Live Review : Jane's Addiction + Humanist @ O2 Apollo, Manchester on June 2nd 2024

Whilst they may well be considered a "name" act, the influence and the impact of Jane's Addiction is incredibly underrated. We tend to look at grunge and bands such as Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and the erstwhile Nirvana as being the architects of alt-metal and our genre’s early '90s U turn away from sword, sorcery, highlighted perms and blatant sexism. However, Jane's Addiction’s astonishing opening salvo of “Nothing’s Shocking” and “Ritual de lo Habitual” were released before either “Nevermind” or “10” had even been recorded and provided the foundations for the seismic and still resonating changes in metal’s DNA. You then add in the fact the first Lollapalooza package (the blueprint for the modern alternative music festival) was created in 1991 purely as a vehicle for Jane's Addiction's farewell tour, and you have a band that has single-handedly and with very little recognition shaped the current world we live in.

Part of the reason that they have not received the plaudits they richly deserve is that, over the years, they have been a wonderfully dysfunctional entity splitting, reforming and then splitting again with an almost rhythmic frequency. Tonight is the majestic return of what is viewed as the definitive, classic line-up of the band. Bassist Eric Avery returned in 2022 after a lengthy dalliance with Garbage, but the re-emergence of the definitive version of Jane's Addiction has been delayed by Dave Navarro's very public struggles with Long Covid. But "Alternative Rock’s Greatest Guitar Hero” is now back in the semblance of good health and finally we are blessed with the version of the band that recorded their two classic records. 

Jane's Addiction have also got a bit of a reputation for being frayed around the edges and providing distinctly ramshackle performances. However, the reports from the weekend before’s headline slot at Bearded Theory and the shows in London have been good and there is a profound air of expectation wafting around the Apollo. The audience is an interesting mix of those who were there the first time around, those who wish they were there first around but were busy doing something else entirely and those respective groups offspring. Both subsections of the audience treat opening act Humanist well. 

Initial impressions are that this is some form of Mark Lanigan tribute as it is drenched in deep baritone vocals and dark, slow instrumentals. Those first impressions aren't that far off the mark, as Humanist is the brainchild of frequent Mr Lanigan collaborator Rod Marshall. He has used the pseudonym to record several records with an ever-changing roster of world-class vocalists sprinkling their dark refrains over his multi-instrumental noodling. However, to take his maudlin-rich torch songs out on the road, he's created a band consisting of dual vocalists Jimmy Gnecco from Ours and James Cox from Crows, as well as the services of Scott Pemberton and Wendy Rae Fowler. 

This results in a delightfully dour and enigmatic combo, doused in misery and malicious intent. The two vocalists magnificently juxtapose each other, creating a luxuriously deep blanket of sound. The music itself is reminiscent of early doors Cult or Bauhaus on a particularly wet Wednesday. It drips with Gothic intensity but there are enough fresh ideas on show to not feel retro or derivative. It respects its roots but also does something new and exciting with eerie and atmospheric melodies. The fleeting nature of the set means that they provide a mere aperitif for what they are capable of and if the audience reaction is anything to go by there will be a lot of people seeking out their new album when it emerges on July 26th.

Jane's Addiction have always had an innate heaviness, but their unique selling point has been the way they splice it with sleazy funk and a massive dollop of nonconformity. They create heavy music intent on not following the rules and wandering off in its own distinct direction. Tonight, they are absolutely incredible. Musically virtuoso but also delectably chaotic. It is a masterclass in how you strike the balance between being consummate performers and true to your anarchic nature.

On this tour they are not just mixing their set about on a nightly basis, the band are curating a completely different and unique collection of songs for each evening. This results in there being a real organic and unprocessed feel to the performance and a genuine aura of surprise as each song appears. You can consult setlist.fm as much as you like and you still not going to have a clue what's coming next.

There is also a primal hunger to the way that they rip through the set. This is not a band going through the motions, this is a bunch of musicians that need to create and musically pontificate for the sake of their own sanities. The numbers flow one after another as if they are being spontaneously summoned up in a rehearsal studio. Nothing feels preordained or stage-managed. Instead, there is a vociferous rawness to everything. Dave Navarro keeps shedding layers as the show proceeds, like he is shaking off the shackles of his illness. Come the final gallop of numbers he is stripped to the waist showing off his veritable gallery of body art.

Every track pulsates with creative energy. Bar one new song, ‘Imminent Redemption’, we are exclusively in the territory of their first three albums. However, the vibrant energy that inhabits the performance makes this gaggle of songs feel much more youthful than their 34-year-plus vintage. As Perry observes in one of his slurred stream-of-consciousness soliloquies, new ideas and new concepts have nothing to do with age. He may well be in his late 60s but he still has a lustful playful energy about him. It's that joyous juvenility that exudes from the whole performance, it is a rampant lust for life personified.

Everything amps up in the final furlong. ‘Been Caught Stealing’ sees even the most fair-weather attendee singing along with gusto. ‘Ocean Size’ is as wondrously sprawling as ever and then, now reconnected with his evocative Spanish-language intro, ‘Stop!’ brings everything to a triumphant conclusion. But Perry is obviously feeding off the ravenous energy emitting from the crowd (and probably feeling the effects of the 2+ bottles of red wine he consumes during the show). He beseeches us to remain with them and hang, as according to him we have nowhere better to be. 

They repay our fortitude with an absolutely astonishing encore consisting of an epic and sprawling ‘Three Days’ followed by a tight taut version of ‘Mountain Song’. Both illustrate what an incredibly vibrant and musically diverse band they are. By now Dave has completely forgotten he was only recently bedbound for over 12 months and is perched at the lip of the stage in a rock god stance unleashing pulsating riff after pulsating riff. It transcends metal, it transcends rock, it transcends alternative music. It's just utterly sublime, and the entire auditorium is lost in the mystical wonder of the whole thing. 

But they are not done yet, three drums are placed on stage and Dave, Eric and Stephen pound away on their percussion pieces whilst Perry, like some demonic lounge singer, croons his way through the tribal stomp of ‘Chip Away’ . It's an exotically exhilarating end to an exquisite performance. By leaning into their shared frailties, this evening the four original members of the band illustrate beyond reasonable doubt that Jane's Addiction are such a pivotal prime mover in the evolution of heavy rock. They demonstrate the influence that they have exerted on everything that came after them and most importantly, they show that they still have many many things left to say.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Jane's Addiction + Humanist