Support NeoGAF

[Macam]

Pumpkins fans, rejoice. You can now buy the live show performances from their latest tour:

The first​ live conce​rt has been poste​d to LiveS​mashi​ngPum​pkins​.​com and it is the Hallo​ween perfo​rmanc​e from Colum​bus,​ OH on Octob​er 31, 2008.​

LiveS​mashi​ngPum​pkins​.​com is the new offic​ial sourc​e to purch​ase live Smash​ing Pumpk​ins conce​rts after​ they have been perfo​rmed.​ Expec​t the entir​e 20th Anniv​ersar​y tour to be avail​able in the comin​g month​s.​

LiveS​mashi​ngPum​pkins​.​com offer​s MP3, FLAC,​ physi​cal CD's and an MP3 / CD combo​.​ Indiv​idual​ MP3'​s are also avail​able for $​.​99.​ Check​ out every​thing​ that'​s avail​able by visit​ing LiveS​mashi​ngPum​pkins​.​ com.

Take some time to previ​ew and purch​ase the Hallo​ween Perfo​rmanc​e.

Now you can buy all the latest songs, like As Rome Burns. I'm *so* there.

EDIT: The new site also notes this little bit about the revamped Heavy Metal Machine:

Heavy Metal Machine contains elements of White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane), Stranglehold (Ted Nugent), Tom Sawyer and YYZ (Rush), and White Horse (Wonderland Avenue)

 

[Oreoleo]

bums me out that corgan either wont or doesn't sing with much emotion anymore. i saw the performance of soma and he just kind of says the words. watch the vid off earphoria for soma and this performance to see the energy difference.

still pumped to see them in december! guess ill just have to accept that the pumpkins that were are no longer, but still a great band regardless :/

To be fair, that WAS the first time he's played it live since 99. Maybe he wasn't totally comfortable playing it (ie, unrehearsed; also the emotional baggage that comes along with it re James Iha) and the other new old songs they played in Toronto night #2. I basically saw the August tour's set in Columbus on Halloween and the band played really tight (Listening to the SBD right now, actually) and with a lot of energy. It definitely blew last Fall's Zeitgeist tour out of the water IMO.


And Siva is so fucking awesome live. If you don't get to hear it, my condolences.

 

[Diablos]

http://hipstersunited.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/papersetlist2.jpg

People complained about this? What?!

THEY PLAYED SOMA

OMG.

I just got home from the second Toronto show.

What the hell did I just watch? If Smashing Pumpkins want to play for 2 and a half hours then I am totally fine with that because I love every album they have made. However to play an hour and a half of jamming out is just ridiculous. The audience was very unimpressed and even as a huge Pumpkins fan I cant blame them.
To make matters worse they ended the set with a jam song for the encore! What the hell?

I think Billy corgan was kind of taken back that the crowd wasn't as in to it as he thought. I'm guessing he will update the set a bit and make it better for the next shows because if he doesn't I would expect a similar reaction in the upcoming cities.

PS yes they played cherub rock

PPS the good parts were SO good but the jamming was for more than half the concert so it sours my whole mood about the show.

I don't know how much you like the band, but that's one of the best setlists I've seen since they got back together. Maybe Toronto just has crappy fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vLxFvlnbJs
Billy talks about Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0oZ-Mv8xqw
Soma in NY! FMT, what are you talking about, this is great! As for his voice, in 1999 he didn't sing like he did in 1994, either. Where have you been? He's still into the song.

 

[jibblypop]

I don't know how much you like the band, but that's one of the best setlists I've seen since they got back together. Maybe Toronto just has crappy fans.

Bullshit. I'm one of the biggest fans. I love every album and listen to them all the time. It's funny when I read the setlist I remembered how good the songs were but there was so much nonsense that just wasn't Smashing Pumpkins songs. The song would end and then 25 minutes of echo pedals and bongos would start. It was insulting.

Don't blame Toronto either. Apparently in New York they got heckled way worse than here.

Whatever. I'll just go listen to Adore today and remember how awesome the songs are.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

i don't like repeated jam out sessions on-stage either (from any band!)

 

[Seth C]

So does no one have the new Pumpkins DVD yet?

 

[BigJonsson]

lol @ Inna Gadda Davida

I need that

 

[Macam]

So does no one have the new Pumpkins DVD yet?

I do, but I haven't had time to watch it.

 

[Diablos]

Bullshit. I'm one of the biggest fans. I love every album and listen to them all the time. It's funny when I read the setlist I remembered how good the songs were but there was so much nonsense that just wasn't Smashing Pumpkins songs. The song would end and then 25 minutes of echo pedals and bongos would start. It was insulting.

Don't blame Toronto either. Apparently in New York they got heckled way worse than here.

Whatever. I'll just go listen to Adore today and remember how awesome the songs are.

Don't get mad, I'm not trying to call you out or anything, we're all entitled to our own opinions. I have the 11/3 and 11/4 boots, the audience seemed to like the shows. Obviously that's not as good as being there, but I didn't hear anyone booing after jams and stuff.

Also, the version of Gossamer they played was absolutely killer, perhaps the best version to date (of the few I've heard anyway), I wished I had been there to see it! I hope you liked at least that one. Killer fucking performance. Solo was fantastic. I'd agree that they could have replaced something like Sounds of Silence with a better song. I Am One > I Am One Part II. While it is an impressive performance, they should have closed with I Am One. Still, it's nice to see them revive an ancient song that they never did much with and make it better.

As Rome Burns kicks ass, every SP fan should listen to this (11/4 show is best). Fuck GLOW, put this on the radio. If they make this their next single and it sounds like it does on stage, it'll be their best since, uhh, Thirty-Three or something. This song is a complete slap in the face to anyone who says SP isn't as good as they used to be.

i don't like repeated jam out sessions on-stage either (from any band!)

SP isn't that excessive with the jam out sessions, they blend them into the songs quite nicely. Besides, how can you say that if you like the old Pumpkins? Need I remind you pretty much every live version of Silverfuck turns into some modified jam out session.

bums me out that corgan either wont or doesn't sing with much emotion anymore. i saw the performance of soma and he just kind of says the words. watch the vid off earphoria for soma and this performance to see the energy difference.

still pumped to see them in december! guess ill just have to accept that the pumpkins that were are no longer, but still a great band regardless :/

Uhh, Soma sounds fine. On Earphoria/Vieuphoria performances he's likely dropping acid, of course his voice is going to sound crazy. The way Billy sings Soma isn't 1994 Corgan, but it's definitely 1998 or 99 and I don't think you were this critical of the band then.

Also, did you download this 11/4 show I keep talking about? You can find it on archive.org.

As Rome Burns is awesome, Billy sounds like he does during the MCIS era. His vocals in Galapagos sound especially surprised me, it was extremely close to sounding like MCIS. True to the original, for sure.

And of course SP isn't the band they once were. Few bands rarely stay exactly the same over the years (unless you are some boring corporate rock outfit like Aerosmith or pretty much any country band), and SP is no exception. That doesn't mean they suck. They're far from sucking. Given what has happened, it's pretty shocking how they manage to still play amazing shows. In fact, I think their live show is just as good if not better than it has ever been; I'd argue it rivals their 1993/94 performances, the band is just so tight and Jimmy is consistently in top form, nothing less. Terrene will no doubt quote my previous sentence and tear me to shreds, but that's okay.

SP as a band has one of the tightest live shows out there right now. Billy's vocals not as "sincere" or whatever word you want to use to describe it? Oh well -- seriously, Smashing Pumpkins were never and will never be a band remembered by its vocals. Billy Corgan has always had a very love/hate voice. It can be loud and angsty or calmer; he's still Billy Corgan. Someone who never liked the Pumpkins because of Billy's voice won't care what era you try to shove in their face, it won't make a difference how Billy's singing impacts their opinion. You can't expect the guy to scream his head off like he did back in the day when he dropped acid, smoked tons of pot, and who knows what else.

Also, it's not like every song of theirs is some jam session. That said, they've always jammed at their concerts, that's why their live show is so awesome; it's spontaneous. Siva sounds like the early versions of it on stage, but better.

Haven't picked up the DVD yet because I'm broke, plus I'd like to see if a Blu-Ray version is announced since they did confirm the use of a bunch of HD cameras. Not exactly in a rush to get this; after you see the band live, that excitement kind of dies down because you know you got to see the real thing in person.

Spoiler

I'll probably end up buying this within a week, and then rebuy it once it comes out on Blu-Ray. Maybe.

 

[Oreoleo]

Nice post Diablos, you won't get too many disagreements out of me except I'd say the 93-94 shows were better. These are more on par with shows from 96-97 IMO.

What do you think of The March Hare?? I can't get enough of it personally. It's a great Jimmy showcase, as much as Gossamer is for Billy and Jeff. The next album has so much potential to be one of Billy's best (Gossamer, As Rome Burns, March Hare, Song for a Son etc etc) I hope he doesn't fuck it up with terrible production and a poor song selection.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

ive only heard a couple of the new songs, but i definitely do NOT like owata. as rome burns is awesome but i want to hear the album version as well.

 

[Seth C]

Haven't picked up the DVD yet because I'm broke, plus I'd like to see if a Blu-Ray version is announced since they did confirm the use of a bunch of HD cameras. Not exactly in a rush to get this; after you see the band live, that excitement kind of dies down because you know you got to see the real thing in person.

Spoiler

I'll probably end up buying this within a week, and then rebuy it once it comes out on Blu-Ray. Maybe.

Hey, I've seen the Pumpkins live and I still went out and bought the DVD today. I also have quite a bit of DVD quality footage that I shot myself from the tour last summer. Anyway, I've not had a chance to watch much of the set, just some of the concert footage. It is nice, and the audio quality is especially good.

I don't really need to re-buy the documentary in HD, but if they did a Blu-Ray of the concert footage I'd buy that.

 

[Oreoleo]

ive only heard a couple of the new songs, but i definitely do NOT like owata. as rome burns is awesome but i want to hear the album version as well.

That was my impression as well at first, but after listening to it 2 or 3 times it's really grown on me. Seeing it live didn't hurt, and it works well with the current stable of new acoustic SP songs: 99 Floors, Sunkissed, Rose March and Song for a Son even though they've only played it acoustic the one time.

 

[Macam]

I managed to get through Disc 1 of the new DVD and it's...peculiar. It's a lot more personal than anything they've put out before, so it has the good and bad aspects of Billy. At some points it seems somewhat pretentious, at others a bit cliché, but for the most part it's a good little read into the band and Billy's persona.

I went into the DVD blind and was expecting something more akin to the previous two SP DVDs, where it's mostly concert footage (behold, concert stuff is on Disc 2). The first disc is more like the Zwan DVD for anyone who remembers that. Luckily for SP fans, Billy seems to have put a fair number of the unreleased tracks as bonus material on Disc 2. I wish he'd have done that for the Zwan DVD, as there were quite a few promising tracks on there.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

diablos i got the 11/4/08 show from archive.org, pretty good so far but it again illustrates my point. just not the same energy. listen to bodies and compare it to the prior live versions or even the album version. in the album version he SCREAMS "NOOOOOOOBODIES EVER KNEW!!!!"

and live? "Nobodies ever knew." very pedestrian. maybe i'm expecting too much, maybe he just can't scream like he used to, but it's not the same song if he basically hums and sings the whole thing and declines the screaming!

 

[Macam]

I haven't even made it halfway through the concert disc of the DVD, but holy balls is it awesome. Lucky 13 is more aggressive and much more palatable live than it is off Machina II and Blue Skies Brings Tears gets better and better the more BC bends it into new forms. It's got all the quintessential elements of some of SP's better tracks. I only wish we didn't have to wait five years between DVD releases.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

i was reading about the new york shows and DAMN it sounded like the crowd hated it :lol

sounds like people wanted mostly older songs, and i can understand that. wait for the next tour to play new stuff. this tour should JUST be to highlight the career of the band, not to debut new stuff :/

 

[Infinitemadness]

I went to get the DVD last nite and my Best Buy sold out! I was like "wow!". Then they said they only got four copies in. Oh. :lol

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

i listened to some of the 11/4/08 show and i don't see why the NY crowd had such a problem. it is mostly old stuff they're playing with new stuff mixed in. plus not every song is a jam session.

leave it to those filthy new yorkers to cause trouble. come to los angeles pumpkins, we will appreciate you!

p.s. i know the 11/4 show was not IN new york, but the setlist i assume was similar

 

[Diablos]

See?!

 

[Diablos]

BILLY'S ON A ROLL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8PbB9g63WI
Flips out on a fan... he's pissed :lol :lol :lol :lol

Chicago joking/semi-rant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgcieNseX8Y

"You know, when I go home tonight -- yes, when I go home tonight -- and I masturbate, thinking of Sarah Palin... [something] right there... heh heh heh. I can't just find the power to get off, I just can't get there. Maybe it's the five kids, maybe it's Todd on the snow cycle..." :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Then he basically talks shit on all the critics who say no one cares anymore and jokingly says to the crowd, "why are you upset with us" and everyone cheers positively.

Then he hands the mic to the audience. It's pretty funny, heh.

Pitchfork and co. can fuck off for all I care. The setlists on this reunion tour have been great. They've played Siva, Soma, Transformer, Galagopos, Eye, Tonight, Galagopos, stuff I can't even remember, plus a bunch of hits -- what the fuck else do people want? Siamese Dream track by track? SP has always been a band that does what they want, and they give each show everything they've got. These shows have put more than enough emphasis on the old days of the band, or "SP1" as some people like to say. Billy can be a dick, but that's not surprising, regardless these shows have lived up to the standard of a 20th Anniversary Pumpkins show.

They are clearly drawing the line. Thanking the fans, and through their satire, acknowledging that they still represent a big chunk -- and telling the fussy fans that haven't been happy since 1996 or so to stay home because they'll never be happy. At this point, I can't blame him. SP is clearly a band that is evolving.

 

[Macam]

G.​L.​O.​W.​ video​ to debut​ on Myspa​ce Decem​ber 2nd!

Myspa​ce will be the desti​natio​n to view G.​L.​O.​W.​ on the inter​net Decem​ber 2nd!

For now, check​ out some still​s from the video​ on Smash​ingPu​mpkin​s.​ com

This will probably on par with Superchrist's production so I'm not expecting anything but a weird and cheap video, but that's fine by me. I'm just glad to see SP rolling out music and videos again -- and even better, they're using the online medium to roll them out.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

great show last night! im not sure if the setlists are staying the same for the shows but the performances were very good. the heavy metal machine version was better than the one i last saw.... at the end they actually play part of the original HMM and then segue directly into Glass' Theme which was cool.

then they ended with the kazoo version of we only come out at night and why do birds suddenly appear song. afterwards two douchebags were yelling "$70 FOR KAZOOS PEOPLE!" morans

what i liked most is that billy actually showed some emotion on stage and was screaming when he should, not just wading through the song. thumbs up pumpkins!

can't wait for tonights show!

 

[Infinitemadness]

"$70 FOR KAZOOS PEOPLE!" morans

Wow, I wonder if I was sitting by you. Two douchbags talked shit the WHOLE show. Kinda made me feel meh towards it. I have to say, great set list but was by far the weakest Sp show I've been to. Might of just been me though, as it was my buddy's first time seeing them and he loved it.

I'll be there tonight. I look forward to seeing what is different. Oh and the ending was great. Fuck YEA Kazoos! We only come out at night was a nice surprise! My friend even hoped they would play that and we were both laughing when they did.

 

[Macam]

By the way, the GLOW video is up on SP's MySpace page and probably on the SP page as well. Of course, it's not terribly good; had they just gone with the performance clips, which looked promising, it probably would've been noteworthy. It reminds me a bit of their Siamese Dream days thanks to the abundance of clowns, teenagers, and candy and ice cream that appears in the video, with a little Zwan styled touch from the portions where the band is playing.

 

[Diablos]

Blah, GLOW.

As Rome Burns must be a single. It absolutely must! Video too! Every music rhythm game! Rocks as hard as any other single they've done, if not harder!

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

last nights show was cool but lost a LOT of momentum with billys shitty little jam session near the end. i'm cool with jam sessions but it was some weird bongo shit. really broke up the pace of the show. they also ended with I Am One Pt 2, which i absolutely did not like. they needed to end the show strong and they didn't. how about just I Am One? that would have been awesome. but no...

the crowd was most pumped when they played cherub rock and segued directly into zero. great 2 show set, but i should have been a lot tigther and a lot better. i have no problem with new songs, old songs, etc. but those 10-15 minute weird ass "jams" broke shit up

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

i'm really not feeling these noise jams as of late

a lot of fans i know orgasm to them, but to me it just seems sonically desultory. but there are moments here it all comes together in an ethereal way (a la the newer version of Heavy Metal Machine, near the end) ... my guess is that it portends some kind of psychedelic/shoegaze direction the band is about to take.

 

[Infinitemadness]

last nights show was cool but lost a LOT of momentum with billys shitty little jam session near the end. i'm cool with jam sessions but it was some weird bongo shit. really broke up the pace of the show. they also ended with I Am One Pt 2, which i absolutely did not like. they needed to end the show strong and they didn't. how about just I Am One? that would have been awesome. but no...

the crowd was most pumped when they played cherub rock and segued directly into zero. great 2 show set, but i should have been a lot tigther and a lot better. i have no problem with new songs, old songs, etc. but those 10-15 minute weird ass "jams" broke shit up

I thought last nights show was better than the first. I thought the crowd was more into it. But I will jump on the "F Jams" bandwagon.

 

[Diablos]

last nights show was cool but lost a LOT of momentum with billys shitty little jam session near the end. i'm cool with jam sessions but it was some weird bongo shit. really broke up the pace of the show. they also ended with I Am One Pt 2, which i absolutely did not like. they needed to end the show strong and they didn't. how about just I Am One? that would have been awesome. but no...

the crowd was most pumped when they played cherub rock and segued directly into zero. great 2 show set, but i should have been a lot tigther and a lot better. i have no problem with new songs, old songs, etc. but those 10-15 minute weird ass "jams" broke shit up

What's wrong with jams?

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

dude, i like jams. i liked the extended versions of the songs he did at times.

what i DONT like is when billy doesn't have a guitar and he's dancing around the stage with a fucking bongo for 15 mins. it fucking sucked.

i don't EVER want to see billy corgan on stage without a guitar again.

 

[Diablos]

This will probably on par with Superchrist's production so I'm not expecting anything but a weird and cheap video, but that's fine by me. I'm just glad to see SP rolling out music and videos again -- and even better, they're using the online medium to roll them out.

Finally watched this... I like this video, heh. It actually makes the song a bit better for some strange reason.

Bunnies playing ping-pong during the tripped-out part is awesome :lol

 

[Diablos]

Heh, this is HUGE. Billy's being totally candid here...

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2008/12/billy-corgan-di.html

Billy Corgan dishes on the Smashing Pumpkins: The past is dead to me | Turn It Up - A guided tour through the worlds of pop, rock and rap

Billy Corgan dishes on the Smashing Pumpkins: The past is dead to me

Are rock bands meant to last 20 years?

“No, no, they’re not,” Billy Corgan said back stage Monday at the Auditorium Theatre. Which sounds a little odd coming from someone whose band, the Smashing Pumpkins, had just completed their 20th anniversary tour with a triumphant performance short on hits but long on drama and daring.

The tour was never smooth, with Corgan baiting his fans as much as sating them with a handful of Pumpkins oldies. When the Pumpkins opened a series of homecoming shows a few weeks ago, the 41-year-old west suburban native finished off the opening night at the Chicago Theatre with a combination rant/comedic monologue that angered many in his audience. “What do you want from us?” Corgan said with mock exasperation while fans booed or streamed toward the exits.

But on Monday the Pumpkins embraced delicate ballads, scorched-earth rockers and expansive psychedelia with authority. Corgan was in an affable mood, and the band ended the show by reaching into a coffin and tossing Christmas presents to the cheering fans.

It was a final joke from an artist who has always taken his work very, very seriously --- to the point of self-destructiveness. The 20th Anniversary tour and Corgan’s confrontational onstage antics are merely the latest examples of the band’s polarizing impact. Musically, the Pumpkins can still swing the heavy lumber. Only Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, the master drummer, remain from the original band. James Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky are long gone. The Pumpkins broke up in 2000, and Corgan says the “door was left open” for Iha and Wretzky to return when the band re-assembled in 2005. But things didn’t work out, and Jeff Schroeder and Ginger Reyes were enlisted to take their place.

The band’s 2007 comeback album, “Zeitgeist,” sank without a trace, but the retooled Pumpkins have developed a chemistry and power on the road since then.

Corgan, wrapped in a bathrobe and towels while chowing down on a post-concert steak, was upbeat and combatively optimistic about the future of Pumpkins Mach II. His message: We’re not a nostalgia band. “It’s not old band vs. new band,” he says. “It’s new band or no band.”

“Calling it a 20th anniversary tour, people expected greatest hits,” he says. “The casual fan who comes in and just wants to see the hits, they were not having it. But we’ve seen a real reactivation in the hardcore fan base.”

Tribune: Did the hostility of some of the audiences bother you?

Corgan: No, what bothers me is the notion that we’re done. We didn’t come back for the cash, we came back to be great again. It made me mad that people thought we’re done, that we don’t have a future. Get out. We don’t want you. We’ve never been that band. That happy band. We picked up where we left off. We’re not the retirement band playing our old hits. ... I don’t give a [expletive] that most of my heroes got lame when they turned 40. I spent most of the last decade thinking about that. Why do they go from this insanely high level of work to diminished echoes of the past? And I think it’s a coziness thing. You do something amazing and you don’t want to lose the crowd that tells you that’s amazing. You’re out in the cold. Well we like to be out in the cold. We’re done with the record business, so we’re free to do whatever I want.

Tribune: So “Zeitgeist” was the last album?

Corgan: We’re done with that. There is no point. People don’t even listen to it all. They put it on their iPod, they drag over the two singles, and skip over the rest. The listening patterns have changed, so why are we killing ourselves to do albums, to create balance, and do the arty track to set up the single? It’s done.

Tribune: So how will you release music?

Corgan: Our primary function now is to be a singles band, that drives Pumpkins Inc. through singles. We’ll still be creative, but in a different form. We won’t do shows like this anymore, where we try to draw a good crowd and balance the past with the present. We’ll go small and do exactly what we want to do and stop playing catalogue. We’ll be like a new band that can’t rely on old gimmicks. I’m not stupid. I want people to feel good about what we do. What we weren’t getting [from playing a more balanced show with older songs] was excitement. We’re in the polarizing business. We don’t want a pat on the back: Good to have you back. We want a reaction, even if it’s a negative reaction.

Tribune: People are still talking about that show you did a few weeks ago at the Chicago Theatre.

Corgan: Energy we can do something with. Apathy we can’t work with. Who’s above us? Who’s lighting the culture on fire? Nobody. We don’t have to live in that world. We have the biggest manager [Irving Azoff] in the world. He tells us we can get there, we will get there. We will crack the egg like we did in ‘92, without doing something embarrassing like working with Timbaland [Total diss on Chris Cornell there]. We will find how to do our thing and make it work. I can write songs. We’re big boys. We’ll do it. Last time I talked with you, I said we’re going to come back and make a better album. The album we made surprised us. We kept going back to this primitive thing. We wanted to do “Siamese Dream II.” Elaborate, orchestrated, but it wasn’t coming from me. It put us back in this organic process, and in this position of fighting back to why we do what we do. Now I understand it. It’s the difference between intellectual process and emotional process. We’re sober, healthy, we understand the business we’re in, and the pragmatic reality of what it takes. We have the skill set, we always have, and we belong in the conversation, and we will kick down the door to get back in the conversation. You take a milquetoast middle-of-the-road fake-tattoo band, we can out-write them. If you come up with the songs, the fans will show up. We found with “Zeitgeist” that the alternative audience isn’t alternative anymore. They’re a pop audience that listens to Nickelback. So doing a 10-minute song, nobody will listen to it. We have to come up with singles like “1999,” and come up with songs that sound good on the radio. We have to write those kinds of songs.

Tribune: Why’d you break up the Pumpkins in 2000?

Corgan: The real story was Iha was driving me out of my mind. He was so negative. The guy literally drove me insane. When I walked out of that band, I didn’t know what to do anymore. I didn’t have a direction, a central focus. I wandered through different things, but I couldn’t find that central thing. As soon as I got back in the band my brain started working again. I was engaged again.

Tribune: Did you make a sincere attempt to invite back Iha and D’Arcy?

Corgan: Sincere in the sense that we have to allow them the opportunity. They have the right to at least have the conversation. We said the door’s open. We were met with complete indifference. Darcy doesn’t care. And James, it was a money thing. They haven‘t done anything musical since they left. They were never that into it. They were into it in ‘92, when it was fun. When it got crazy, everyone went their separate ways. It’s like a bad marriage. So we opened the door [to them returning]. But there was no way they were gonna want to work like we want to work, and take on the crap of the business again. But we gave them the opportunity if they wanted it. Now that we’ve found people who we trust and are really dedicated, the door is closed. They’re done. They’re never coming back.

Tribune: But why call it the Pumpkins? It gives people a chance to doubt the band’s legitimacy and your motives.

Corgan: It’s my band. Anyone who doubts the legitimacy of this band can go [expletive] themselves. That’s old thinking about bands. Show me any band that lasts for any tenure, they don’t have the original members. This world doesn’t care about that. They just want to hear the songs. They got karaoke singers now fronting big bands.

Tribune: You said a few years ago that you were going to try and keep your mouth shut and let the music be the story. But that hasn’t been the case.

Corgan: I tried that for a while and it wasn’t working. I’m cemented in an image. I have to move to France to change that. I’m not a humble musician, but I am a humble human being, I have perspective, I have God in my life. [In the band] we talk a lot about spirituality and about why God made us musicians and why we’re here to do what we do. And we have decided in our estimation that God put us here to try new things, and be innovators. With all that’s going on in the world, is that the worst thing?

Tribune: That would seem to be the artist’s role.

Corgan: Let me be blunt. When Bruce Springsteen puts out a new album I pay attention. Same with Neil Young. Because they’re major artists who have something to say. I consider us in that category. When we do something it should be taken seriously, even when we’re off. If we’re marginalized by the culture, we’re not going to play dead and say thank you for our B-plus status. I poured my blood into my songs. I’ve had a bad marriage and seven bad girlfriends in a row. I make sacrifices to do my work. That’s not victim talk, that’s nobody’s fault, that’s a choice I made for me.

I don't even know what to say :lol

In all honesty though, I think he's right for the most part.

SP is going to be fundamentally different from this point forward.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

he is contradicting himself. he's saying they're going to do what they want and they dont have to do the record company thing, but then he says its going to be a "singles" band from here on out? or am i misunderstanding him?

either way i agree with some of what he says. i was thinking the other day about how there are no big bands anymore. i don't know if that is correct or i actually mean "no big bands that i actually like", but it's just reality to me.

i dont listen to too much radio anymore and when i do i feel like an old man scoffing at the music that is on the radio. i dont know if its because most new music is truly shitty or if im just out of touch and cant keep an open mind to new music. not that it really matters, you can't force yourself to like something you hate.

anyhow, i hope the pumpkins release more albums. i dont care if that means that they release songs on a monthly basis and then release an album at the end of the year with those 12 songs, but it just seems weird to not have an album out. billy has written a group of songs that would make a pretty decent album (rome burns, glow, song for a son, gossamer, etc), so i know he still has it in him.

 

[Diablos]

he is contradicting himself. he's saying they're going to do what they want and they dont have to do the record company thing, but then he says its going to be a "singles" band from here on out? or am i misunderstanding him?

either way i agree with some of what he says. i was thinking the other day about how there are no big bands anymore. i don't know if that is correct or i actually mean "no big bands that i actually like", but it's just reality to me.

i dont listen to too much radio anymore and when i do i feel like an old man scoffing at the music that is on the radio. i dont know if its because most new music is truly shitty or if im just out of touch and cant keep an open mind to new music. not that it really matters, you can't force yourself to like something you hate.

anyhow, i hope the pumpkins release more albums. i dont care if that means that they release songs on a monthly basis and then release an album at the end of the year with those 12 songs, but it just seems weird to not have an album out. billy has written a group of songs that would make a pretty decent album (rome burns, glow, song for a son, gossamer, etc), so i know he still has it in him.

He's not contradicting himself. He's basically saying they'll be a singles/EP band and will tend to focus on making a really good set of 4-5 songs or something. By doing that they'll release to radio in their own way, not based on a label pushing an album.

He hinted at this before, too. It's really not that big of a deal anymore. Listen to American Gothic and Superchrist and their production values. Even GLOW. They sound much better than Zeitgeist. When you do a studio album these days, you are confined to a lot of BS as set by the label and such.

edit: Billy responds to article...

I enjoyed talking to Greg. He is a very well-liked and respected writer, and outside of one small misquote (I don't recall saying we needed to write songs like '1999'. I think I said '1979'), the interview is an accurate potrayal of my feelings. But let's be clear here. I never said I would never play any old songs ever again. That's just drama if that's what people hear, or want to hear. What I've said is that we aren't going to play most of those old songs any more because it locks us into permanent reunion band mode, and we are over it. For some fans to be upset at a band that plays 48 songs over 2 nights, the great majority of which are old, shows you the level of insanity we deal with. The word is called entitled. If they are entitled to demand, we are entilted to be who we are without reservation. There is no apology in that. We feel good, happy, and strong, and that should be the story here. Nobody owns us. We own us. Where is the happy ending of 'the band that once self-destructed is back and playing great and is looking forward to the future?'

If you come see us on some crazy big tour you will hear a few familiar songs, because that is the right forum for it. But it certainly won't be the main focus. When we play small venues we won't be playing those songs pretty much at all cause that won't be the place for it anymore. But that doesn't mean we are even gonna play at all. It doesn't make sense to some now and we understand and we are ok with those that leave because they are stuck in some year from a different decade. We'll be fine without them. Thanks, and goodbye. Just remember us when we say 'I told you so'. Because we are on our way back, and that's that. (Insert smiley face right fucking here). As I said to some fans, if after 20 years we are one song, or one show away from losing your loyalty, good riddance then. We don't need that energy around us.

Our message has been consistent: don't ask us to do or be anything that will once again lead to the death of the band. The band's survival comes first. We can debate aesthetics and marketing platforms later. If you want us to fall away, fade away like some dust and relics it aint gonna happen. We are here to stay. We deserve to be here, and are proud of what we have gotten right thru the years. And we are truly grateful to those fans that trust us like family. The kind of extended family where you can make a mistake, say something not quite the right way, and still be welcomed home. There will never be anything wrong with flying too close to the sun.

God bless everybody here, BC

I figured as much about 1999 meaning 1979, heh.

He is absolutely right by the way. They're playing tons of old songs.

In all honesty, if I could be totally straightforward, a lot of us Pumpkinheads are spoiled. This band plays longer shows, releases more material and talks with their fans more than mostly any other band at their level that I can think of right now. A lot of fans really are crazy.

 

[Macam]

As long as BC and JC are writing and playing music, I'm happy. I disagree with the nonsense about production values and I have no qualms with SP's music if it comes in album form, online form, or some other form; it all sounds good. As long as I can access and own it, that's fine. I was happy to see Glow and Superchrist released on iTMS, and I hope we see a lot more of that.

 

[Diablos]

As long as BC and JC are writing and playing music, I'm happy. I disagree with the nonsense about production values and I have no qualms with SP's music if it comes in album form, online form, or some other form; it all sounds good. As long as I can access and own it, that's fine. I was happy to see Glow and Superchrist released on iTMS, and I hope we see a lot more of that.

I wasn't necessarily dissing Zeitgeist. But it's a fact that Superchrist and American Gothic (and to a lesser extent, GLOW) sound cleaner.

 

[Infinitemadness]

Man. I love Billy.

 

[distantmantra]

Corgan better not abandon physical releases.

 

[Zilch]

Stereogum got it right: "Billy Corgan Promises No More Albums, Only Singles That Nickelback Fans Will Like"

 

[Diablos]

Stereogum got it right: "Billy Corgan Promises No More Albums, Only Singles That Nickelback Fans Will Like"

That doesn't even make sense. Stereogum only got it right because ripping on Billy Corgan as if he's as relevant as he was in 1994 is fun to indie snobs.

btw, the Tribune made a typo. He said 1979, not 1999, so if that's where they got the joke from they fail along with the trib.

Corgan better not abandon physical releases.

I doubt everything will have a physical release. Especially if he's going to truly go it alone.

 

[Windu]

:lol @ Billy. So I guess I'm going to have to watch the band extra closely now or I'll miss some songs? I was just waiting for the next album but I guess that might not happen.

 

[Rukes]

Here's some pics from last Wednesday's show in LA, by the way:

http://photo.rukes.com/smashingpumpkins/smashingpumpkins.html

 

[Bebpo]

Those are nice pics. I wonder what kind of camera he used.

Has anyone bought any of the music off that site with the live shows? How is the sound quality? $15 is a little pricey per show unless the quality is soundboard and damn good.

Also, any word on what's the best 2 night show to download both nights of? It seems like the setlists are pretty similar so I guess it would depend on sound quality and how well they played.

 

[Diablos]

Here's some pics from last Wednesday's show in LA, by the way:

http://photo.rukes.com/smashingpumpkins/smashingpumpkins.html

Nice! Did you take them for the band, the press...?

:lol @ Billy. So I guess I'm going to have to watch the band extra closely now or I'll miss some songs? I was just waiting for the next album but I guess that might not happen.

What do you mean? You'll still b e waiting for new songs, they will be announced, etc. Just as EP's and not full albums.

After a couple years I would not be surprised if they put out something like an album again.

 

[Rukes]

1Ds MkIII and for Roland. Most of the pics are of Lisa for them, but they didn't get put up of course.

 

[Bebpo]

1Ds MkIII and for Roland. Most of the pics are of Lisa for them, but they didn't get put up of course.

Oh wow, didn't realize you were the one who took them. They look really good. The mix of colors and positioning and sharpness is just ~~

What kind of lens do you use and about how far away were you when you took those if you don't mind me asking?

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

lisa was looking pretty hot on both nights.... ginger too!

i wish someone had a video of them scissoring each other....

 

[Rukes]

Oh wow, didn't realize you were the one who took them. They look really good. The mix of colors and positioning and sharpness is just ~~

What kind of lens do you use and about how far away were you when you took those if you don't mind me asking?

Both the 24-70L IS f/2.8 and the 85L f/1.2 and I was in the security pit at the foot of the stage.

 

[Diablos]

lisa was looking pretty hot on both nights.... ginger too!

i wish someone had a video of them scissoring each other....

:lol :lol :lol

Anyway, Rukes, seriously -- nice pics.