2012.08.31 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC

[helicine]

http://janesaddiction.org/tour/show/jan ... 8-31/2376/

[Mike]

Jane’s Addiction still weird, wonderful in Vancouver

Robert Collins, CTV British Columbia
Published Saturday, Sep. 1, 2012 1:35PM PDT
Last Updated Saturday, Sep. 1, 2012 1:41PM PDT

“Vancouver! Vancouver!” chimed Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, midway through his band’s third song, “Just Because,” at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre last night. “We love Vancouver! We love snowboarding!”

To be fair, Farrell didn’t say much that made sense at any point during the concert. But that was OK. Almost nothing about this scintillating hour and a half of rock and roll made sense.

For starters, who thought hosting one of America’s all-time great rock bands in the all-seated Queen Elizabeth Theatre would be a good idea? It would be easy to blame the choice of venue for this show’s inability to sell out. Although judging by the amount of hostility towards guitarist Dave Navarro by Jane’s Addiction’s own fans on their official Facebook page, it would appear that his reality TV career, game show hosting and relentless commitment to selling out has alienated a fair percentage of the people who once revered his every note too.

Jane’s Addiction, as even casual rock fans will know, have always been an accident waiting to happen. Breaking up at the peak of their original popularity in 1991 (clearing a path for a band called Nirvana to take up the reins), they’ve reformed and broken up again at least three more times since then. Side projects of varying quality have come and gone. The idea that they’re back together for the love of each other and the music no longer holds water. Apart from being in this band, they’ve run out of other things to do.

Add to this innate hostility the unavoidable fact that Farrell, on last night’s form anyway, can no longer sing his way out of a sodden paper bag; his distinctive yelp is now reduced to an off-key smoker’s wheeze, and the smart money was on a musical disaster.

Instead, Vancouver was treated to a minor masterpiece.

Throwing classics like “Mountain Song” and “Been Caught Stealing” into the mix early was a smart move, getting the crowd off the seats they never returned to. A brief acoustic interlude for “Jane Says” nearly ended with a security scuffle as a topless (male) fan rushed the stage.

“It’s cool,” insisted Farrell, “He’s my cousin,” before explaining with a grin at the song’s end that “Everyone here is my cousin.” An all percussion rendition of early gem “Chip Away,” aided by support band Big Black Delta, was a cool diversion. “Three Days” was epic, despite some particularly off-key bawling from Farrell. “The Price I Pay” stood out as Jane’s best post-millennium offering, while old favourites “Ocean Size,” “Stop” and “Summertime Rolls” provided a suitably reverential end to proceedings.

There was plenty of space for weirdness, too. A pair of semi-exotic dancers, including Farrell’s wife Etty, were entirely surplus to requirements whether they were suspended from trapezes or trouping around the stage during “Three Days.” Farrell’s hyperactive theatrics were matched by proclamations between tracks that veered from the odd to the utterly bizarre, including the unforgettable:

“You have great fish in Vancouver! We have some fish for us after the show!”

So yes, there were multiple moments of head-scratching weirdness and ear-punishing wailing. But paired with one of modern rock’s greatest back catalogues, these were easy flaws to overlook.

Much of that credit must go to drummer Stephen Perkins and, ultimately, guitarist Navarro. His celebrity-for-hire status has sadly erased the image of the guitarist who was once so cool he turned down the offer to join Guns n’ Roses at the apex of their superstardom. But he’s still one of the best musicians of any generation.

The bottom line is that this band didn’t need to reach peak performance to deliver a stunning concert. They are Jane’s Addiction. Brilliance is what they do.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/jane-s-addiction-s ... r-1.939285