On October 2nd, Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction kicked off one of the most anticipated alt-rock tours of the year (tickets available here). There’s a clear mutual respect and admiration between the two bands, which can be seen on full display in the latest edition of Live Nation’s “1:1” interview series.
The video conversation (watch below) features Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell chatting with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, as they reminisce on their beginnings, trade compliments, and speak about their respective legacies. Early in the video, Corgan shares a memory of Farrell and Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro showing up at an ill-attended 1992 Smashing Pumpkins show in Denver.
“There was almost nobody there. It was like a 100 people. So when you guys came in, about halfway through the show, we were like, ‘God, they’re here!’,” Corgan remembers. “We all freaked out, because now we were just playing for you guys.”
Elsewhere in the clip, Farrell tells Corgan about why Jane’s Addiction decided to release a live recording as their debut. Whereas Corgan assumed it came down to money and resources, Farrell reveals it was an intentional choice by the band.
“The idea being, I don’t know if they’ll ever get to hear us as raw and as energized as we are right now,” Farrell explains. “I wanted them to hear us and know of us in our most honest, innocent… I wanted to capture that before anyone could ruin that.”
The two singers also touch on Navarro’s absence from the current tour due to a battle with long COVID, their memories of listening to each other’s music, what their current stage show brings to the audience, and more.
Jane’s Addiction recently missed five shows on the tour due to an unspecified injury that Farrell suffered, but they rejoined the bill this past weekend.
The two bands’ “Spirits on Fire Tour” runs through a November 19th show in Los Angeles. See the conversation between Farrell and Corgan below, and grab tickets to the remaining dates via Ticketmaster. Also check out our dream setlists for both Jane’s Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins here.