Jane's addiction to canceling tours after fighting on stage

Rock band Jane's Addiction announced Monday that it will cancel the remainder of its reunion tour in the United States and Canada, days after its singer, Perry Farrell, physically confronted his guitarist at a concert in Boston.

A message posted on Instagram said the band had “made the difficult decision to take some time as a group.”

Jane's Addiction, which rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, was about halfway through a North American tour when Friday's episode took place.

The tour was one of several reunions invited this year by rock bands that had cult followings in previous decades. According to Rolling Stone, it was the original band members' first tour in 14 years.

The event was held at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston. Video captured by concertgoers and verified by Storyful shows the band's singer Pharrell confronting guitarist Dave Navarro while the two are performing.

Farrell hits his shoulder on Navarro, then is seen throwing a punch before being physically restrained. In the videos, Farrell, who was shouting vocals into a microphone, yelled at Navarro and then doubled over, appearing agitated.

Navarro shared a statement on his Instagram account on Monday, saying “mental health issues with our singer” were the reason the band decided it couldn't go ahead with the tour.

The message, which was signed by other members of the group, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins, said, “Our concern for his personal health and safety, as well as our own, left us with no choice.”

The message ended: “Our hearts are broken.”

On Monday, a rep for Pharrell shared a statement from the singer.

“This weekend was incredibly difficult and after having time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday's show,” he said. “Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full responsibility for how I chose to handle the situation.”

Pharrell's wife, Etty Lou Pharrell, said on Instagram after the concert that her husband was upset throughout the tour with the band's sound level drowning out his vocals. He was suffering from tinnitus and sore throat, he said.

That night, excitement flared. “He was just screaming to be heard,” she said in the message. He praised Navarro for staying calm but also accused Avery of entering the fight and punching Farrell, which was not caught on video.

Jane's Addiction formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s and is perhaps best known for the MTV hit “Bean Catch Stealing” from the band's 1990 album “Ritual de lo Habitual” (1990). It followed the cult favorite “Nothing's Shocking” (1988) and a live album “Jane's Addiction” (1987). The song “Just Because” (2003) spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 72.

Pharrell, 65, is known as a rock 'n' roll frontman and an “unstoppable impresario”. In 1991, Pharrell created the festival that would become synonymous with '90s alternative rock, Lollapalooza, where Jane's Addiction was a headline act.

Jane's Addiction has periodically organized reunion tours, including in 2001. A review in The New York Times at the time described “Perry Farrell singing in a dapper suit and feathered hat, and a bare-chested Dave Navarro strumming a classic heavy-metal guitar. Posture.”

This year's tour reunites the original band members, a rare treat for early fans.

The stop in Boston comes more than halfway through the band's North American tour. Bridgeport, Conn. Fifteen scheduled shows, including one this past weekend, were canceled as a result of the band's decision.

Fans reacted to the announcement of the tour cancellation with a mix of disappointment and support for the band for choosing to prioritize Pharrell's mental health.

Some concertgoers said there were signs of trouble before the Boston show. At a concert in New Orleans in late August, Mr. Pharrell was yelling into the microphone and making odd comments between songs, according to George Ingmire, a fan of the group and a longtime radio producer and DJ who attended the show.

“He was commenting on New Orleans being a good place to score heroin. I found that offensive. I left halfway through,” Mr. Ingmyer said in a telephone interview.

“I saw him back in the 1980s,” he added of Pharrell. “And it was magical. Maybe he was just as confused then, but I doubt it.”