‘His Voice Was Being Drowned Out’: Etty Lau Defends Husband Perry Farrell After Heated Altercation

Etty Lau Farrell defends her husband Perry Farrell following a heated on-stage altercation with Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. She explains the tensions prior to the incident.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Sep 15, 2024 | 01:11 PM IST | 88.4K

(Image Courtesy: Instagram and Getty Images)

Etty Lau and Perry Farrell (via Instagram and Getty Images)

Perry Farrell, the singer of Jane's Addiction, recently got into a heated onstage altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro during a concert. The incident has sparked debate online, particularly after Perry's wife, Etty Lau Farrell, shared her thoughts on social media. The altercation, which occurred on September 13, shocked and concerned fans, and Etty was quick to explain the situation.

Perry Farrell was caught on video appearing to punch guitarist Dave Navarro during a Jane's Addiction concert on Friday, September 13. Perry can be seen singing into a microphone and bumping into Navarro in the video.

Navarro then responded by placing a hand between himself and Perry. This interaction became heated when Perry appeared to throw a punch at his bandmate.

Shortly after, many people rushed onstage to restrain Perry, and as the lights dimmed, a man was seen punching Perry in the stomach. The video of the incident quickly went viral online, sparking speculation about the band's dynamics.

Perry's wife, Etty Lau Farrell, addressed the altercation in an Instagram post, providing clarity and a first-person account of what occurred. She explained that the onstage altercation was the result of rising tensions among the band members.

“There has been a lot of tension and animosity between the members,” Etty wrote. “The dynamite was lit that night.” According to Etty, Perry's frustration with the band's extremely loud volume triggered the incident. Perry felt his voice was being drowned out, which caused his frustration.

Etty stated that her husband had tinnitus and a sore throat, which made it difficult for him to perform comfortably. "Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night," she wrote.

Etty described how the situation escalated when audience members in the front row complained to Perry about the sound levels. According to Etty, fans began yelling at Perry because the band was playing too loud and they couldn't hear him. That feedback sent Perry over the edge.

She went on to say that the band started the song Ocean before Perry was ready and did the countdown. Perry couldn't hear anything beyond the boom and vibration of the instruments because the stage volume was so high at the time. "By the end of the song, he wasn't singing, he was screaming just to be heard," she wrote.

According to Etty, Navarro attempted to de-escalate the situation by keeping Perry at arm's length, but things turned physical when bassist Eric Avery intervened.

She said that Eric put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times. She added that a crew member eventually pulled Avery away, and he walked to the front of the stage to apologize to the audience for the show's abrupt end.

Farrell, Navarro, Avery, and Jane's Addiction representatives have not issued any official statements regarding the altercation. The incident occurred at an important time for the band, which recently reunited for the first time in 14 years.

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