Perry Farrell. Jane's Addiction. Two sets of words that no doubt evoke feelings, questions, emotions, apprehensions. Farrell has been known to be difficult, aloof, even touchy. We expected this from a man who is messiah-like in his appearance, mannerism and ideals. We got a man who retains all of these qualities and also welcomed a rare opportunity to see Farrell's large eyes bulge outward during moments of excitement, surprise and displeasure. Then light up and sparkle with boyish enthusiasm for his new band and band mates...

Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock group formed in 1992. It was Perry Farrell's and Stephen Perkins' next project after the breakup of their former band Jane's Addiction. Following the demise of the critically and commercially successful Jane's Addiction project, 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. Sin Magazine's music editors had a chance to sit down with the band as they were breaking and what follows is the interview.

Farrell dominates the conversation. He is a cardinal soul; a leader among people. He has surrounded himself with a band that can take his direction and develop it into a piece of art in which they all have contributed. The originator and ringleader of the Lollapalooza Festival, Farrell is filled with ideas that he is not afraid to sire and watch grow into beautifully developed creations through the input of others and experiences of time. Not unlike a proud parent, Farrell has the strength and faith in his music, film, concert tours and friendships to allow them to grow and make their own mark in the world.

GH: A couple of articles have described you guys as contagious, in a happy sort of way. Do you feel contagious?

STEPHEN: Musically?

GH: No. Just your attitude. Your happiness; the excitement about the band. Are you feeling contagious?

PERRY: Yeah.

MARTYN: Yeah.

PERRY: The answer is "yes."

GH: O.K. We are not elaborating on that question?! (Laughs from the band.)

MARTYN: Contagious like what? Like a disease?

STEPHEN: Like we have diseases? (Laughs all around.)

GH: No!

PERRY: What are you saying that we don't bath ourselves?

STEPHEN: Are you saying we stink?

PERRY: I have a stepchild.

GH: We were going to ask you how Donovan is? How are Donovan and Kim?

PERRY: Donovan? You know him?

GH: We don't know them. We know of them.

PERRY: Donovan is going to be in the video.

GH: Which video?

PERRY: Coming up Saturday. Pets.

GH: So that is the first video?

PERRY: Yeah. Well actually it's the third.

GH: The third?

PERRY: Two of the videos were given out to independent filmmakers, young filmmakers. We don't know what they look like.

GH: When do you get to see them?

PERRY: Probably when I turn on MTV, so probably never.

GH: You don't get to see them first?

PERRY: (Long pause; very serious.) I try to avoid it.

GH: You're trying to avoid it?

PERRY: Yeah.

GH: Then why did you let them have your music?

PETER: Good question.

PERRY: I'm an idiot.

GH: OK, Why?

PERRY: Because I always expect a miracle. And I wanted something to happen where the band didn't have to be there. It was just the artist's interpretation. They wouldn't need a big budget. We wouldn't have to be involved in a fucking video. And uhm, a new, young film maker would have a chance to do something really cool for MTV. You know? That's why.

GH: Do you think you'd be disappointed? Is that one reason you don't want to watch them?

PERRY: I've been disappointed! Yeah. That bums me out. 'Cause I wanted to be like "Wow!" Somebody did a video that I didn't ask them to do. A pirate video of this other band I was in and they sent the tape of this old song I did, before I was even in Jane's Addiction, it was great. I want to try to track this person down, but it's too late. But the other videos we've done ...

GH: You know what it is?

PERRY: I'll tell you exactly what it is. We did this video in Jane's Addiction called Been Caught Stealin' and it had this cross dresser. Every video we've gotten from these indie film makers, they've got cross dressers. I've cross dressed myself. It's not a theme though. That was just one video.

STEPHEN: Right.

PERRY: We didn't want to be involved in it, because we wanted them to do a montage, you know. The songs have nothing to do with cross dressing at all.

GH: You would think that they [the young film makers] would want to impress you? I mean you have always been a vanguard for something different; the bands, the projects you get involved in...

PERRY: I think they thought it would impress me and us. I think they thought, "Well, I know what they like..." I mean that's fine, I love it on a Saturday night, and it's as good as going to a cowboy bar, because it is just one element of life. It's not like we always live our life like cross dressers.

GH: I believe you. You guys met surfing? (Acknowledging Peter.)

PETER: Yeah. Me and Perry. Based in San Diego, being near the beach, we'll never be away from the ocean.

GH: Talking about L.A. and L.A.'s problems and how it sucks people in. Do you feel that the ocean is your one salvation?

PERRY: Oh yes! (Eyes bulging.)

GH: Is that what keeps you together? The ocean has that cleansing effect.

PETER: Yes. You can have the worst day and go and sit on the beach and listen to the waves and it's O.K.

PETER: That's it!

PERRY: I've cried to the waves, I've cried to the ocean. It's been my best pal.

GH: (To Stephen and Martyn.) Do you guys ever go? Do you guys get out there surfing?

PETER: Yeah.

STEPHEN: I'm not much of a surfer but I'm always in the water, so...

PERRY: Martyn's a hell of a boogie boarder man.

STEPHEN: He's got courage.

PERRY: Big balls.

PETER: Big. Big courage.

MARTYN: The small little plastic foam things.

PERRY: There's lots of courage in that little frame. The guy's a legend in Java.

MARTYN: They call me Java Man.

GH: You guys go to Mexico a lot together, travel together. Do you get bummed out when you have to come back home?

PERRY: No, but I get bummed out before I have to leave. About where I am. I mean I'm always happy to come back, that's why I leave, 'cause I hate it where I'm at. You get what I mean? You follow me? (Laughs.) Before I leave I just hate the fuck out of L.A., and then I stay away long enough and uh, I need both.

GH: So are you looking forward to going out on the road? Any special plans?

PERRY: This time I am. Yes.

STEPHEN: Me personally. Very pleased.

PERRY: We are going to start in May. The end of May we're gonna play one show in L.A., two shows in Chicago, three shows in San Francisco, two shows in New York and then we're going to Europe. Our deal is we love playing live, but we don't want to play so much live that we can't stand it. And we love to record, because that's the essence of it all. That's why you get to go out and play.

GH: Do you record all of your rehearsals?

STEPHEN: Yes.

PERRY: Let me finish. Quit interrupting me. We are going after that into Europe and we're gonna do three weeks, just the festivals and then a couple of offshoots. Basically we're gonna have a fucking great time. And no one's going to push us around. We're gonna play at our leisure and when we get damn tired of it we're gonna get off the road and we're gonna record more. We've got another albums worth of songs. We've got a fully equipped, 24-track, fully automated recording studio that we invested in, collectively with all the money that Warner's given us for this record. We did this record for like $250,000.00

GH: That's all?

PERRY: Yeah, we asked for $500,000.00.

GH: And they gave it to you?

PERRY: They had to. (Big smile.) We were just smart! So then after that, we're gonna come back and take a break and then we're gonna do some more America, some more Europe and then we're going to Japan (excitedly!). We're only going to tour for six months full cycle with like two weeks in between so we can get off the road, re-group and stuff. And we're gonna take breaks so we can record, 'cause we want to constantly record. The thing is we don't want to brake that stream of creativity for touring. I'm not going to trade that anymore. The whole reason you get to tour is because you make really good music and these guys are too greedy [record labels]. They have you go out there and tour your ass off, so they can cash in on this one record, because they don't gamble that you're gonna put out any more great music, I guess? So what happens is you end up off the road and you're stripped and you're vacant and you have nothing.

STEPHEN: You can't do another good...

PERRY: Like I say, the essence of it is song writing. It's what we're here for; it's what we do good. That's what people like us for; it's what we do good. It's the songs. You get off on songs. That's the shit!

GH: Do you all have equal writing?

PERRY: No, no. I'm 100%.

MARTYN: It's all Perry. Whatever he says, we do. (Everyone laughs.)

PERRY: In fact, Peter. I told you not to wear that shirt with that vest.

PETER: Oh no! (Laughter.)

GH: What other art do you do? Besides music?

PERRY: I make butter sculptures.

PETER: I make masturbational devices. Very interesting.

GH: So you need those?

PETER: The best sex I've ever had was with myself. We're sorry. (Everyone laughs.)

STEPHEN: We were talking about art.

GH: All right. Do any of you have tattoos?

STEPHEN: Not me.

PETER: Tattoo wise? I have one, two, three ... four, five ... six, seven tattoos.

GH: Of?

STEPHEN: All of the same thing.

MARTYN: Peter. Just Peter.

PETER: Different pictures of myself.

STEPHEN: Ages.

PETER: Different ages. Actually they all have deep meaning. They're sort of on there for people to see, but they're precious.

GH: Well?

PETER: Well the first one was...

GH: You don't have to tell us, we want to see them

PETER: Oh, I don't want to take off my clothes. The first one was when my father had cancer. And I just found out about it. I wanted to sacrifice something and the symbol of Jesus was such a sacrificing thing, you know? So I got a tattoo of Jesus. That was the first reaction, and then I started to add things to it. The story is great. I just think it's a beautiful story, the way he died, carrying a cross, humiliated and he hung up there for three days and his mom was totally disrespected. So, the story of his nature ... I don't really know if it's true or not, I don't care. The story of how he was so humble and yet his death. To me whenever I look at a picture of Jesus, I think of good and evil at the same time, so underneath it I put my own symbol of good and evil in harmony. This is a very important question. It could change the world.

GH: Do you wear underwear and if so, do you prefer boxers or briefs?

STEPHEN: I prefer boxers, but sometimes I have to wear briefs. It depends on what kind of pants I'm wearing.

GH: What do you wear when you are playing the drums?

STEPHEN: No underwear, I just wear shorts. I've played nude before, that's my "thang."

MARTYN: (Pulls out maroon paisley boxers over the top of his pants.) I strictly wear silk boxer shorts. Only silk.

PETER: Wow, that's funny. I had those once.

GH: Those are your boxer shorts?

PETER: They're his. He was staying with me once and I wore them. And because the way they feel. They arouse me, that's why I can't wear them.

GH: So if a girl wants to make time with you she should give you silk boxer shorts?

PERRY: Mine is a very interesting answer. You want it? Yes, we do.

PERRY: I have no rules. I wear all kinds of underwear. It all depends on the kind of pants I'm wearing. If the pants are thin and white and I might have a pee stain, then I'll absolutely wear underwear. If I want my balls to kind of show a little bit, so that I can pick up girls that night and the texture of the materials thick enough that the pee would dry, I won't wear underwear. But if I'm wearing big old baggy pants where it won't matter, and you won't see my pee stain or my balls, I'll wear underwear.

GH: Cool. If you were a flower, which one would you be?

STEPHEN: I'd rather be a plant. The Wandering Jew.

MARTYN: I'm a tulip. Erect. Straight.

PERRY: Venus Fly Trap.

PETER: If I was a flower, I'd be a Sunflower. Why, because they are visually pretty, and then they give you seeds and you can eat them. Without killing me you could take my seed.

GH: OK. Well what about when people bring up past interviews that may not be totally correct. They say, "Oh, I read that two years ago or I read that last week."

PERRY: I'm gonna go, "Well, I asked for it. I showed up for the interview." Just part of the business.

PETER: I always have the right to change my mind.

STEPHEN: Or make mistakes. But that kind of thing will start up again because you guys are going to be on just about every magazine cover for the next few months.

PERRY: Believe me, we're not going to be on everybody's cover. We turned down quite a few magazines.

GH: Then why did you choose to spend time with us?

PERRY: Because I'd rather be in a new magazine. I think I like new things rather than old, like Rolling Stone.

GH: You turned them down?

PERRY: We did an article for them, but not a cover. When they do something interesting and introduce something no one knows about, I'll be interested. If they were to do something like this (holding up SIN "LOVE/LUST" photo essay). That means a lot to me, to see eye candy.