Coachella Interview: Perry Farrell

Stopping by before the KROQ Coachella House prior to the Jane’s Addiction sound check, Perry Farrell talks about his love for the festival, long awaiting new music and his own giant festival, Lollapalooza.

Read highlights and listen to the interview after the jump!

AUDIO BELOW TRANSCRIPT

Bean: Now you are always at Coachella, right?
 
Farrell: well I have been here every year, yes.
 
Bean: which is funny to me, because obviously people hear your name and they think of Lollapalooza first. But you go back to Coachella for the very beginning .
 
Farrell: It’s true.
 
Bean: Why do you like playing this particular festival so much?
 
Farrell: Well, first of all because it’s a great place to be, um musically. It’s just such a gorgeous setting; you know the mountains, the grass the field. It’s really relaxing and it’s just really conducive to listening to and experiencing music. Um. I’m really old friend with the people from Goldenvoice, and AEG. Paul Tollette. I supported Paul in the early days of Goldenvoice when they were bringing punk rock groups and alternative groups over from Europe, and I just wanted to support anything he has to do with.
 
Kevin: That’s cool.
 
Bean: Now because you are Perry Farrell is it possible for you to roam the fairgrouds and see the bands you want to see? Or is it a little too much of a hassle when you get out in the people at an event like this.
 
Farrell: Well you know I kinda slip through the back. I kinda whistle down a golf cart and I’ll go around the back and I’ll just you know check it from the stage. Sometimes when it gets late and it gets dark I’ll go into the crowds and go to the other stages. You know just when it’s dark. Because people love ya, and they want to talk to ya and you end up missing the act.
 
Kevin: And you are flattered, but you would like to see some music.
 
Farrell: Exactly.
 
Bean: Before we talk about what you are doing here at Coachella is there anyone here at Coachella that you are excited about seeing?
 
Farrell: Well I mean ya, there are a ton.
 
Bean: I mean obviously it’s a great lineup but I was wondering if there are any special picks that you have.
 
Farrell: Well LCD, tonight we have Jay-Z and Sly and the Family Stone. That’s the one that’s on my mind.

Kevin: Now is Sly a part of Sly and the Family Stone? Because honestly…

Bean: He crazy.

Kevin: He was at the Grammys and they did a big thing where they honored him and he freaked out and ran off.

Farrell: Oh I remember that. He had to go to the bathroom.

Bean: Or something

Kevin: He’s super super super shy now.

Farrell: He’s the best, he is still the greatest.

Kevin: I’m not saying that he’s not, but I’m saying …

Farrell: Is he gonna be there?

Kevin: Ya

Farrell: How the heck do I know? Even if he just shows up, I just want to look at him man. He has been one of my greatest inspirations.

Bean: Well he is a legend. And I don’t know if that are a lot of young people that still appreciate The Sly and the Family Stone records but you go back to late 60’s early 70’s and those album after album was some of the best music being made at that time and the music holds up so well too.

Farrell: and loving. The music is so loving, And partying. This was dance music before electronics really got into it. But like sly brought black people and white people together. He had them in their group and he had funk and he had rock together. This guy I learned off him just from example. He is a major

Bean: Tell us about Perry Farrell versus (they call it) Steve Porter. That’s going on this afternoon right?

Farrell:  Ya. We go on at 3 today in the Sahara tent. The side tent.

Kevin: For those of you who haven’t been to Coachella yet. There is a main stage, another side stage and then there are three tents and the biggest tent is the Sahara tent. It’s a big dance tent.

Farrell: So what I’m doing is I’m evolving the sound of dance music into something Cabar-rave.

Kevin: Cabar-rave?

Farrell: Ya so it’s dance, dance beat, but it’s got the feeling the flavor the look and feel of cabaret. So we have Steve Porter who is this amazing DJ/ VJ. So this guy not only makes his own beats and writes his own music, but he makes his own videos. If you go on youtube, you can see he is famous for like an Alan Iverson video that he did, where he is talking about practice. Practice, we are just talking about practice and he breaks it down. He takes peoples’ voices and all of a sudden they are songs.

Kevin: Can you do that with video? Can you edit video like that? That seems like a special talent.

Farrell: It is a special talent. I am not as good as this guy, so that’s why I’m working with him. Now this guy, he has also just been hired by the NBA. So all the playoff you will see all his advertisements for the NBA. That’s all Steve Porter. He also did a famous one with Henry Rollins. Where Henry Rollins is slagging house music. He’s going, “You see these DJ’s and there not up there making music, they are just with there little Record players going waa wicka waa waa record player, waa wicka waa waa record player, waa wicka waa waa. So he is hilarious, and he is going to be spinning beats for us. So the beats that he drops are going to be our beats.

Kevin: the beats that you have created.

Farrell: ya so we are going to be battling back and forth. I’ve got with me live instrumentalist, and dancers and live vocals. My wife and I are going to come out there and battle him.

Kevin: Do you need an extra dancer, because you know I have been known to shake that ass.

Farrell: you know what I do have a male dancer, but you know you’re kinda cute. Maybe for the next gig.

Kevin: maybe backup.

Bean:  Perry, tell me about trying to get the party on at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Very different than 11 pm right?

Farrell: Well you would assume that things might be a little thin at that time right, but not at Coachella. It’s gonna be packed. It’s gonna be packed all the way back. There will be 7, 10 thousand people in there.

Kevin: that’s the amazing thing here si that..

Bean: ya you hear tent and you think three hundred people.

Kevin: Oh no no no this tent is as big as the Staples Center. It’s a giant tent.

Farrell: See my mama didn’t raise no fool. At 3 o’clock it’s gonna be so damn hot outside that everyone is going into that tent just to get out of the…

Bean: just to get some shade.

Kevin: Dude, I have been there, it gets so hot, and then you step into the tent and it’s hotter in there because of all the body heat. But it’s ok because you are in there and you are closer to the music and everything. It’s a great vibe.

Farrell: right

Bean: Perry Farrell is here, of course he is going to be at Coachella, this afternoon at the Sahara tent, at 3 with Steve Porter, Perry f course also again this year is coming back to Chicago. Is this the 5th year in a row you have been at grand park in Chicago.

Farrell: Um, I would say it is our 6th .

Bean: 6th year in a row.

Farrell: Ya,

Bean: And that is the new permanent home of Lollapalooza it looks like. At least it has been working for you so far.

Farrell: Well it’s the permanent home most likely in America.

Bean: In America, alright.

Kevin: When did you create Lollapalooza, it was in the early 90’s wasn’t it?

Farrell: This is out 19th year; next year will be our 20th anniversary.

Bean: How about that.

Kevin: Wow. And back then there weren’t all these multi-band festivals right?

Farrell: There was not, no there was no such thing.

Kevin: Did people think you were crazy when you started coming up with that sort of thing. Ya let’s get a bunch of bands together

Farrell: ya but, crazy, but I would say in a good way. I would say.

Bean: You of course retired it for a while, brought it back. It used to be a touring festival. Why did you was it an economic decision to keep it to one location?
Farrell: You know, it’s like a dancing partner. You’ve got promoters out there that you dance with. The dance was changing, so to speak for promotions; it used to be individual promoters per city. We used to be able to put on really good parties. Detail them. They were all unique. Um Remember, Clearchanel, remember SFX. It changed the landscape. It kinda changed the dance.

Bean: In terms of putting concerts on in various cities across the country. It made it more difficult for you to work.

Farrell: They made it more difficult to put on a great party. And we lost quality control so to speak, because now we basically had to go into amphitheaters.

Kevin: It became cookie cutters in every city.

Farrell: So we decided to find a beautiful property and be able to build on it and think about it all year long. So it’s worked out really well.

Kevin: For those of you who haven’t been able to go to in Chicago. Grant Park is an amazing, it’s a beautiful park. Water on one side, beautiful skyline on the other. It’s just the best venue for a show.

Farrell: And right in the heart of the city. You can walk back to your hotel and grab a sweater, change your shoes. 

Bean: In dealing with Coachella every year, as soon as Coachella ends on Monday they will start working on next year, because sometimes it takes that long to firm things up . And sometimes it’s dicey as to weather they are able to get the bands that they want. Do you have the same amount of scheduling? Do you have those same types of hiccups with Lollapalooza?

Farrell: I mean, when we started back in 1991, you want a group, you put the festival together in 3 or 4 more months. You decide who, you book em and you go. Now we are thinking about things more than a year in advance.

Kevin: Oh really? You are thinking 2 or 3 years in advance?

Bean: You are already over this year’s festival aren’t already you.

Farrell: It’s really true. I’m thinking about the 20th anniversary and who I’m going to have. And what we want to do special for that.

Kevin: This year is August 6th through 8th. So then you’re thinking about another year after that.

Farrell: Yes we are. 2012 is actually where I am working on.

Bean: And if I understand correctly, you have already sold out single day tickets for this year right?

Farrell: Ya

Bean: So three day passes are sill available for people who want to go.

Farrell: Ya, we do three day and single. .

Bean: reunited Soundgarden on your festival this year. They are playing there first gig back together in forever in Seattle tonight I know. Lady Gaga is back on the Lollapalooza festival. Tell me about her, because you go back a few year with her as well too. Or him, I’m sorry I’m not sure.

 Farrell: I think it’s a she. Um well ya, it’s really exciting. As I was saying you know, we in 2007 we booked Lady Gaga, and she went on at 3 o’clock on our stage. The BMI stage.

Kevin: She was an unknown then right?

Farrell: She was an unknown, right. Except I will tell you a funny story. We were doing a fashion layout for some magazine we though wow we’ve got this great rack of clothes and I was pretty excited about it really good stuff, you know. And at the same time, the next trailer over was this chick and she had six racks of clothes. I’m not making this up. And I go, what the heck, who is this girl.

Bean: And why does she need so many outfits for one show.

Farrell: Not why does she, How! How did she get six racks of clothes? Like who is going to give her six racks of clothes. And she was looking over at me and smiling, Like I got six racks of clothes.

Kevin: Did you think in the middle of the night, I’m going to need a rack or two.

Farrell: No, but honestly, I was really jealous. This is my festival and she’s got her clothes dialed in man.

Bean: What was her music like back then? Obviously you heard something in her that made you book her.

Farrell: Ya, no it was cool. She played keyboards, and she came out there in a bikini and like thigh high boots and rocked it, and I think she got arrested because they were telling her to put clothes on.

Kevin: alright…

Farrell: So that was cool.

Bean: How much further can she go with the outfits that she wears. I mean it’s gotta be at the point now where it must take two hours just to leave the house.

Farrell: Ya well you know that’s her thing. She obviously enjoys it. I enjoy dressing up too but. The way I look at is I can’t be bothered to go through that. Like I said man I like to roll around on the grounds and kinda creep around.

Bean: you like to be comfortable.

Kevin: You can’t creep around if you look like that.

Farrell: You can’t creep if you look like that. I’m peripheral. So I’m a little different. Right. So I’m on the outskirts and I can be a little anonymous from time to time. It’s tough when you’re wearing jagged shoulder pads.

Bean: Well she certainly is, I mean, she is the biggest star in the world right now. I think she had five top ten hits last year.  She is unbelievable.

Kevin: You have Greenday, you have Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Social D, MGMT, Hot Chip. I mean you have an amazing lineup.

Bean: Does Arcade Fire have a new record by the way?

Farrell: They are supposed to

Bean: It seems like it is taking a long time.

Kevin: Have you heard the new Cypress Hill? They are on your show.

Farrell: Ya, I sure have.

Kevin: It is sooo good.

Farrell: Ya Tom Morello, our pal is on that track.

Bean: You have been around a long time Perry; you’ve got a lot of friends, you go back a  few years with huh?

Farrell: I sure do.

Bean: It must be fun to be Perry Farrell.

Farrell: It’s a blast.