Perry Farrell (born Peretz Bernstein on March 29, 1959) is a musician who, as the frontman of the critically and commercially successful Jane's Addiction, was one of the pioneers of alternative rock.
Farrell has also led other acclaimed alternative groups such as Porno For Pyros and (Perry Farrell's) Satellite Party. Peretz (פרץ) is his Hebrew name , as well as his DJ moniker ("DJ Peretz").
His stage name is a play on the word peripheral (although Farrell also happens to be his brother's name)
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.
Farrell has been sighted at premier surfing destinations throughout the world, most notably Bali, in 2001. Also, Perry was known for getting bullied and picked on at High School because of his style, sensitive emotions and stalking girls in the hallway.
Psi Com
He quickly 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 soon met Eric Avery through mutual friends. The two began jam sessions which would become the initial foundation for Jane's Addiction.
Jane's Addiction and rise to fame
Jane's Addiction made its name in mid-1980s LA by building up a rampant 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.
Porno for Pyros
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.
Farrell put the band on hiatus to concentrate on a Jane's Addiction reunion; however, there are plans for a third album in the next few years.
Jane's Addiction tour
In 1997 Jane's Addiction reformed for a brief reunion tour with Flea replacing Avery on bass. They supported this with the release of Kettle Whistle, a rarities album featuring four newly recorded songs.
Solo career
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.
Jane's Addiction's return
Farrell is sometimes credited with changing the fortunes of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[citation needed] 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 has played at more Coachella festivals than any other performer.
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 death of the band was released in 2006, titled Up From the Catacombs.
Satellite Party
Farrell performing at the London Astoria in June 2007Farrell recently formed a new band/theatrical entity entitled The Satellite Party.
Satellite Party made its debut appearance 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.
In November 2006, Satellite Party played with The Doors at the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip, for the Doors' 40th anniversary.
Their debut album, Ultra Payloaded, 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.
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.
