Happy 25th: Porno for Pyros, PORNO FOR PYROS

25 years ago today, a band best known as a spinoff of Jane’s Addiction released their self-titled debut album, an LP which scored solid sales figures while also delivering a #1 Modern Rock single.

In 1991, SPIN ran an article about Jane’s Addiction which said guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery had a section on their tour bus set aside them, an area into which they could escape if necessary because they’d decided that they wanted to stay clean, and the reasoning behind this decision made perfect sense: “They have simply learned that they cannot use drugs of any kind anymore without becoming slaves to them, and that slavery is death.” By year’s end, however, the the concern about possible temptation was too much for Avery, who decided that he wanted to leave the band, and when he told Navarro of his plan, Navarro decided that he’d leave with him. 

Still flush with creativity, the other two members of Jane’s Addiction – Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins – decided to join forces with another pair of musicians, and with guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble in tow, they formed a new musical outlet: Porno for Pyros.

It shouldn’t have been hard for radio to latch onto Porno for Pyros, what with Farrell’s voice being instantly recognizable no matter what band he was fronting, and the first single from the band’s self-titled album – “Cursed Female” / “Cursed Male” performed solidly on Modern Rock radio, hitting #3. Their second single, however, was a crossover hit: “Pets” climbed to #67 on the Hot 100, made it to #25 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and sailed all the way to the top spot on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. The album, meanwhile, hit #3 on the Billboard 200 and went gold. 

It would take three years for Porno for Pyros to get around to releasing their sophomore effort, 1996’s GOOD GOD’S URGE, which would also prove to be their swan song. Weirdly, while it wasn’t as big a hit overall, it did deliver the band’s biggest Hot 100 hit, with “Tahitian Moon” climbing to #46. By 1997, however, Jane’s Addiction had managed to do a brief reunion tour, and they’ve gotten back together a few other times since. Porno for Pyros, meanwhile, remains on what may at this point be a permanent hiatus.