Janes Addiction - any new songs?

Matt - at the Forum they played an almost exclusively back-catalogue set (which, incidentally, was glorious - and surprising: I Would For You, Summertime, loads off Shocking...) but they did close with a final encore of a new song which just about smashed the stage up. It was unannounced but it might have been called Hypersonic. It was like some filthy fusion of drum and bass drum patterns (Perkins looked like he was about to take off) and cathedral-sized guitar chords from Dave. The band were leaping about the stage like loons trashing the set from the previous (and beautiful) acoustic version of Jane, and the intesity was immense. The song was like a more Janesified version of their updated work on Kettle Whistle if you can picture that. I have hopes for them yet Matt, even if they apparently are without a record deal. You might also be interested to know that the band had a keyboard player with them who was adding subtle textures throughout the set.

Anyway they were anything but a glorified oldies act man, but perhaps since this was their first UK gig in over 10 years, it coldn't fail not to be a classic (despite hradcore technical dificiencies - Farrell lost his mic on the opener Up The Beach and Dave blew an amp head after a monumental 3Days). Hmm, the biggest cheer on the night came with Been Caught Steelin', which indicated to me that the gig was a bit of a nostalgia tip for some people there, since that is the song most people remember the band for, but apart from that, the fact that the crowd refused to disperse after the encour and threatened to collapse the building with repeated foot stamps until they got the boys back on stage also indicated to me that it was a special night. I have blood-blisters on my hands from clapping so hard - no lie man.

FYI: Farrell is apparently joining Paul Oakenfold, who he has been working with recently, at this weekend's Gig On The Green as well as DJ-ing and playing with the Addiction. Make of that what you will.

Exkyoos the schpelling of Stealin'

While I'm glad you had a good time, the band died in 1991 and Eric A is my hero for not trying to recapture the past.

Hmm, perhaps Ned, but I never saw them the first time around so my unbridled enthusiam on this occassion perhaps airbrushed my wider interpretation of the current Jane's project.

Still, I am not sure that the band are dead. Why do you say such a thing old chap? I too have respect for Eric for resisting the dollar but after seeing them I wonder if he has got it wrong. It's difficult because the gig I saw followed 10 years of silence so it was bound to be electric. Whereas, you fellows in the States have had access to the reformed Addiction for nigh on five years (since their first 'replapse' in 97), so there has perhaps been increasingly less anticipation and euphoria at each show... You, therefore, are likely to be able to view the reformed band more dispassionately - which I am flagrantly unable to do in the present circumstances (a total lack of exposure in the press followed by a sudden burst of hype in the lead up to the gig merely antagonised my excitement).

I would like the chance to se them again. And again. To enable myself to approach the band with less of the rose-tinted, life's ambition bullshit attached but I can't handle Reading, and Glasgow is too far to go (plus Pulp are on the bill). Anyway, the crux of this post was to ask you to explain your perception that Jane's are moribund.

Come on, out with it.