Smashing Pumpkins: Fresh Fruit or Rotten Veg?

D'arcy rules so hard

I predict that if the original four of them start playing together that within months they'll be at each others throats again... and if they manage to make a record before dissolving in acrimony, in the afternath Billy will be all like "I did all the work, as usual. Me, me, memememememeeeeee!"

― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Monday, July 24, 2017 3:55 PM (six months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Well, it didn't actually get as far as all four of 'em playing together, so... 'nuff said.

Far out, I did not know this existed. http://billycorgan.livejournal.com/tag/confessions

wow

i dunno why i'm surprised that billy corgan, perhaps the livejournaliest rock star of his generation, did indeed have a livejournal, but here we are

[ Tags | 1973, confessions, kicking ass, playing doctor, vagina, writing lines ]

i guess corgan was a big chelsey minnis fan...

The D’arcy interview inspired me to play a bunch of Smashing Pumpkins bass parts on Rocksmith (this game rules btw) yesterday. They are all pretty fun but certainly not complicated. I don’t understand why you would need a studio musician to tour with. Especially Peter Hook’s son (???). However, I suppose there’s a difference between playing in my living room and a stadium (or large theater ... or probably an “intimate” theater ... or whatever the Smashing Pumpkins can sellout in 2018).

Regardless, whatever bassist they have should get combat pay for sitting through the first half of Disarm.

If you’re curious, it’s enough time to finish a boss in the Dungeon Run mode of Hearthstone.

You guys haven’t read his confessions?? Oh my god... you thought the Kim thayil article was rich

Los Angeles, CA - FEBRUARY 15, 2018 - GRAMMY® Award-winning, acclaimed alternative rock pioneers The Smashing Pumpkins today announced the Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour, their first tour in nearly 20 years to feature founding members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha. Produced by Live Nation, the 36-city tour will kick off in Glendale, AZ on July 12, 2018 and visit North American arenas throughout the summer. Tickets for the Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour will go on sale to the general public
starting next Friday, February 23 at 10:00am local time and be available at www.smashingpumpkins.com, LiveNation.com, and via the Live Nation App.

“Some 30 years ago, as The Smashing Pumpkins, James Iha and I began a musical journey in the cramped rear bedroom of my Father's house. And so it's magic to me that we're able to coalesce once more around the incredible Jimmy Chamberlin, to celebrate those songs we've made together,” shared Corgan.

The band broke news of the tour this morning with a dramatic video featuring original Siamese Dream album cover stars Ali Laenger and LySandra Roberts. Watch the clip HERE.

https://youtu.be/_Axm5b3i1gA

The monumental Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the band’s formation, will highlight music from the group’s inception through 2000, and will exclusively feature material from their groundbreaking debut Gish through Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Adore, and Machina. Longtime Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder will also take part, as the band moves to a three guitar lineup to better emulate the signature tones and textures of their albums.

“This show and staging will be unlike any we've ever done, and will feature a set unlike any we've ever played. For if this is a chance at a new beginning, we plan on ushering it in with a real bang,” added Corgan.

Unlike any we've ever done and a new beginning, says Corgan, as he reunites most of the band to tour the hits.

July 12 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
July 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
July 16 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
July 17 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
July 18 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
July 20 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
July 21 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
July 22 – Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Aerna
July 24 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
July 25 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
July 27 – Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena
July 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
July 29 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
July 31 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
August 1 – New York City, NY @ Madison Square Garden
August 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
August 5 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
August 7 – Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
August 8 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
August 11 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
August 13 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
August 16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
August 17 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
August 19 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
August 20 – Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink Center
August 21 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
August 24 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
August 25 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
August 27 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
August 28 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
August 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
September 1 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
September 2 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
September 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
September 5 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
September 7 – Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center

so Billy has said having Jimmy back means they can play "3 hour sets" - I expect hits from every era, plus a handful of the epics like Porcelina, Geek, Soma, Mayo, Ruby... sounds pretty good to me. and glad I won't have to travel to see this

I have serious doubts about them being able to fill such big arenas in so many cities.

What's the biggest audience the Pumpkins have played in the last 11 years?

*played to

They are all pretty fun but certainly not complicated. I don’t understand why you would need a studio musician to tour with.

as opposed to what, a DAT? they want a musician who is physically and mentally willing and capable of playing for hours, travelling for months, and handling interpersonal stress.

The press release going to great lengths to stress “only the good years”...

yeah^

i also have serious doubts about them being able to fill these arenas, even with james & jimmy back. I went to the 2012 Barclays show promoting Oceania that came out on blu-ray, and the place was at most half full. it was pathetic. then again, to the general public, SP2 basically doesn't exist... most people don't even know they ever got back together. Zeitgeist was over a decade ago. so this could get people out that weren't even aware of all the shit Billy's been up to since 2000. especially since this tour is backed by LiveNation, promotion is going to be more intense (i.e. billboards in times square)

No Philly or Camden on the first leg? That seems odd.

also weird that there's a baltimore gig but no DC gig

...probably because the arena in baltimore is half the size of the one they'd play in DC...

My son just texted me asking if I wanted to go to their Austin show. Not sure how I feel about that.

I'm struggling to think of another band where the gulf between how much I love the music and how irritating I find the people that made it is this wide.

will david lee roth be in this lineup

let's have an all-plastic-surgery lineup: D'arcy on bass, DLR on vox, Larry Mullet Jr on drums, Tori on keybs, a rotating assortment of 80s metal dudes on guitar

Izzy Stradlin!

I'm surprised to hear that a bunch of my son's high school friends are also hyped up about this tour. I had no idea that today's youth had an interest in this old timey muzak. It's kind of like when Pink Floyd and Page/Plant got back together in the 90s.

Frances Bean Cobain & Krist Novocelic Present: The Nirvana Experience (Featuring Dave Grohl)

honestly surprised that he's actually doing pre-Zeitgeist material only, with no mention of whatever new music they were working on. that can only be a good sign

So otm & also a huge selling point for most ppl I know. Because some of them were there in 2008 for the 10 minute covers of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”

Zwan did a killer cover of Silver Machine when I saw them at the Metro, iirc

To be fair there are 5 or so post-Machina II songs that I’d be happy to hear live in addition to the old stuff. It hasn’t been ALL bad.

yeah i know but dont give the big bad bald man any ideas

“And here’s an old favorite: ‘Being Beige’!”

What was that? A sequel to Mayonaise or something?

Lol

"This is a song about a jerk, I hexed him and now he's losing his hair"

Fresh Fruit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS-ThN4aEDU

I confess that I haven't heard all that much of their stuff but based on what I have heard, the Smashing Pumpkins' popularity might baffle me more than anything else in music. The music may be good but then the 'vocals' come in and to all my perception those are nothing more than utterly unpleasant croaking.

I like New Order's 'Get Ready' a lot but always hated their choice to feature Corgan on Turn My Way. He opens his mouth and the song is spoiled.
Bowie did that 50th birthday show with guest musicians, two songs with Corgan, same story: to my ears, it's a musical massacre. He doesn't add anything to the songs/show but detriment. For me, it was a struggle to listen to the songs with him.
And I've never been able to understand why so many people do like his stuff; why even someone like Bowie would invite him to 'sing' along on that special stage.

only young people and dogs can fully hear his singing

I know what you mean, I feel the same way about Bjork

StanM - that's one of the best responses I ever had.

I can see how Bjork could have a similar effect on people. I actually do like her vocals a lot!

His nasal whine is a big part of what I love so much about the first two albums, I can't really think of any voice that would go better.

i thought this was cool, the bat strat thru the years:

http://data.whicdn.com/images/23707630/bat-strat3_large.jpg

corgan! a study in glumness, coming summer 2018 from taschen

tour is already a disaster, not selling anywhere: https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/02/smashing-pumpkins-reunion-tour-doesnt-appear-to-be-selling-very-well/

i'm feeling pretty disgusted with Billy lately, mostly re: stuff in the D'arcy interviews. 1) this is a completely cynical cash grab because Bill got himself in a financial hole buying all those wrestling companies 2) he gave D'arcy the runaround and never seriously considered having her on the tour, and didn't even have the basic courtesy of working out an offer 3) even though it's not exactly news, the stories that D'arcy has told have - for the first time - made it hard for me to listen to SP music.

not sure if yall read the outtakes from the interview, but Billy straight up refused to play "Daydream" in the Gish/SD years because fans wanted to hear it so much & he just couldn't stand D'arcy or anyone else getting any attention. the other revelation from these interviews is the extent to which Billy sidelined D'arcy through the original run & how much the fans lost out on because of his petty insecurities. with James, we got what he could give, and as evidenced by his solo work, he was not a repressed talent like George Harrison. we got Jimmy's contributions obviously. but D'arcy recorded backup vocals for almost all of the songs on MCIS only to have Billy cut them at the last second. he wouldn't let her sing. and now all this false positivity on his instagram because he is nervous as fuck, this tour looks like a disaster, and he totally posted that "proposed" song list the day tickets went on sale purely to generate headlines. he asked fans to post and hashtag any favorites he might've missed. AND THEN he goes on instagram the next day and says "whoa whoa whoa, i only asked for 1 or 2 suggestions, not whole setlists, also why did you flood my DMs? you were supposed to hashtag. besides i've been writing setlists for 35 years, I think I've got this." FUCK YOU

I know this might all be so obvious to some of you but the extent to which SP's "abusive household" dynamic and Billy's unrelenting toxicity to everyone that ever cared about him AND his inexplicable disdain for his fans is all becoming clearer and it makes me sick.

I never noticed how much Amanda Knox looks like Billy Corgan before

I've been listening to Gish again thanks to all these threads and I still love the whole thing, though now "I'm Going Crazy" bugs me because it seems like he tacked that filler on at the end because no way was D'arcy gonna have the last word on his album.

Reading Billy's instagram has reminded me that he's the type of guy who uses the word "whilst."