Perry Farrell

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Perry Farrell

Background information
Birth name Peretz Bernstein
Born March 29, 1959 (1959-03-29) (age 50)
New York, New York, U.S.
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals guitar
Years active 1982–Present
Label(s) Warner Bros.
EMI/Capitol
Columbia
Associated acts Jane's Addiction
Porno for Pyros
Psi com
Satellite Party

Perry Farrell (born Peretz Bernstein on March 29, 1959) is an American musician who is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William Morris Agency and C3. Farrell has also led the alternative rock groups Porno For Pyros and Satellite Party. Peretz (פרץ) is his Hebrew name, as well as his DJ moniker DJ Peretz.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Farrell was born in Queens, New York and moved to Miami with his family during his teens. His father was a jeweler, and his mother committed suicide when Farrell was three, an event later noted in the Jane's Addiction song "Then She Did". Early musical influences included David Bowie and Lou Reed. Following his graduation from high school, Farrell moved to California in the early 1980s to live as a surfer, lived in his car and made money working construction and waiting tables.[1][2][3][4] Farrell has been sighted at premier surfing destinations throughout the world, most notably Bali, in 2001.

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Psi Com

He became the frontman for the gothic rock band Psi Com in Los Angeles, and traveled in a larger community of area musicians including the bands X, Fishbone, and Black Flag. Psi Com broke up around 1985 and Farrell met Eric Avery through mutual friends. The two began jam sessions which would become the initial foundation for Jane's Addiction. It was during this period that Peretz chose the pseudonym Perry Farrell for himself as a play on the word 'peripheral'.[5]

[edit] Jane's Addiction (1985–1991)

Jane's Addiction made its name in mid-1980s LA by building up a rabid fan base with legendary, high-energy shows in small LA rock clubs, driven by Farrell's high-pitched singing, manic dancing and drug-fueled general showmanship. In 1991, prior to Jane's Addiction dissolving, he, Ted Gardener, and Marc Geiger created the Lollapalooza festival as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction. Lollapalooza ran annually as a travelling festival until 1997. Farrell is therefore generally acknowledged as one of the "godfathers" of alternative rock music. Jane's Addiction, prior to their first break-up released three albums Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking and Ritual De Lo Habitual with the latter being their most critically acclaimed. A B-sides album from the Ritual sessions, titled Live and Rare was released in Japan.

In 1993 Perry Farrell and Casey Niccoli released a film called Gift that features Jane's Addiction. It is a romantic tragedy, with gothic and drug themes. Gift was released by Warner Brothers.

[edit] Porno for Pyros (1992–1998)

Following the break-up of Jane's Addiction, Farrell formed Porno for Pyros with former bandmate Stephen Perkins as well as newcomers Peter DiStefano on guitar and Martyn LeNoble on bass. Together they released two albums, Porno for Pyros and Good God's Urge.

During this period, Jane's Addiction also reformed for a brief reunion tour with Flea replacing Avery on bass. The 1997 'Relapse Tour' was supported with the release of Kettle Whistle, a rarities album featuring four newly recorded songs.

[edit] Solo career (1999–2001)

To kickstart his solo career, Farrell released Rev in 1999, a compilation featuring songs from his previous two bands as well as two new solo songs. In 2001, he released his debut solo album, Song Yet To Be Sung, whose lyrics are inspired by Kabballah. It received a mixed critical reaction.

He occasionally DJs under the stage name of DJ Peretz.

[edit] Jane's Addiction's return (2001–2004, 2008-present)

Farrell is sometimes credited with changing the fortunes of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[6] Following the festival's disastrous first year in 1999, the event was not held in 2000. In 2001, a decision was made to organize the festival again, but just a few months before the festival was set to occur, there was still no headlining group. Farrell, who was friends with the festival's organizers, decided to reunite Jane's Addiction for the 2001 event, which helped draw large crowds and allowed the festival to yield a profit (which was not the case in 1999). This also started a Coachella tradition of reuniting at least one major artist each year. To date, Farrell is the only performer that has played every Coachella.

Farrell again toured with Jane's Addiction in 2001 and 2003. In 2003, Jane's Addiction released an album Strays. They toured extensively in North America and Europe, as well as performing at the Big Day Out festivals in Australia and New Zealand. Internal struggles saw the band split up again in early 2004. A "Best Of" release following the final break up of the band was released in 2006, titled Up From the Catacombs.

The four original members of Jane's Addiction played their first show together in 17 years at the first United States edition of the NME Awards on April 23, 2008 and have played two small shows in Los Angeles during Winter 2008. The band is also the first American band to receive the "God Like Genius" Award.

The reunited Jane's Addiction re-debuted at SXSW in 2009 and kicked off a summer tour with Nine Inch Nails.

[edit] Satellite Party (2004-present)

Farrell performing at the London Astoria in June 2007

Farrell recently formed a new band–theatrical entity entitled The Satellite Party. Satellite Party is an entire piece of music, with a story line that is a fantasy version of his relationship with his wife, Etty Lau Farrell. Etty sings and plays her part on the record as well as the live stage shows. Satellite Party made its debut in Los Angeles at The Key Club on July 18, 2005, followed by a performance at Lollapalooza 2005, held in Grant Park in downtown Chicago on July 24, 2005.

Their debut album, Ultra Payloaded, was released on May 29, 2007, on Columbia Records, with contributions from artists such as John Frusciante and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, electronic dance producers Hybrid, former Red Hot Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons, Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook, and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.[7]

Satellite Party performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 27, 2007. On June 29, 2007, Satellite Party performed alongside Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon and Queens of the Stone Age at Rock Werchter, Belgium. They also performed at Buzz Beach Ball 3 in Kansas City, Missouri (a concert sponsored by KRBZ), and EndFest 16 in Seattle, Washington.

[edit] Other musical collaborations

  • Performs vocals in Hybrid's song "Dogstar" on their 2006 album I Choose Noise.
  • Featured on Mad Professor's album Method to the Madness in the song "King Z".
  • Featured on the Track "Time of your Life" on Paul Oakenfold's 2002 album "bunkka".
  • Sang the song "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" with his wife, Etty, for the movie soundtrack for Twilight based on the popular teen book written by Stephenie Meyer .
  • Recently appeared on the new Underworld soundtrack.
  • His song "Nasty Little Perv" was featured on the television show NCIS, and is also available on the NCIS Soundtrack.

[edit] Work outside music

In December 2001, Farrell flew into politically troubled Sudan with other members of Christian Solidarity International to negotiate the release of Sudanese slaves. Jane's Addiction donated their earnings from one concert for the redemption of over 2,300 people. Once the redemption agreement was signed, Farrell started up freedom parties at various redemption sites.

"He began dancing and singing," said an associate; "I wasn't sure what would happen, but then everyone joined in. Everyone was dancing. Even the Arab retrievers joined in. It was Christians, Muslims, and Jews all dancing together. Arabs, Africans, Americans, and Europeans — all."[citation needed]

Farrell also met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street on January 31, 2007, to discuss global warming. He presented Blair with a CD of the Satellite Party track "Woman in the Window".

Farrell is also an environmentalist, and plans to become a digital-only artist for his next release.[8]

Farrell is the only person who has performed at all eight Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festivals to date, having appeared under five different names (Perry Farrell, Jane's Addiction, DJ Peretz, Satellite Party, and with Hybrid). DJ Peretz and The Chemical Brothers are the only names to have appeared on the festival's lineup card more than four times.

[edit] Personal life

In 2002, Farrell married Etty Lau Farrell, a professional dancer who has performed in all the Jane's Addiction shows since the 1997 Relapse tour. The couple now have two sons together, Hezron Wolfgang and Izzadore Bravo.

In a video interview with Blender Online, Farrell says of his wife, "Etty and I have been working together since 1997. The very first time I saw her come in and shake her... ponytail, I hired her and I fell in love with her on the spot. We travel together and we have a collective memory. So in another words, I don't remember anything and she just reminds me of everything. So we share this memory bank. And it ain't a bad thing waking up with a hot chick in your bed everyday."

[edit] PurimPalooza 2006

In 2006, Farrell performed at Purimpalooza, which celebrates the Jewish holiday of Purim and the birthday of Rabbi Yosef Langer. It was a concert for all ages and presented different Jewish musical groups. It took place in Ruby Skye in San Francisco, and featured bands including Moshav, Chutzpah, and Matisyahu.

[edit] Kidzapalooza

In 2005, music producer Tor Hyams approached Farrell with the idea of creating a kids' stage with family-friendly fare at Lollapalooza. Kidzapalooza came to be that year, produced by Hyams - initially as part of Lollapalooza, but as of 2009 it will operate as a stand-alone festival, debuting at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in June with Farrell, Gary Oldman, Slash and Ziggy Marley appearing in the lineup of artists.[9]

[edit] Bands

[edit] Discography

Psi Com

Jane's Addiction

Porno for Pyros

Solo

  • 1999 Rev (Compilation featuring songs by Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros and two new solo songs)
  • 2001 Song Yet to be Sung
  • 2008 "Go All The Way (Into the Twilight)" Twilight Original Soundtrack

Satellite Party

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Spin Magazine
  2. ^ Kevchino.com Indie Music Reviews
  3. ^ [perry farrell TV.com]
  4. ^ [perry farrell]
  5. ^ MTV.com Perry Farrell Bio
  6. ^ About.com
  7. ^ "Flea, Frusciante Contributing To Farrell's Next Big Concept". 
  8. ^ "Perry Farrell has big plans for his latest "Party"". http://music.aol.ca/article/Perry-Farrell-QA/119/. Retrieved on August 21 2007. 
  9. ^ Announcement on the Kidzapalooza site

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Jane's Addiction
Perry Farrell • Dave Navarro • Eric Avery • Stephen Perkins
Chris Chaney • Martyn LeNoble • Flea • Chris Brinkman • Matt Chaikin
Studio and live albums
Compilations
Related articles
v • d • e
Satellite Party
Perry Farrell • Carl Restivo • Etty Lau Farrell
Nuno Bettencourt • Kevin Figueiredo
Nick Perri • Jordan Plosky
Studio albums
Singles
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Farrell"
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