You kind of know when certain moments in the history of popular music will pass into folklore…even before they take place and that’s certainly the case with tonight’s gig at London’s Bush Hall. Ahead of a headline slot at Bearded Theory and dates at The Roundhouse, rock legends Jane’s Addiction convene at Bush Hall for a for a very special show in front of 400 lucky punters.
That Jane’s Addiction should appear in such a small venue has thrown many present into a hex, as if they can’t quite believe the band will appear and are thinking maybe it’ll be a tribute band, or something. As such, there’s a feeling of anticipation crackling and electrifying the air as those lucky enough to hold a golden ticket jostle for prime position in front of the stage. The overarching feeling is one of excitement and the tension that builds as the clock counts down to stage time is stretched to breaking point; the band are fashionably late and that means when the four-headed hydra that is Jane’s Addiction appear and launch into ‘Kettle Whistle’ it feels as if the flood gates have been opened and waves of relief wash over the crowd. On an evening that’s special on several levels, this is the first performance of ‘Kettle Whistle’ with guitarist Dave Navarro since 2001, but you’d never guess. The band are tight and operate with a chemistry which ensures all the nifty time changes that pepper the set are handled with ease (‘Stop!’ being a prime example). That Jane’s Addiction lock in tightly shouldn’t really come as a surprise; this is the classic 1986 line-up and they’re playing with the same bottled effervescence they displayed when Nothing’s Shocking brought them to global prominence.
It sounds as if Jane’s Addiction haven’t missed a beat, and that’s because they haven’t. They’ve always been a band who existed outside of fads and trends, giving them a timeless quality and that makes the one two punch of ‘Ain’t No Right’ and ‘Whores’ fairly irresistible. The rhythm section of bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins are on time, every time, whilst Mr Navarro pulls some sublime sounds from his guitar and turns ‘Imminent Redemption’ (a track getting its live debut) into a lotus flower that promises to bloom eternally. Whist Perry Farrell doesn’t perform the same kind of manic stagecraft that characterised the band’s early gigs, it’s been replaced by a refined danger and it feels as if he might invade the crowd at any moment, meaning that level of unpredictably remains. As a collective, Jane’s Addiction wield an exorbitant amount of power and that means ‘Mountain Song’ sounds absolutely massive and fills every cubic inch of the venue.
Tonight’s set walks the perfect line between hits such as ‘Been Caught Stealing’ and deep cuts ‘Then She Did…’, and that ensures nobody leaves disappointed. A triumph.
Set List:
- Kettle Whistle
- Ain’t No Right
- Whores
- Ted, Just Admit It…
- Imminent Redemption
- Then She Did…
- Stop!
- Mountain Song
- Been Caught Stealing
- True Love
- Ocean Size
- Three Days
