Stephen Perkins’ drum kits bear dents, scratches, and worn finishes from years of use in recording sessions and concerts. Until now, many of them remained in his personal archive, but beginning September 10, the musician will open part of that collection through ANALOGr’s Stephen Perkins ArtistFirst Collection, offering instruments connected to different periods of Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros, and the many other projects he has participated in.
Perkins emerged from the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1980s, joining Jane’s Addiction at a moment when the band was helping redefine what alternative rock could sound like. His drumming became a crucial part of that approach, particularly across “Nothing’s Shocking” and “Ritual de lo Habitual,” where he moved beyond a conventional rock backbeat to build songs around shifting rhythms, layered percussion, and an instinct for dynamics. Funk, tribal percussion, and other rhythmic influences became part of his vocabulary, giving the band’s music a physical intensity without sacrificing precision or musicality.
The Stephen Perkins ArtistFirst Collection traces that history through the equipment he used. One of its most recognizable pieces is the kit from Jane’s Addiction’s 1997 reunion tour, when Flea temporarily joined the band as its bassist. The collection also includes drums from the “Strays” recording sessions and tour, the “Just Because” video, and the tour that brought Jane’s Addiction and Nine Inch Nails together.
Perkins’ work with Porno for Pyros represents another significant chapter in the collection, including the psychedelic orange kit he used to record and tour the band’s original albums. The archive also reaches into the group’s later years, with instruments from its final tour and 2024 recording sessions. Among the collection’s more distinctive pieces is the percussion setup Perkins has used for decades to perform “Chip Away” onstage, preserving an instrument configuration that has accompanied the song throughout its long performance history.
The archive also reflects the breadth of Perkins’ career across bands, collaborations, and studio work. The collection includes equipment connected to sessions with Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Love and Rockets, Rob Wasserman, and Dhani Harrison, alongside instruments associated with Class of ’99, the project featuring Layne Staley and Tom Morello. Together, these pieces trace a career that has repeatedly taken Perkins beyond the boundaries of a single band or genre.
Putting these objects up for sale gives his followers a closer look at the physical side of the creative and artistic process, what survived a tour, what had to be modified for a recording, and what accumulated the marks of playing the same songs night after night.
A portion of the proceeds from the drum sales will benefit the Watts Conservatory of Music, where Perkins serves as a board member, teacher, and performer alongside board members David Moss, Fernando Pullum, Julie Harelson, Becki Barabas, and Norwood Fisher. Based at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, the Conservatory offers free lessons to anyone interested in learning an instrument and works to expand access to music education in the community.
Follow Stephen Perkins on Instagram and YouTube, and visit ANALOGr to explore the Stephen Perkins ArtistFirst Collection.
