Porno for Pyros
Encyclopedia
Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock
band formed in Los Angeles, California
in 1992, following the initial break-up of Jane's Addiction
. The band comprised former Jane's Addiction members Perry Farrell
(vocals) and Stephen Perkins
(drums), alongside Peter DiStefano
(guitar) and Martyn LeNoble
(bass).
The band released two studio albums, Porno for Pyros
(1993) and Good God's Urge
(1996), before parting ways in 1998, after guitarist Peter DiStefano
was diagnosed with cancer
.
, frontman Perry Farrell
and drummer Stephen Perkins
formed Porno for Pyros after acquiring guitarist Peter DiStefano
and bass player Martyn LeNoble
. Farrell named the band after viewing an ad for fireworks in a pornographic magazine. The name has also been connected through song lyrics to the LA riots which occurred in the band's hometown around the time of Porno for Pyros inception. Prior to releasing their eponymous first album
, Porno for Pyros embarked on a nationwide tour to support the new band. By the time the band's debut album was released in 1993, anticipation surrounding the project was enough to briefly drive the album to the #3 position on the Billboard top 200 list. Reaction to the album was mixed, with some fans ecstatic and others disappointed. The video for the album's first single, "Pets," received heavy airplay on MTV
. Following the album's release, Porno for Pyros continued a heavy touring schedule, including an appearance at Woodstock 94. Unlike the relatively straight-ahead rock shows that were the hallmark of live Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros live shows relied heavily on props, extras and special effects (including, but not limited to, pyrotechnics).
For the band's follow-up album, Good God's Urge
, bass player LeNoble quit after completing the majority of the bass tracks. Ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt
was brought in to finish up the album tracks and join the band on tour. The album also featured the post-Jane's reunion of Farrell with guitarist Dave Navarro
, who made a guest appearance on "Freeway," along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass player Flea. The band again set forth on a heavy touring schedule. On several tour stops Porno for Pyros played "Mountain Song," a popular Jane's Addiction tune, and was a foreshadowing of the later Jane's Addiction reunion efforts. Further touring by the band was scuttled when DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer
.
Perkins and Watt subsequently formed the jazz-punk improvisation group Banyan
and, along with DiStefano, occasionally perform sets of Stooges
cover versions in the Los Angeles area under the band name Hellride
.
The Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros book Whores (by Brendan Mullen) states that a third Porno for Pyros album was penned but never recorded.
In April 2009, the original lineup of Farrell, Perkins, DiStefano, and LeNoble performed at Farrell's 50th birthday party. Two years later, in April 2011, Farrell wrote on his official Twitter
account: "One day, more Porno For Pyros," suggesting that the band will reunite in the future.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1992, following the initial break-up of Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
. The band comprised former Jane's Addiction members Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
(vocals) and Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
(drums), alongside Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano is best known as the guitarist for the alternative rock band Porno for Pyros...
(guitar) and Martyn LeNoble
Martyn LeNoble
Martyn LeNoble is a Dutch bassist and founding member of Porno for Pyros.LeNoble started his musical career by playing bass in a Dutch punk rock band when he was 14. In 1989, he moved to Los Angeles and played with the likes of Thelonious Monster and The Too Free Stooges...
(bass).
The band released two studio albums, Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros (album)
Porno for Pyros is the eponymous debut album by Porno for Pyros, which was the next project for Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins after the demise of Jane's Addiction. It was released on April 27, 1993 after Jane's Addiction's break-up. The album contains the #1 Modern Rock single "Pets"...
(1993) and Good God's Urge
Good God's Urge
Good God's Urge is the second and last album by Porno for Pyros. It was released on May 28, 1996. The band went on a brief hiatus shortly after this album's release because guitarist Peter DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer....
(1996), before parting ways in 1998, after guitarist Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano is best known as the guitarist for the alternative rock band Porno for Pyros...
was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
History
Following the demise of the critically and commercially successful Jane's AddictionJane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, frontman Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
and drummer Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
formed Porno for Pyros after acquiring guitarist Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano is best known as the guitarist for the alternative rock band Porno for Pyros...
and bass player Martyn LeNoble
Martyn LeNoble
Martyn LeNoble is a Dutch bassist and founding member of Porno for Pyros.LeNoble started his musical career by playing bass in a Dutch punk rock band when he was 14. In 1989, he moved to Los Angeles and played with the likes of Thelonious Monster and The Too Free Stooges...
. Farrell named the band after viewing an ad for fireworks in a pornographic magazine. The name has also been connected through song lyrics to the LA riots which occurred in the band's hometown around the time of Porno for Pyros inception. Prior to releasing their eponymous first album
Porno for Pyros (album)
Porno for Pyros is the eponymous debut album by Porno for Pyros, which was the next project for Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins after the demise of Jane's Addiction. It was released on April 27, 1993 after Jane's Addiction's break-up. The album contains the #1 Modern Rock single "Pets"...
, Porno for Pyros embarked on a nationwide tour to support the new band. By the time the band's debut album was released in 1993, anticipation surrounding the project was enough to briefly drive the album to the #3 position on the Billboard top 200 list. Reaction to the album was mixed, with some fans ecstatic and others disappointed. The video for the album's first single, "Pets," received heavy airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Following the album's release, Porno for Pyros continued a heavy touring schedule, including an appearance at Woodstock 94. Unlike the relatively straight-ahead rock shows that were the hallmark of live Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros live shows relied heavily on props, extras and special effects (including, but not limited to, pyrotechnics).
For the band's follow-up album, Good God's Urge
Good God's Urge
Good God's Urge is the second and last album by Porno for Pyros. It was released on May 28, 1996. The band went on a brief hiatus shortly after this album's release because guitarist Peter DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer....
, bass player LeNoble quit after completing the majority of the bass tracks. Ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
was brought in to finish up the album tracks and join the band on tour. The album also featured the post-Jane's reunion of Farrell with guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
, who made a guest appearance on "Freeway," along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass player Flea. The band again set forth on a heavy touring schedule. On several tour stops Porno for Pyros played "Mountain Song," a popular Jane's Addiction tune, and was a foreshadowing of the later Jane's Addiction reunion efforts. Further touring by the band was scuttled when DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Perkins and Watt subsequently formed the jazz-punk improvisation group Banyan
Banyan (band)
Banyan is an art rock/alternative rock band with heavy jazz, funk, and punk influence, based in Los Angeles, California.The leader and co-founder is Stephen Perkins, who first played drums for Jane's Addiction , and then for Porno for Pyros. He co-founded the group with David Turin...
and, along with DiStefano, occasionally perform sets of Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
cover versions in the Los Angeles area under the band name Hellride
Hellride
Hellride is a side project live band featuring former Porno For Pyros guitarist Peter DiStefano, former Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and Porno For Pyros bassist Mike Watt, and former Jane's Addiction and Porno For Pyros drummer Stephen Perkins...
.
The Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros book Whores (by Brendan Mullen) states that a third Porno for Pyros album was penned but never recorded.
In April 2009, the original lineup of Farrell, Perkins, DiStefano, and LeNoble performed at Farrell's 50th birthday party. Two years later, in April 2011, Farrell wrote on his official Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account: "One day, more Porno For Pyros," suggesting that the band will reunite in the future.
Studio albums
- Porno for PyrosPorno for Pyros (album)Porno for Pyros is the eponymous debut album by Porno for Pyros, which was the next project for Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins after the demise of Jane's Addiction. It was released on April 27, 1993 after Jane's Addiction's break-up. The album contains the #1 Modern Rock single "Pets"...
(1993) - Good God's UrgeGood God's UrgeGood God's Urge is the second and last album by Porno for Pyros. It was released on May 28, 1996. The band went on a brief hiatus shortly after this album's release because guitarist Peter DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer....
(1996)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Airplay | U.S. Modern | U.S. Mainstream | |||
| 1993 | "Pets Pets (song) Pets is the name of the debut single by alternative rock band Porno for Pyros. The song became a #1 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart... " |
67 | 67 | 1 | 25 | Porno for Pyros Porno for Pyros (album) Porno for Pyros is the eponymous debut album by Porno for Pyros, which was the next project for Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins after the demise of Jane's Addiction. It was released on April 27, 1993 after Jane's Addiction's break-up. The album contains the #1 Modern Rock single "Pets"... |
| "Cursed Female" | — | — | 3 | — | ||
| 1994 | "Sadness" | — | 40 | 40 | — | |
| 1996 | "Tahitian Moon" | — | 46 | 8 | — | Good God's Urge Good God's Urge Good God's Urge is the second and last album by Porno for Pyros. It was released on May 28, 1996. The band went on a brief hiatus shortly after this album's release because guitarist Peter DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer.... |
| 1997 | "Hard Charger Hard Charger "Hard Charger" is a single by Porno for Pyros. Dave Navarro and Flea played guitar and bass guitar, which would later lead them to join Jane's Addiction later that year... " |
— | — | 23 | — | Private Parts |
| "—" denotes singles that did not chart. | ||||||
Music videos
| Date | Title | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1993 | "Cursed Female" | Melodie McDaniel Melodie McDaniel Melodie McDaniel is a still life, celebrity, and advertising photographer and film director.- Biography :Melodie McDaniel graduated in 1992 from Art Center School of Design with a major in Photography and a minor in Fine Art... |
Prod co Production company A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :... : Palomar Pictures; DP Cinematographer A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image... : Wyatt Troll (16 mm 16 mm film 16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film... ) |
| Jun 1993 | "Pets" | Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris are a team of American music video directors, also husband and wife, that received critical acclaim for their feature film directorial debut, Little Miss Sunshine.... |
Producer: Bart Lipton; DP: Christophe Lanzenberg |
| Nov 1993 | "Sadness" | John Lindauer | Prod co: Chelsea Pictures; Producers: John Oetjen, Chris Wagoner, Keith Milton; DP: Eric Engler; Stylist: Kristine Miller; based on the performance art piece Four Scenes in a Harsh Life by Ron Athey Ron Athey Ron Athey is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally . Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience... (concept, co-director & featured actor) |
| May 1996 | "Tahitian Moon" | John Linson & Perry Farrell | Filmed in Tahiti Tahiti Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous... . |
| Oct 1996 | "100 Ways" | Andrew Dosunmu (as Rusty James Rumble Fish Rumble Fish is a 1983 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the novel Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton, who also co-wrote the screenplay.... ) |
Prod co: Propaganda Films Propaganda Films Propaganda Films was a prolific and successful music video and film production company founded in 1983 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Greg Gold and Dominic Sena... |
| Feb 1997 | "Hard Charger" | Liz Friedlander Liz Friedlander Liz Friedlander is an American film, music video and television director.Originally from New York, Friedlander moved to Pennsylvania to attend the Drama Conservatory school at Carnegie Mellon University... (as Alan Smithee Alan Smithee Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project, coined in 1968. Until its use was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the Directors Guild of America when a director dissatisfied with the final product proved to... ) & Geoff Nelson |
Prod co: DNA; Producer: Pete Chambers; Stylist: Gretchen Patch |