Marco Collins

DJ: Marco Collins
Station: 91X
Shift: 2:00-7:00 p.m. Saturday; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Sunday

I've seen Jane's Addiction probably 15 times, and I definitely remember the early shows as being completely out of control. That was the genius of frontman Perry Farrellyou never knew what to expect. He definitely put danger back in rock 'n' roll.

The first time I saw Jane's Addiction was at their practice space in Los Angeles. I was a DJ for KCR [SDSU's station], and the buzz on the band was already incredible. They had just released their first record and only were playing bar shows. I went up to interview the band, and they invited me to their practice spot because I wasn't old enough to get into their shows. I sat and watched in awe as they ripped through "Jane Says," "Pigs in Zen," and "Mountain Song."

At that time [1987], the band was absolutely drug-free. In fact, Perry had a rule about drug usage in the band; it wasn't allowed ever. Obviously, things changed pretty drastically throughout the band's career.

I honestly think that Jane's Addiction shows were some of the best shows I've ever seen in my life. Perry always pushed the boundaries. He challenged his frat-boy audience by making out with Dave Navarro on stage. He challenged the security crew at any show by jumping into the audience and pulling fans onto the stage. He challenged club owners by jumping onto the bar and kicking everybody's drinks off. He took you out of your comfort zone and made you take notice.

One of the most memorable shows I've seen was in New York City [in 1989]. The band played a show in a former church. The band played upstairs with the Butthole Surfers while a drag club ensued downstairs. Some of the drag queens came upstairs to complain about the noise, so Farrell invited them to get up and dance onstage. He then pulled a woman out of the audience and proceeded to engage in a rather steamy affair on stage with her. People in the crowd started climbing the lighting scaffolding and knocking amps off the stage! It was totally out of controlan insane circus! Just the way he wanted it.