Perry Farrell has a vision of the future he calls ΓÇ£ the miracle space.ΓÇ¥
It is a cross-cultural melange of media, message, and mayhem; bands, websites and film; performance art, science lectures, cool pets and cutting edge paintings. It is a collective unconscious state induced through elements of entertainment, art, politics, anarchism and futuristic do-it-yourself- we-are-all-artists thinking.
Too large, too convoluted, too attracted by the potential of the universe rather than its identified parameters, FarrellΓÇÖs sometimes blurry, often inspired vision has expanded beyond solely music. Since 1991, it has manifested in three forms: Lollapalooza, Porno For Pyros, and increasingly, the computer.
ΓÇ£WeΓÇÖve built up to the point of rock bands. And that was beautiful and of the moment, but itΓÇÖs gone beyond that now,ΓÇ¥ he says.
Farrell settles into his Venice, California home to talk ­ or rather semi-free associate ­ before heading into the studio to do the final mix on Porno For Pyros’ long-awaited second album “Good God’s Urge.” Guests is the operative word here — lots of them: Mike Watt, formerly of The Minutemen and Firehose; Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins from Love and Rockets; Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; and Dave Navarro formerly from Farrell’s first big time band Jane’s Addiction and now the lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
ΓÇ£WeΓÇÖre kind of an alumni,ΓÇ¥ Farrell says.
ΓÇ£I mean everyone that plays on it I think
is part of it.ΓÇ¥
Q. What about the sound? Is it different?
PF: I bet youΓÇÖll think it really is different.
Q. Do you think itΓÇÖs different?
PF: Yeah. I am trying to wipe out a bug - familiarity. And just replace it with something that is slightly familiar, slightly unfamiliar.
LOLLAPALOOZA:
FARRELLΓÇÖ S DREAM
Inspired from the rock festival extrava- ganza of England and named when Farrell repeatedly heard the word during a Three Stooges television marathon, Lollapalooza evolved from a platform for JaneΓÇÖs AddictionΓÇÖs final tour in 1991, to an institution for showcasing cutting edge culture at cheap ticket prices and without corporate sponsorship. Its original mission of exposing relatively unknown bands to new audiences throughout the U.S. has changed, however.
ΓÇ£ItΓÇÖs hard to talk about an ΓÇÿalternative nationΓÇÖ anymore because the nation has gone alternative,ΓÇ¥ says Marc Geiger, A&R executive at American Recordings and FarrellΓÇÖs closest associate on Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza still takes risks, at least by commercial measures, Geiger says. From this yearΓÇÖs bill ΓÇö
Sonic Youth,
Hole,
Sinead OΓÇÖConnor,
Beck,
Cypress Hill,
Pavement,
the Jesus Lizard
and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, OΓÇÖConnor was the biggest question mark.
The Irish performer is infamous for tearing up the PopeΓÇÖs photo during an appearance on Saturday Night Live, then getting booed shortly afterward at the Bob Dylan tribute concert in New York. Moreover, although she was a Top 10 artist not long ago, OΓÇÖConnorΓÇÖs last album of original music, the quietly moving Universal Mother, flopped.
ΓÇ£People in the industry thought the record and her actions were career suicide,ΓÇ¥ Geiger says. ΓÇ£I thought it was punk rock. The entire industry slagged us for booking her.ΓÇ¥ Audiences were generally kinder.
Lollapalooza remains a one-of-a-kind, mind-opening event. Only Woodstock ΓÇÖ94 came close to LollapaloozaΓÇÖs scope.
Q: Did last yearΓÇÖs Woodstock redux have any influence on this yearΓÇÖs Lollapalooza?
PF: Me personally, and I have to say personally, and this is not anything about Woodstock, but it was maybe one of the worst days of my life.
The innovations in Lollapalooza have happened in exhibits and events other than the music. This past year, the focus was on The Lab, where local talents of every ilk - performance artists, chefs, lecturers, and even peopleΓÇÖs pets- could strut their stuff in the various tour cities.
ΓÇ£We asked a lot of people through the computer nets for their involvement and we got donations of videos, auditions through video, resumes and stuff like that, and we mixed a guy ΓÇö who has a really far out dog ΓÇö to Nina Hagen."
Lollapalooza went on to establish its own website, accessible year round: http//www.lollapalooza.com
ΓÇ£Next year, we hope to sell tickets through the websiteΓÇ¥ Geiger says. ΓÇ£The website allows people to communicate directly with us. People can leave us suggestions. Perry and I read them all the time. ThatΓÇÖs what the future is hopefully about ΓÇö direct communication.ΓÇ¥
THE WEB, MUSIC AND
THE NEW WORLD ORDER
Geiger admits that he and Farrell are radical in their opinions about the computer and internet phenomenon:
ΓÇ£I think itΓÇÖs going to overtake the world.
I know Perry feels the same way. I think what is coming is the most important thing since the telephone. I think most of the what the world will buy will be on line.Their entertainment will be downloaded. I really believe in that whole visionary thing.ΓÇ¥
The InternetΓÇÖs possible impact on music alone is tremendous: ΓÇ£The musician will
be anyone who owns a multimedia entertainment center. They will have the right ΓÇö the access to ΓÇö distribute their music,ΓÇ¥ Farrell says. And without the need for a record company.
As important, however, will be the InternetΓÇÖs effect on the current shotgun marriage of music and visuals. Television and music video will continue to stress the importance of a bandΓÇÖs visual image. The computer, on the other hand, will free bands who donΓÇÖt care about their image, to
concentrate solely on music and still
be heard.
Beyond music and entertainment, Farrell believes that the Internet ΓÇö which thus far offers its information and entertainment virtually free of charge ΓÇö has the potential to change the social structures of the world.
ΓÇ£We donΓÇÖt know how we are going to make money through the Internet yet,ΓÇ¥ Farrell says. ΓÇ£So you have to get into it because you love it. You have to get into it because you are intelligent. And, hopefully, being intelligent means understanding that you can have a great time while sharing and have trust and faith that there is a potential to even have a world without money.ΓÇ¥
Farrell pauses after this final comment, as if realizing its shock value, then continues:
ΓÇ£A world without money is a very hard concept to grasp. But itΓÇÖs graspable.ΓÇ¥
THE EXPANDING MIRACLE SPACE
Farrell hopes to take Lollapalooza to Latin America in future years. He and a creative team will work on a CD ROM, ΓÇ£Teeth,ΓÇ¥ which will encompass Lollapalooza and excerpts from FarrellΓÇÖs wandering imagination.
ΓÇ£It may not always work. YouΓÇÖve got to be willing to smile at the results,ΓÇ¥ he says. ΓÇ£ThatΓÇÖs the nature of the miracle space. Things arenΓÇÖt so planned and predictable. But that miracle space will give you new dreams, new dreams which might eventually become reality.ΓÇ¥
