Jane`s Addiction / Cooper Temple Clause
31 October 2003
Brixton Academy, London

Tickets for tonight`s Halloween with Jane`s Addiction were quite literally like gold dust, mind you having paid £31 a ticket after the ticket agent had taken their cut I was expecting something special tonight. Despite a few people dressing up for the event, I expect Jane`s Addiction expected a more colourful crowd tonight as the Americans seem to take Halloween more seriously than us Brits.

On entering the venue I am immediately accosted by George Bush, well a guy in a mask, insisting I f**k Esso! The lobby area, which was to turn into a disco until 2am post the gig, had been decorated with drapes. Meanwhile, flanking either side of the t-shirt stand were two ladies wearing very little with police riot helmet, shields and batons. As it turned out there were about a dozen more of these girls and I was amused later to find they had trapped one male punter on the stairs and were whipping him!

Having come in late we missed the support sets of Star Spangles and Stellastar, but caught the end of The Cooper Temple Clause`s set. I`m sure they played last single Promises Promises, though I couldn`t be sure as the sound was absolutely dreadful.

Around 10.30pm, a group of "protestors" filed into the stalls waving Andy Warhol style placards of Winston Churchill with a mohican. This went on for some time until the aforementioned riot girls filed in at either side and the protestors dispersed. The girls then took up position centre stage for some gyrating and interesting use of police batons. I can`t help think that perhaps Jane`s Addiction wanted to have such girls like Motley Crue back in the day and the passage of time now allows them to get away with it.

Finally the lights go down and the band minus Perry Farrell launch into Up The Beach. Rather neatly some cabs have been positioned right at the lip of the stage allowing the band to stand upon them and offer a better view to the crowd. This affords a great view of Dave Navarro`s fretwork, unfortunately the sound remains dreadful so it`s a struggle to hear his playing.

Stop follows and marks the entrance of Perry Farrell who whirls around the stage preening and posing for the crowd. I don`t know who was manning the sound tonight but they want shooting as the two key elements of the band Dave and especially Perry were barely audible throughout the gig. Question marks have been raised over whether Perry`s voice is shot, but he was too quiet to make a judgement throughout.

Strays is the first from the album of the same name to make an appearance. Over time this album has really grown on me and live the songs sit snugly in the set against the older classics. Strays also sees the first stage diver of the night who Perry points out as the lead singer from Travis. Still in Perry-world, apparently another is Perry`s friend Alvin who`s had too much coffee and got over excited again. He never drinks Starbuck`s though, …er, yes Perry!

A sea of movement greets Been Caught Stealing, following which Perry shouts for a waitress to buy the guys on the balcony a beer in case they feel they`re missing out on the fun. Perry tells us he likes to eat peanuts with beer, but when he starts he can sometimes be up for Three Days eating them. Said song in all its glory follows, although the soundman struggles to ruin it, it`s still head and shoulders above what most bands could imagine playing. Last time in London, Chris Chaney was very new to the band and seemed little more than a session player, though now he`s treated as a fully fledged band member and his presence is less reserved.

Centre set is an acoustic segment of Everybody`s Friend and Just Because. Perry, already too quiet is completely drowned out by the crowd singing the later, though this is preferable to him being drowned out by talking during the former!

The Riches is one of my favourites on the new album and shines tonight, before the Nothing`s Shocking material takes centre stage to wrap up the evening. Closing song Jane Says sees the return of the girls, this time without the riot gear to dance with the band.

At this point, after a long day at work, we decided to leave though I am reliably informed the party went on in the lobby until 2am with Perry both DJing and also performing a solo busking set outside the venue.

Not quite the technicoloured spectacle I was expecting then, though a very good gig only spoiled by poor sound.

Jane`s Addiction Set List:
Up The Beach / Stop / Ain`t No Right / Strays / Been Caught Stealing / Three Days / Everbody`s Friend / Just Because / True Nature / The Riches / Ocean Size / Mountain Song / Jane Says