Jane’s Addiction Competes With Queen Over Bass Player

Although they might seem like strange bedfellows, there is a connection between seminal ‘90s rockers Jane’s Addiction and rock’s royalty, Queen. Turns out both have a shared interest in bassist Chris Chaney, who played with Jane's on their 2003 ‘Strays’ reunion record and several of the tours that followed.

After a brief reunion with original bassist Eric Avery, Jane's Addiction is once again working with Chaney, who has been handling the bass duties for recent live shows. Simultaneously, the group has been working on their forthcoming album ‘The Great Escape Artist’ with Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio producing and, here's where it gets complicated, playing bass on the sessions.

Two great bass players at the beck and call of Perry Farrell would seem like a winning situation, but there’s a wrinkle: Queen are interested in enlisting Chaney as a bass player, but they’re respectfully keeping their distance as long as he’s tied up with Jane’s Addiction. So, Farrell told Spinner that he has a solution in place to keep Chaney occupied, explaining "I'm getting him on the record and then he's gonna come out with us for eight months."

Farrell also has thoughts on how Queen can fill their current vacancy at the microphone and an offer for a potentially lucrative gig: "George Michael. I love George Michael. How about this, next year for Lolla, Queen, Jane's, George Michael, 2012." (We're in! Did you see Queen and Michael together on 'Somebody to Love?')

For now, both groups have plenty to keep them busy; Farrell is marking the 20th year of his Lollapalooza concert festival with another mammoth weekend in Chicago, August 5 through 7. The lineup includes Foo Fighters, Eminem, Muse, The Cars and Big Audio Dynamite.

Queen, for their part, are celebrating 40 years of being the champions with a yearlong reissue campaign covering every one of their albums, the first five of which hit stores this past Tuesday.

Watch Jane's Addiction perform 'Been Caught Stealing'