Perry Farrell

The Jane’s Addiction frontman on business, parenthood and the birth of alternative rock

- Brian Hiatt

Would it be accurate to say that the smartest business decision you ever made was not selling the Lollapalooza name?

Yeah. By 1997, a few other festivals showed up, diluting the pool of artists. And we decided to lay it to rest. Following that, I would get hit up: “Sell it to me for $1 million.” I would just keep saying, “No. I’m not giving it to you. I’d rather be buried with the name.” And I was broke! And then eventually Jane’s [Addiction] came back to do a record, and I said, “You know what? I’m gonna do another Lollapalooza and get the carnival going again.”

And now you’ve invested your own money in Kind Heaven, the elaborate multimedia, augmented-reality destination you’re working on in Las Vegas. Why?

In Vegas, they want skin in the game. I felt like, “Whoa, I’m really dealing with some tough dudes here.” Like, at the last minute, they go, “No, I need money from you!” And at first I was like, “No, you don’t pull that shit on me.” But now, I can look at all my partners, and if anybody fucks with me, I’m gonna say to them, “Look, I’m a true partner here. I’m not a little kid anymore where William Morris or Live Nation is my daddy.”

You had a rough relationship with your dad and left home at 17 – how does that affect the way you raise your kids?