Prince…Jack White… Jerry Garcia…Bruce Springsteen…David Byrne…Curt Cobain…Perry Farrell…all world-class performers with charisma to burn. The type of performer you can’t take your eyes off of when on stage. Some like Jerry Garcia didn’t have to do much but just show up and play to be the focal point of their band…but the others worked their tails off honing their stage craft and earning the well-deserved adulation they received. Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking that Perry Farrell doesn’t belong in that heady company, and my answer to you is that you never saw him front Porno For Pyros. Out of the ashes of Jane’s Addiction rose Porno For Pyros with Stephen Perkins (also from Jane’s) on drums, plus guitarist Peter DiStefano and bass player Martyn LeNoble. For some, Jane’s Addiction were the be-all and end-all of Farrell’s music career, but I’ve always found Porno For Pyros’ two albums to be far more interesting and musically satisfying than anything from Jane’s Addiction. This song comes from Porno’s second album “Good God’s Urge” released in 1996. By then they had established themselves with the bona-fide hit “Pets” that was a MTV staple and a highlight of the Woodstock ’94 festival. Of course, Farrell will always be linked with the festival he founded 21 years ago, Lollapalooza, which has found a home for the last seven or eight years here in Chicago where you can see him either fronting a band or spinning a DJ set most years.
