Eric Avery
Encyclopedia
Eric Adam Avery is an American
musician
and is the former bass
player for the rock band Jane's Addiction
. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010.
, California
. His father is the actor Brian Avery
perhaps best known for his work in The Graduate
, playing Carl Smith.
Eric and Dave Navarro
first met as students at St. Paul the Apostle Grammar School in West Los Angeles, a Catholic Parochial School founded by the Paulist Fathers. Eric and Dave were classmates together. Eric went on to Loyola High School (boys only) of Los Angeles and Dave went on to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California
. Dave was classmates at Notre Dame with Stephen Perkins
. Stephen met Eric's sister, Rebecca Avery, and they dated. It was Rebecca who suggested that Eric and Perry audition Stephen as the drummer
for Jane's Addiction
after Perry and Eric co-founded the band.
Avery kept a fairly low profile after the first demise of Jane's Addiction
, participating in the Deconstruction
project with Dave Navarro
immediately after Jane's Addiction's breakup, but declining all invitations for Jane's reunions, until 2008. He has also recorded tracks for, toured with and briefly dated Alanis Morissette
, as well as creating another side project, Polar Bear
in 1994. Avery was once suggested as the replacement bassist for Tool by former Jane's Addiction and then-current Tool manager Ted Gardner. Eric declined the invitation, saying he wanted to concentrate on his band Polar Bear. As seen in the film Some Kind of Monster
, Avery also auditioned to become the bassist for Metallica
, after the departure of former bassist Jason Newsted
. The job didn't quite fit right for Avery; instead the band went with Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidal Tendencies
bassist Robert Trujillo
. Avery toured with the band Garbage
during the promotion of their 2005 Bleed Like Me album. Avery has also performed with Peter Murphy
, both on tour and on Murphy's 2004 release, Unshattered.
Avery worked briefly with the revived Smashing Pumpkins, but ultimately did not join the band. Avery was not paid for his work with the newly revived band, but did say the sessions were a lot of fun: "I went into [the Pumpkins] with the same mentality I took with me when I auditioned for Metallica — I expected to have a good story to tell my wife. I had no expectations. I had heard nothing but bad things about working with Billy, but I went, and I found it to be a really inspiring time." Billy Corgan
ended up playing bass parts on what would become their 2007 album Zeitgeist and hired Ginger Reyes
for live performances.
In 2007, he contributed original music to the feature film documentary The 11th Hour
. He also released his debut solo album Help Wanted
in April 2008 through Dangerbird Records
.
After refusing to perform with Jane's Addiction several times, Avery performed alongside his former bandmates at the NME Awards
in 2008. Jane's Addiction played secret clubs shows in October and November 2008. On March 19, 2009 at South by Southwest Music festival in Austin, the original Jane's Addiction lineup performed a 45 minute set at an abandoned Safeway grocery store.
Jane's Addiction's official website was updated in February 2009 stating that there will be another club show soon. The new website also has an unfinished "In The Studio" blog which has led to rumors that Jane's Addiction are currently in the studio. Photos of Eric Avery, Stephen Perkins, and Dave Navarro, taken by Trent Reznor
, have recently appeared on Nine Inch Nails
' official web site which has led to speculation that Reznor could be helping Jane's Addiction record new material. This relationship led to the booking of the "NIN/JA" (Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction) Amphitheater tour, in which Eric Avery is playing on a major Jane's Addiction tour since 1991, and also recalls the first Lollapalooza
tour of 1991 in which Jane's Addiction and Nine Inch Nails were the top two billed acts.
On the 1st March 2010, after a brief 10-date rescheduled tour in Australia, Eric Avery officially stated on his Twitter page that "[...]the janes addiction experiment is at an end." Some rumors were already spreading around a few weeks before, as Duff McKagan
was said to be the new bass player for Jane's Addiction, but Eric Avery kept his position within the band for the remaining few dates of the 2009/2010 tour.
John Frusciante
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
stated on the Stadium Arcadium
commentary that his guitar playing style is majorly influenced by Avery's spacious and heavily melodic playing.
Avery is currently a member of the supergroup
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra along with guitarist Brent Hinds
of Mastodon
, guitarist Ben Weinman
of The Dillinger Escape Plan
, and drummer Thomas Pridgen
, formerly of The Mars Volta
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and is the former bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player for the rock band 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...
. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010.
Biography
Eric Avery was born in Los AngelesLos 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His father is the actor Brian Avery
Brian Avery (actor)
Brian Avery is an actor and producer who has worked frequently on film and television.He is known as an actor for the role of Carl Smith who marries Elaine Robinson in the 1967 film The Graduate. He also appeared in the 1973 Woody Allen film Sleeper.Averyhas also worked as an executive producer...
perhaps best known for his work in The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, playing Carl Smith.
Eric and 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 :...
first met as students at St. Paul the Apostle Grammar School in West Los Angeles, a Catholic Parochial School founded by the Paulist Fathers. Eric and Dave were classmates together. Eric went on to Loyola High School (boys only) of Los Angeles and Dave went on to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Dave was classmates at Notre Dame with 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....
. Stephen met Eric's sister, Rebecca Avery, and they dated. It was Rebecca who suggested that Eric and Perry audition Stephen as the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for 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...
after Perry and Eric co-founded the band.
Avery kept a fairly low profile after the first demise 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...
, participating in the Deconstruction
Deconstruction (band)
Deconstruction was a band formed by former Jane's Addiction members, guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery. Originally their former Jane's Addiction bandmate drummer Stephen Perkins was slated to be Deconstruction's drummer but instead joined Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell's new...
project with 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 :...
immediately after Jane's Addiction's breakup, but declining all invitations for Jane's reunions, until 2008. He has also recorded tracks for, toured with and briefly dated Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
, as well as creating another side project, Polar Bear
Polar Bear (rock)
For other uses of the term 'Polar Bear', see Polar Bear Polarbear was a Los Angeles-based band led by former Jane's Addiction bassist, Eric Avery, who formed the band with Biff Sanders, formerly of Ethyl Meatplow, as a side project. They recorded most of their music in downtown Los Angeles, at...
in 1994. Avery was once suggested as the replacement bassist for Tool by former Jane's Addiction and then-current Tool manager Ted Gardner. Eric declined the invitation, saying he wanted to concentrate on his band Polar Bear. As seen in the film Some Kind of Monster
Some Kind of Monster (film)
Some Kind of Monster is a 2004 documentary film featuring the American heavy metal band Metallica. It shares its name with the song "Some Kind of Monster" from Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger....
, Avery also auditioned to become the bassist for Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, after the departure of former bassist Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
. The job didn't quite fit right for Avery; instead the band went with Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
bassist Robert Trujillo
Robert Trujillo
Robert Trujillo is an American bassist who currently plays bass in Metallica. He has also played in Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, and with Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne.-Career:...
. Avery toured with the band Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
during the promotion of their 2005 Bleed Like Me album. Avery has also performed with Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (musician)
Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
, both on tour and on Murphy's 2004 release, Unshattered.
Avery worked briefly with the revived Smashing Pumpkins, but ultimately did not join the band. Avery was not paid for his work with the newly revived band, but did say the sessions were a lot of fun: "I went into [the Pumpkins] with the same mentality I took with me when I auditioned for Metallica — I expected to have a good story to tell my wife. I had no expectations. I had heard nothing but bad things about working with Billy, but I went, and I found it to be a really inspiring time." Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
ended up playing bass parts on what would become their 2007 album Zeitgeist and hired Ginger Reyes
Ginger Reyes
Ginger A. Pooley , also known by her stage name as Ginger Sling, is an American rock musician of Peruvian heritage. She is best known as the former touring bassist and a backing vocalist for the Chicago alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins...
for live performances.
In 2007, he contributed original music to the feature film documentary The 11th Hour
The 11th Hour (film)
The 11th Hour is a 2007 documentary film, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment. It was directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners and financed by Adam Lewis and Pierre André Senizergues, and distributed by Warner Independent...
. He also released his debut solo album Help Wanted
Help Wanted (album)
Help Wanted is the debut solo album release from former Jane's Addiction bassist, Eric Avery, released on April 8, 2008.A number of notable guest musicians perform on the record, including Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, Garbage's Shirley Manson, and trumpeters Flea and Willie Waldman...
in April 2008 through Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label located in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Jeff Castelaz and Peter Walker in 2004, the label is home to artists across the globe, as well as part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. Their small roster of artists has enjoyed international...
.
After refusing to perform with Jane's Addiction several times, Avery performed alongside his former bandmates at the NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
in 2008. Jane's Addiction played secret clubs shows in October and November 2008. On March 19, 2009 at South by Southwest Music festival in Austin, the original Jane's Addiction lineup performed a 45 minute set at an abandoned Safeway grocery store.
Jane's Addiction's official website was updated in February 2009 stating that there will be another club show soon. The new website also has an unfinished "In The Studio" blog which has led to rumors that Jane's Addiction are currently in the studio. Photos of Eric Avery, Stephen Perkins, and Dave Navarro, taken by Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, have recently appeared on Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
' official web site which has led to speculation that Reznor could be helping Jane's Addiction record new material. This relationship led to the booking of the "NIN/JA" (Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction) Amphitheater tour, in which Eric Avery is playing on a major Jane's Addiction tour since 1991, and also recalls the first Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour of 1991 in which Jane's Addiction and Nine Inch Nails were the top two billed acts.
On the 1st March 2010, after a brief 10-date rescheduled tour in Australia, Eric Avery officially stated on his Twitter page that "[...]the janes addiction experiment is at an end." Some rumors were already spreading around a few weeks before, as Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
was said to be the new bass player for Jane's Addiction, but Eric Avery kept his position within the band for the remaining few dates of the 2009/2010 tour.
John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
stated on the Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on May 9, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow ", "Desecration Smile", and "Hump de Bump"...
commentary that his guitar playing style is majorly influenced by Avery's spacious and heavily melodic playing.
Avery is currently a member of the supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra along with guitarist Brent Hinds
Brent Hinds
Brent Hinds is an American guitarist/singer best known as a member of the Atlanta, Georgia metal band Mastodon, in which he shares guitar duties with Bill Kelliher and vocal duties with Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor....
of Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, guitarist Ben Weinman
Ben Weinman
Ben Weinman is an American musician, who is most notable for being the lead guitarist for the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is the founder and only original member remaining in the band....
of The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, and drummer Thomas Pridgen
Thomas Pridgen
Thomas Armon Pridgen is an American drummer, best known for his role as the drummer of The Mars Volta from October 31, 2006 until October 23, 2009, and currently the drummer for his own project The Memorials as well as hard rock supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.-Biography:Pridgen won the Guitar...
, formerly of The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
.
Jane's Addiction
- 1987 Jane's AddictionJane's Addiction (album)Jane's Addiction, also known as Triple-X or XXX by fans, is the debut album by the band Jane's Addiction. It was recorded live at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on January 26, 1987. Overdubs were later recorded at The Edge studio in Los Angeles and added to the album mix. The audience track is...
- 1988 Nothing's ShockingNothing's ShockingNothing's Shocking is the first studio album by the American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics upon release and is often cited as the band's best album. Despite this, it peaked at number...
- 1990 Ritual de lo HabitualRitual de lo HabitualRitual de lo habitual is the second studio album by Jane's Addiction, released on August 21, 1990 on Warner Brothers. Co-produced by Dave Jerden, it was the band's final studio album before their initial break-up in 1991...
- 1991 Live and Rare (Compilation of B-Sides and the Remix of "Been Caught Stealing")
- 1997 Kettle WhistleKettle Whistle (album)Kettle Whistle is a compilation album by alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released November 4, 1997 on Warner Bros. The album was released to coincide with the Jane's Addiction's 1997 "Relapse" tour, and includes new recordings, unreleased demos and live tracks.Kettle Whistle is the only...
(Compilation of live tracks, demos and unreleased material) - 2006 Up from the CatacombsUp from the Catacombs - The Best of Jane's AddictionUp from the Catacombs - The Best of Jane's Addiction is a best of compilation album by Jane's Addiction, released September 19, 2006, on Rhino...
(Greatest hits album) - 2009 A Cabinet of CuriositiesA Cabinet of CuriositiesA Cabinet of Curiosities is a compilation box set by alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on April 21, 2009 on Rhino Records. The collection includes three discs of demos, rehearsals, remixes, covers, and live recordings from the group's initial lifespan of 1986–1991, and one DVD...
(Box set)
Polar Bear
- 1996 Self-titledPolar Bear (vinyl)Polar Bear is the debut release from Polar Bear, led by Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery. This clear blue 12" vinyl, MR-054, was self-produced and released on Man's Ruin Records, limited to 2,000 copies. It includes instrumental versions of songs the band would later release on their records,...
12" ice blue vinyl - 1997 Chewing Gum EPChewing Gum EPChewing Gum EP is the first CD release from Polar Bear, led by Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery and Harold "Biff" Barefoot Sanders III. This EP, DH-021, is self-titled, although it took on its name based on the cover to differentiate itself from the bands vinyl release a year...
- 1999 Why Something Instead of Nothing?Why Something Instead of Nothing?Why Something Instead of Nothing? is the only full-length release from Polar Bear, led by Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery. This album, PBRCD02, was self-produced and self-released, originally limited to 2,000 copies in 1999 until later reissued in 2004.-Tracklisting:#"Lick" - 5:36#"Friday" -...
External links
- Polar Bear Band Site: Gavin gets direct updates from Eric Avery on this site.
- JanesAddiction.org: Extensive Eric Avery discography.
- ericavery.blogspot.com: Eric's official blog
- Website: Official Eric Avery website
- An interview with Avery on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe where he tells the audience about his skeptic beliefs.