Long Island, before his family relocated to Florida.[4]
Farrell's family moved to North Miami Beach, Florida when he was a teenager.[4] At the age of seventeen, after graduating from high school, Farrell wanted adventure in his life and caught a bus to California. Aside from some belongings, Farrell took a surfboard, art materials and some weed. He stated in interviews since that he really wanted to focus on surfing, but had at that point in his life also started taking an interest in music with influences from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown.[4]
He spent time as a club singer for a short period in the early 1980s while living in Los Angeles.[8] Farrell also stated that he worked construction, waited tables and spent some of his time in LA living in his car.[9][10] While living in California, he discovered David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.[4]
Music career[edit]
1981-1991: Psi Com & founding Jane's Addiction[edit]
In the early 1980s, Farrell was living in LA and noticed an ad in a local magazine. It had been placed by Vince Duran and Aaron Sherer, who were looking for a drummer for their band. Following discussions, it was agreed Farrell would become the lead singer and frontman for the post-punk, goth rock band, Psi Com. At the time, they mixed with a number of upcoming bands from California, including X, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Oingo Boingo, and the Minutemen. While performing with Psi Com, it was the first time the pseudonym Perry Farrell was used by Bernstein, since it was a play on the word "peripheral".[11]
Despite being together for over three years, the band only released a small batch of cassettes called "Worktape 1". In 1985, they attempted to record more music at Radio Tokyo Studios in Venice Beach, California, with Ethan James responsible for a lot of the production. Problems with distribution meant the new tracks weren't released while the band was together, but later released by Triple X in the 1990s after demand to hear the tracks grew.
Psi Com finally ended recording and playing together in late 1985. Farrell had previously met guitarist Eric Avery through mutual friends. Avery was classmates with both drummer Stephen Perkins and Dave Navarro.[12] Avery and Farrell decided to jam together, forming the initial foundation for Jane's Addiction. Perkins was invited to join, followed by Navarro.
Jane's Addiction became popular in the mid-1980s, starting in LA but soon becoming a household name across the United States. They built a rabid fan base with high-energy shows in small venues across Los Angeles. The band released three albums in quick succession, Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual. A B-sides album from the Ritual sessions, titled Live and Rare, was released in Japan. In late 1991, Jane's Addiction announced they were splitting. Numerous reasons and rumours circulated including Farrell's battle with addiction, but also many baseless rumors.[13] Once the rumours died down, it became evident Farrell and Avery had different visions on the band's progression.[14]
1992-1999: Porno for Pyros, solo music & Jane's Addiction reunion[edit]
Shortly after Jane's Addiction split up, Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno for Pyros. Guitarist Peter DiStefano and bass player Martyn LeNoble completed the original four members of the band. Porno for Pyros undertook a huge North American tour in 1992, prior to the release of their eponymous first album. The album was eventually released in 1993, with demand for new music from the band pushing the album to the No. 3 position on the Billboard top 200 list. The video for the album's second single, "Pets", received heavy airplay on MTV. Following the album's release, Porno for Pyros continued a heavy touring schedule, including an appearance at Woodstock '94 along with a cameo on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show. Unlike the relatively straight-ahead rock shows that were the hallmark of live Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros live shows relied heavily on props and special effects (including pyrotechnics).[15]
In 1997, Jane's Addiction reformed for a brief reunion tour with Flea replacing Avery on bass. Kicking off his solo career, Farrell released rev in 1999, a compilation featuring songs from his previous two bands as well as two new solo songs.
2000-2008: Jane's Addiction new music & Satellite Party[edit]
In 2001, he released his debut solo album, Song Yet to Be Sung, with lyrics inspired by Kabbalah. Farrell again toured with Jane's Addiction later that year. He has been credited with changing the fortunes of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, after performing in 2001.[16] Coachella's first year in 1999 was considered a disaster, which led to the event not being held in 2000. In 2001, a decision was made to organize the festival again, but just a few months before the festival was set to occur, there was still no headlining group. Farrell, who was friends with the festival organizers, decided to reunite Jane's Addiction for the 2001 event, which helped draw large crowds and allowed the festival to yield a profit (which was not the case in 1999). This began a Coachella tradition of reuniting at least one major act each year.
In 2003, Jane's Addiction released an album, Strays. It quickly became one of their best selling records and was certified Gold in the USA and Silver in UK.[17][18] They toured extensively in North America and Europe, brought back Lollapalooza for the first time since 1997, as well as performing at the Big Day Out festivals in Australia and New Zealand. Internal struggles saw the band split up again in early 2004. A "best of" release following the breakup of this incarnation of the band was released in 2006, titled Up from the Catacombs.
Farrell formed a new band/theatrical entity entitled the Satellite Party. Satellite Party is a concept album and is the story of a fictional band of musicians called the Solutionists who are trying to change the world.[19] Farrell conceived the project with his wife Etty Lau Farrell. Etty sings and plays her part on the record as well as the live stage shows. Satellite Party made its debut in Los Angeles at The Key Club on July 18, 2005, followed by a performance at Lollapalooza 2005, held in Grant Park in downtown Chicago on July 24, 2005.
Work outside music[edit]
Farrell has also made a docudrama titled Gift released in 1993 which featured various songs by Farrell and included Farrell's then-girlfriend Casey Niccoli. Gift was released to VHS home video by Warner Bros but never released to DVD.
He joined forces with Tom Morello and his Axis of Justice tour to raise money for the homeless in Los Angeles and together they both physically removed debris in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to assist local musicians.[34] They also fund-raised for "Road Recovery" a New York non-profit organization which helps young people battling with addiction and other adversities.[35]
Farrell is an environmentalist. He met British prime minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street on January 31, 2007, to discuss global warming. He presented Blair with a CD of the Satellite Party track "Woman in the Window".
He worked with Global Cool in 2007 to help promote green living.[36]
Personal life[edit]
Farrell met his wife while touring with Jane's Addiction. Etty Lau Farrell was a backing dancer on the tour in 1997 and married in 2002. Together they have two children.
Psi Com
Jane's Addiction
Porno for Pyros
Kind Heaven Orchestra
Solo
Satellite Party
Miscellaneous musical appearances and collaborations