?
Billy Blog [entries|archive|friends|userinfo]
Journal

Official Site | News
User Profile | Info

Links
[Links:| Add BC to your friendslist | Confessions | Twitter ]

The Smashing Pumpkins Archive Project [Jun. 7th, 2011|09:45 am]
Billy Corgan
The SP archive project, for which we don't yet have an official nom de plume, is now fully underway. People are being hired, wired, and fired up with this insane pile of stuff to go through. The main focus of our tape transfers is to take any materials from 1985-1994 that are relevant to the Gish, Siamese Dream, or Pisces Iscariot albums and get them into a stable, 96k format. This makes it easier for me to instantly jut around and hear what we have. It is a surreal experience to listen to a demo from 1987 and have no memory of ever recording it, but knowing from the chords and the style that is indeed you that is playing!

A few days ago I started to listen through, in no particular order, to demo tapes related to those early years, and found a lot of ideas that sounded fresh and interesting to me, considering I know now the outcome of those different approaches and interests as I was laying them out then in pursuit of a new sound. Most of the materials would be of little interest to the mainstream fan, but the beauty is we can release these ideas and snippets if we can find the right way to do so. If I had to make a choice today, it would probably be something along the lines of outline the project, and see who might want to buy in with a guarantee that they are assured a limited edition pressing. We all know the songs will be bootlegged, there is no mystery in that anymore, but I feel that because of what these ideas are, in essence a real peek under the covers of how these albums came together, that there will be enough fans who would want to own a physical copy. Putting them together for digital consumption is easy, but probably not going to excite enough people. I know I get motivated when I think about a 20 album vinyl set of my demos from 1985-1994, even if only 500 fans wanted every one, because it means together we get to make something permanent that requires love, and a cover photo, and some liner notes, etc. In essence it is motivating to share more than just a digital file; to make art.



Our main focus in the short term however is to find the relevant songs to be part of the bonus disc on each release, and to get these together in time to get out before Christmas of this year. There are many obvious choices to choose from, for example 'Drown' from the Singles soundtrack and 'Starla', which was the B-side of the UK 'I am One' single for 'Gish' bonus disc. On the surface, if you already own those songs, you might say 'why do I need them again?' Which is a good question I myself ask as a fan. So for example, for 'Drown', we may release an alternate version with has a completely different take of the long end guitar solo, mixed by Butch Vig in 1992. With 'Starla', we've talked about a completely new Kerry Brown mix 2011 style, with the original mix still being available on the 'Pisces Iscariot' record. These of course are those more known titles, but we remain hopeful to find those hidden gems that have never been heard by anyone. For example, I came across a tape the other day where I had played live, right onto an 8 track recorder, 5 songs acoustic, 'Rocket' being one of them. This version I know has never been bootlegged out. But I also found on that same tape 2 unknown songs which are half-written, with me kind of faking lyrics as I often do when I'm writing a song. I never had any intention for anyone to ever hear these versions, and in their raw form are probably not release worthy, at least not commercially. But what I might do is 'finish' the songs now; record a final version after all these years with me on guitar and voice alone, and provide those half-baked versions on the SP facebook page for everyone to enjoy a lost moment in time. So lots of exciting choices as well to come.


WPC

Link28 Comments | Comment

Written to you from a not-so distant shore... [Jun. 3rd, 2011|01:00 pm]
Billy Corgan
We are now in our fourth week of working on the record, aptly dubbed, for reasons too numerous to count, 'Oceania'. Luckily for all of us it rolls off the tongue easier than say Teargarden by Kaelidyscope. I have seen some professed confusion here and there about how Oceania may fit into Teargarden as a whole and my answer to that would be 'quite nicely, thank you'!

Teargarden was conceived in my head and heart as a documented journey of faith. Where it differentiates from the classic album model is that it is an attempt to capture an arc of expression as opposed to the just result of a foregone conclusion. Teargarden is about the confusion that comes from asking a very real question;, 'how do you make something work that appears to all to be broken?'

I myself feel quite whole and happy in my life, and would love to find once again the magic within/without, without, mind you, the classic costs associated with successful rock and roll. If I once made a strong sound from a place of existential pain and self-loathing theatricality, certainly success would now be to make fantastic music from a healed heart. So 'Oceania' is that next step in my own journey to see if I can actually pull that trick off. In order for me to have taken that first step, I had to start off from a real place of inner truth.

So a year and a half ago, drummer Mike Byrne, bassist Mark Tulin, producers Kerry Brown and Bjorn Thorsrud and I took those first glances into the void, as friends and brothers . Because I was so uncertain as to where it all went, I made no promises to myself that there would ever come the day of another Pumpkins release, much less a stage show to follow. It was for me an all-or-nothing proposition to try to pick back up the real pieces; if there were even any to pick back up. I was certainly focused in those first days of recording on the core feeling behind what we were doing than the actual results. That is not to say I do not embrace that music, for each song is loved by me.

This thinking would have been impossible for me 20 years ago, as success was measured for me on someone else's value system, and not my own. I was willing then to willingly submit myself to that system to get what I wanted, which was frankly to be heard. Ahh, the wonderful, vain dreams of a young man. I am lucky now to be surrounded by so much love and support in the group and in my life. Whatever comes as the result of this union is far better in my eyes now than chasing that old kind of success, for to me that type of success gained at such a high cost would no longer be success at all.

And with that preamble, an update: So far, we have laid down the drums for 13 songs, one of which we choose to take off, so that leaves us with 12. Until we get into finishing each one that may be the final number or less I'm guessing. This also doesn't preclude me writing a new song that would be easier to record without drums, or having to wait to cut it when Mike would come back out towards the end of the process to add backing vocals. Putting myself back into 'album thinking' as opposed to 'song at a time thinking' has pushed me to write some really strong songs that fit together as a whole. I know I am prone to grandiose hyperbole at times but I feel this is as strong a batch of Pumpkins songs as I have written for a very, very long time. These songs have come from a place that has laid long dormant within me, and quite honestly I wasn't sure I would ever come into contact with ever again. It has surprised me that that young voice is as strong as ever, and was just waiting for the perfect moment to come back and assert some authority. It has honestly taken this circuitous journey, and this wonderful band, for me to feel safe enough again to open back up with joy.

So it's now Nicole's turn to put down all her bass parts. Because we tracked live together, Nicole has had time to really work on her parts, which are complex and at times dizzying. I am always thrilled with how she re-interprets my progressions and hands them back to me sort-of upside down. Mike did a fantastic job playing on these songs, his strongest drumming yet, as he is coming into his own style and still wrapping his head around the complex dynamic shades of SP. Because the sound of this record from a guitar standpoint with be a hazy and clear wall of loud guitars, our next few days will be focused on getting a unique bass sound that will ring through the big wall so all of Nicole's wonderful parts can be heard. I'm really excited as this record will afford some really inventive, progressive, and flat-out cool guitar stuff, hence the need for a new fuzz thanks to Devi Ever and the dusting off from the closet of some of ye' olde pedals.

I know that there are so many Smashing Pumpkins fans out there rooting for us to get this right, to make really emotional, beautiful, and epic music together. Those of you that have kept their faith in me, and opened their arms to Jeff, Nicole, and Mike have inspired us to reach just that little deeper than maybe we would left to our own devices. It is that Love that pushes us, and nothing else.

WPC
Link10 Comments | Comment

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS WILL GET THE FULLY REMASTERED TREATMENT [Apr. 26th, 2011|10:11 pm]
Billy Corgan
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS
WILL GET THE FULLY REMASTERED TREATMENT
AS EMI MUSIC ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE PLANS TO REISSUE
THE BAND’S ACCLAIMED CATALOG
STARTING WITH ‘GISH,’ ‘SIAMESE DREAM’ AND ‘PISCES ISCARIOT’
THIS FALL


BAND WILL ALSO RECORD NEW ‘ALBUM WITHIN AN ALBUM’ IN MAY



Starting this fall (exact date TBA), EMI Music will honor the legacy of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS with an extensive campaign that will see the iconic band’s albums from 1991-2000 reissued in fully remastered deluxe versions, each with bonus material.


With the full support and guidance from THE SMASHING PUMPKINS--who’ve created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history, selling over 30 million albums--EMI will roll out the global catalog campaign with the band’s 1991 debut album GISH, 1993’s SIAMESE DREAM and the 1994 compilation album PISCES ISCARIOT. 



The excitement will continue into 2012 when EMI will reissue 1995’s nine-times-platinum double album MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS, 1996’s five-disc box set THE AEROPLANE FLIES HIGH and 1998’s ADORE. 


In 2013, their 2000 albums MACHINA/THE MACHINES OF GOD and MACHINA II: THE FRIENDS & ENEMIES OF MODERN MUSIC will be unified into one package.  A best-of compilation will also be released in 2013. The pivotal group’s many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation.



This news comes as THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have announced they will head into the studio in May to record  OCEANIA--“an album within an album”--as part of their in-progress 44-song work TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, nine songs of which have already been released online for free (with two elaborately packaged EPs available in stores).  The 10 new songs from OCEANIA will be released online at once in September (exact details TBA). The band is also eyeing a possible return to the road this August.  Meanwhile, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will release one more song (“Owata”) next week (details TBA) from TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE before they take a break to record OCEANIA.



BILLY CORGAN, vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter for THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, is excited by the partnership with EMI and how this will result in the release of Pumpkins material that’s in the vaults. “What makes the deal with EMI groundbreaking is the band has secured the right to all unreleased materials and will be in charge of any additional releases based on our discretion,” says BILLY CORGAN, who founded the band in Chicago in 1988.  “In essence, the band has the keys to the warehouse and can release whatever we want, when we want it. EMI totally supports this right, and they are our partners in it.” 



Colin Finkelstein, COO of EMI Music North America, said, “THE SMASHING PUMPKINS is a hugely influential and groundbreaking band, and EMI Music is pleased to partner with them for this global catalog initiative.  We’re excited to work with Billy Corgan to release remastered and expanded editions of the band’s visionary albums, including previously unreleased recordings, and for EMI Music to exclusively distribute other gems from THE SMASHING PUMPKINS vaults, as sourced by Billy.”


About THE SMASHING PUMPKINS:
The Smashing Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history and sold over 30 million albums.  Formed in Chicago in 1988, they released Gish, their influential (and platinum) debut in 1991, which was followed by more platinum and multi-platinum albums including the nine-time platinum Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and the four-time platinum Siamese Dream as well as the platinum certified 1998 album Adore.   The pivotal group’s many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation.   The Pumpkins returned in 2007 with their gold-certified and acclaimed sixth album Zeitgeist, which entered the charts at Number 2 in the U.S. and in the Top Ten internationally.    Since their triumphant return to the stage in 2007, the Pumpkins have headlined some of the biggest events around the globe including the Reading Festival, Rock Am Ring, and the V fest.  In 2008, the band was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk. Their first post-major label release was the song “Superchrist,” issued via the Guitar Center CD Fresh Cuts Vol. 2.  They subsequently recorded the song--the modern rock hit--“G.L.O.W.” for the Guitar Hero® World Tour game, marking the first time a band has recorded a new song exclusively for the franchise. In November 2008, the band released their first live DVD, If All Goes Wrong.  In December 2009 The Smashing Pumpkins began releasing Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, a 44-song work with songs being released online one at a time for free (4-song physical EPs will be made available as the songs are released, such as the first one: Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol 1: Songs For A Sailor, issued May 25, 2010 thru Martha’s Music/Rocket Science Ventures). This was followed by a second EP--Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol. II: “The Solstice Bare”--released November 23, 2010 via Martha’s Music/Rocket Science Ventures.   The group’s BILLY CORGAN has said the new music “harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.” 




LinkComment

Lightnining Strikes [Mar. 22nd, 2011|04:21 am]
Billy Corgan


Life on telephones/Love on open roads
Into great unknowns I stumble brightly
Indigo/breathless yet
I’ll link to your regret
Sunflowers as teachers pets/Bent from lightning
I’ll bet/I’ll bend for you
Shadows give your light to me
Shadows give your light to me

In the ways the city pours itself out
You can make this happen
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen all right now

Eastern days I’m unfraid/cause love to me is such a game
that I believe I can’t embrace/the dreams of lovers
Shadows give your light to me
Shadows give your light to me

In the ways the city pours itself out
You can make this happen
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen all right now

Zen baby/lightning strikes
the same heart/but never twice
Zen baby/we’ve got to fight
what’s real and what becomes the night

In the ways the city pours itself out
You can make this happen
Beyond your doubt
You can make this happen all right now

download for free at smashingpumpkins.com
Link10 Comments | Comment

Metro, dec 2, 2000... dusting off my brain now... [Dec. 3rd, 2010|03:28 pm]
Billy Corgan
wow...10 years since the 'last' old SP break-up show...how time flies...i'll post some reflections on that show on here later today. hope everyone is having a GREAT day...going to the ocean now to say my prayers and make amends xo

first thing that comes to mind is that we only had about 6 days to prepare the about 14 or so extra songs that we added to try to make the show both historic and memorable. normally this much work in such a short time would have been met with resistance, but everyone was in good spirits to have the 11 months of touring finally over. my original plan was to book the metro out for the whole month of January and make one last album, writing songs and recording them live in rehearsal and then playing them at night at the 'shows'...can't remember how many shows we would have done per week? maybe 3 or 4. Iha+ Auf Der Maur hated the idea and said no.... a shame, could have been amazing. band was tight at that point and i was motivated to write more. we had the 2nd to last show at The United Center, and we wanted to film that as well. unfortunately the building wanted to charge us (i could be wrong but...) 50,000$ just for the 'right' to film, not counting the actual costs it would have been to film. so there is no video that i know of. if there is it might be... a lone camera. that show was amazing, although we were criticized for opening the show acoustic. we had been opening with 5 songs acoustic in Europe as a way to set a different tone because each night the audience was thinking they were seeing the band for the last time. there the audiences went with the somber beginning, and so i stupidly assumed that an American audience would go the same way with it. Wrong...!

once we finally lit it up with 'glass' theme (song 6) the place went nuts. for the Metro show itself, we found someone to be a clown in between acts, to hold the sign up announcing each of the 3 parts. what most people don't know is that the kid doing it (a total coincidence) was related to Jonathon Melvoin. i found out before the show, but i took it as a sign that his spirit was with us... in the building that night so i said i was fine with it.

we played 38 songs i believe, over 4 hours of music. i had never played that long before, nor have i since. i wasn't even sure my voice would hold up that long, but it did. actually it got stronger as the night went on. the first song was 'rocket', which we were supposed to play after the mellon collie theme intro, which was played off a cd. the theme finished, i lit into the opening riff of 'rocket'. unfortunately, no one turned off the cd, , so as i was playing i heard 'tonight, tonight' come blaring out of the p.a....classic SP fuck-up for trying to be fancy. the show as i remember was fairly good, but incredibly hot and at about 90 min in the crowd was just totally worn out. i thought to myself 'wow, we got a long way to go!'.

act 2 honestly felt like a sad funeral, and people started talking. i felt the whole thing slipping away from me, but i realized that it was all part of the journey of death that we were on. life moves on, and when the show was over i too had to move on. i honestly thought that it would be the last time i would play most of these songs, and it felt good to let them go.

act three was designed to bring the energy back up, and it did. the last encore i think was 'silverfuck', which had a lot of improvisation in it. it wasn't all planned out, and i remember thinking of my deceased mother alot. it all came down to 'where was mommy?' in the end of it all, as it begins so does it end. ...i turned to look at Jimmy and said 'that's it', and it ended without form best as i remember. i broke down on stage crying but i remember being quite embarassed about it. i've thought about that moment many times, and i wish in hindsight that i'd let myself just have a good cry right then and there, because you won't find yourself in a spot like that many times in your life. after we had a little party, playing dvd bootlegs of the band on a screen on stage.

once it was over, there was a shift, so playing the videos felt like watching a car crash again and again. it was overkill for everyone, including me. pictures and Chopin would have been better. i asked where James was, and someone had said he had left, without saying goodbye to me or Jimmy, a real final fuck you... in my eyes. outside of a phone conversation about business in 2001, i haven't seen him since. one more thing: please stop asking about the show ever coming out (i say this good heartedly). it will come out when the time is right. it should have come out in 2001 but EMI squashed it, and we got the rights back. hopefully it will be put out one day when all the albums get re-issued. it would make sense for it to come out with the Machina era stuff.

i think as more time goes by we all should look at SP as having 2 totally different eras, 'old school' and 'new school' or whatever. call it what you want, the SP of 2005-2010 and counting has been a different animal, albeit with similar goals set in a different world. 'old' SP ended exactly 10 years ago this night, and it a'int ever coming back. from my vantage point, that's a good thing. that band will never sell out and never grow old gracefully (because honestly it couldn't). long live SP 1987-2000 a great fucking band when it was 'on'. and a nightmare when it was 'off'.

thanks for checking out these thoughts/memories, love BC

(from Billy Corgan's Facebook)
Link3 Comments | Comment

PINK FLOYD [Dec. 3rd, 2010|03:26 pm]
Billy Corgan
Seeing a masterwork like 'The Wall' performed by great, dedicated musicians reminded me of the crazy dreams i once had; that music, with a real deep intention and spirit behind it, had the power to positively change the world. i am once again inspired to try. Thank you Roger, Dave, ...Richard, and Nick! I shall soldier on LOL. Jessica and I went last night to see Roger Waters perform 'The Wall', and i have to say as much of a fan of that particular work as i already am, seeing it staged live blew my mind. a really fantastic and memorable performance of an epic body of songs.


(from Billy Corgan's Facebook)
Link3 Comments | Comment

Facebook musings. [Dec. 3rd, 2010|03:25 pm]
Billy Corgan
the last time i had been that far south in the Americas was with Zwan in 2003, and although i had enjoyed it, there wasn't a lot of energy waiting down there for us on that tour. The 1998 tour i was seriously ill and honestly don't remember much of it, but the fact that it was during the Adore era meant that the show... didn't have the common SP Rawk power behind it. That leaves only the few scant SP shows in 1996 as any indication of what a motivated hot-blooded crowd can do when mixed positively with the dynamics of the up and down, loud and soft and spacey.So i went into this tour with high hopes, and a real sense of purpose because i know how long fans from that part of the world had asked and even begged me to bring this incarnation back around. Let me say first the fans in all 5 cities (buenos aires, sao paulo, santiago, lima, and bogota) were fantastic. It took us a few days to find our groove, with all the flying and off days in between every show. The tour ended stronger than it began. I'd like to come back down no later...than 2 years from now. So thank you again fans from this last tour that came! I hope it was worth the wait for all of us.

love, BC

(from Billy Corgan's new Facebook. add, 'like' or spike it)
Link1 Comment | Comment

EP to be released November 23, 2010. [Nov. 18th, 2010|06:57 pm]
Billy Corgan
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS ANNOUNCE NOVEMBER 23 AS THE STREET DATE FOR THEIR NEXT EP TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. II "THE SOLSTICE BARE"

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will release TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. II "THE SOLSTICE BARE" on November 23 via Martha's Music/Rocket Science Ventures. This physical-only four-song EP is a limited-edition, beautifully packaged CD & deluxe 12-inch vinyl picture disc with the four songs: "The Fellowship," "Freak," "Tom Tom" and "Spangled" as well as an unreleased B-side track, "Cottonwood Symphony." The lid covering the 12- inch box is a metallic/foil wallpaper motif, with a 1970's design by The Flavor Paper Co. As with the band's EPTEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. 1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR, which was released in May of this year, quantities are limited worldwide.

Here is the song "Tom Tom"...



TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. II "THE SOLSTICE BARE" marks the second EP to emerge from the band's in-progress 44-song project TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, from which songs are being released online, one at a time for free (with four-song physical EPs being issued along the way). Thus far, two singles have been released from VOL II: THE SOLSTICE BARE: the first single "Freak" is quickly ascending the U.S. Alternative radio charts. With a cumulative audience of over 20 million, "Freak" is receiving national airplay at the biggest Alternative rock stations in the country. And the second release "Spangled"--described by Corgan quite simply as "just a pretty song"--is also earning critical attention.

Writing in The New York Times (7/27/10) about their July 26 sold-out show at Terminal 5 in NYC, Jon Pareles observed:

"Some of Mr. Corgan's 21st-century songs, like the new 'Freak,' aim their rage at sociopolitical targets; many of them revolve around blunter, simpler riffs than his 1990's songs. And instead of recording for a major label and waiting to release a group of songs for an album, Smashing Pumpkins are now posting individual new songs free online. When there are 44 of them, they are to be packaged as a boxed-set album, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope."

At SPIN.com (7/27/10), William Goodwin noted:
"...'Freak,' another Teargarden track, was a union of pop-rock sensibility with heavy, distorted bass lines and lyrics that show Corgan can still be the romantic mouthpiece for disenfranchised youths. If 'Freak' was an indication, Pumpkins fans have something to look forward to."
Link1 Comment | Comment

A blog from Kerry. [Nov. 8th, 2010|11:08 am]
Billy Corgan

Things are CRAZY right now and I like it that way. The Ray Davies (feat. Billy Corgan) song that was recorded at Coldwater Studio came out on November 6th, 2010. It sounds very cool and you should check it out here. Kevin Dippold did a great job engineering the track. The Pumpkins are in the midwest right now recording new songs for Teargarden By Kaleidyscope and Billy seems very excited about the way the recordings are progressing. The band will be hitting the road again soon, tour dates can be found here. I look forward to checking out the California SP shows in December.

Today, November 8, 2010 I am finishing 2 Smashing Pumpkins mixes from the Spin 25 show in New York. The show was completely ass kicking and the band sounds great. Here is a review from that night. I am not sure when the show will broadcast on Fuse.TV but as soon as know I will get the info up on this blog and there will be announcements on the SP Facebook, website, twitter, etc..

kerrybrown (Blogspot)
Link1 Comment | Comment

Sixth free track "Spangled" [Sep. 19th, 2010|08:05 am]
Billy Corgan
SONG WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD STARTING TODAY AT THE SWEET RELIEF MUSICIANS FUND WEBSITE FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN CAN BE FREELY DOWNLOADED AT AT HTTP://SMASHINGPUMPKINS.COM

BAND ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR IN OCTOBER

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will issue a brand new track Spangled will be available for free download starting today for 24 hours exclusively through the website for The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund: http://www.sweetrelief.org. "Spangled" will then become available the next day at http://www.smashingpumpkins.com where a widget is also offered that enables fans to host the song anywhere on the web. It's just a pretty song, says BILLY CORGAN of Spangled, which marks the sixth release from the band's in-progress 44-song project TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE. It is the second song (the recently released "Freak" was the first) from what will be the band's second EP--TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOLUME 2: THE SOLSTICE BARE (release date TBA)--tied to this project.

When visitors go to the Sweet Relief website, they'll be encouraged to donate to the organization, although it is not a requirement to contribute money when freely downloading the song. The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Visitors to the site who donate $10.00 (or more) to the Sweet Musicians Relief Fund can also enter a raffle to win a Fender "Billy Corgan Stratocaster" custom guitar that will be signed by the musician.

The Pumpkins recently raised over $80,000 at their sold-out benefit concert Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago's Metro for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Madina Lake. The money is going to the Matthew Leone Fund at Sweet Relief and is helping to pay for the ongoing medical care needed for the musician who this past June was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband.

In touring news, the band--singer/guitarist BILLY CORGAN, guitarist JEFF SCHROEDER, drummer MIKE BYRNE and bassist NICOLE FIORENTINO--have announced they will return to Australia this October for shows in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Link4 Comments | Comment

A note [Jul. 6th, 2010|12:21 pm]
Billy Corgan
Here is some info regarding the 'soundcheck sets' at the various shows...Because of the different venues, unexpected delays with loading in gear, and hassles that can occur with anything from travel to miscommunication, we are not able to set a consistent time with regards to when some fans would be let in to see us play...I also want to ensure that Kill Hannah and Bad City get some kind of soundcheck, so all these factors will impact the duration and the start time...we expect to play at least 5-6 songs each day, and if things go well possibly a little more...No less than the first 20 people in line would be let in, and we will have some system where you wouldn't lose your place in line if you have to go back out of the building...We hope this will be a fun experience for everyone, I know we look forward to trying some of the new material...No audio or video taping will be allowed at these soundcheck sets, so please respect and honor our wishes on that...If things go well, we might let in a few people more.

Rock on, love BC
Link5 Comments | Comment

@ The Viper Room [Jul. 3rd, 2010|07:57 am]
Billy Corgan


Lots more...
Link2 Comments | Comment

A note. [Jun. 25th, 2010|11:14 am]
Billy Corgan
The time is upon us yet again for a Smashing Pumpkins tour. Hard for me to believe as I write this that save for the one show at Amoeba Records a little while back on Record Day, the last Smashing Pumpkins tour ended in December of 2008. Time passes quickly, and perhaps you have noticed like many of my friends that time as an experience is indeed accelerating. Who knows if time is indeed quickening or if we are only experiencing the sensation of time slipping past us much more quickly?

So yes, time, always a big issue with me. Working away on my 9th album to date I have a much greater appreciation for the past where it matters, but also I suppose you could say I have a greater appreciation for the moment I am currently in. I cherish the opportunities to play more now than when I was young because I am conscious that it isn't always in the stars to make things work the way you want them to.

When I walked off the stage after the last encore of the last show of what was a very contentious and intense SP 20th Anniversary tour in 2008, I wouldn't have guessed forward the changes in my life that were to follow. But life happens, and shifts occur between relationships and in the culture that you can't always anticipate. That is the beauty of life; you just never know for sure what will happen. Often you can say what won't happen, but what will happen is usually a guess. We get older, our priorities change. Or if we are lucky, we are able to re-affirm a commitment to someone or something we love.

Making the choice to continue under the banner of The Smashing Pumpkins name has been an easy and happy decision for me. Making the choice to continue it alone, as the only original member, at least on the surface of it was a difficult decision because it wasn't ever part of my original intention. If I got my dream the way I had wanted it from the beginning, no one would have left and no one would have died. My Mom would still be giving me guff on the phone, and my Grandma would still be watching the Cubs and the skies would be blue and not ash color gray. And in a dingy industrial space on the northwest side of Chicago 4 miscreants would still be making that massive wall of sound, arguing about stupid things but never about music. That of course is the great secret about the original SP: we never argued about music. But history is for those who write it, not those who actually go out and make it.

When we put together a new band for the release of the Zeitgeist album in 2006/2007, the goal was simple: find good musicians who could faithfully and respectfully help re-create the SP sound, and possibly take the band into the future. But it wasn't an organic situation, because it was more about making the tour happen. Jeff and Ginger came on board as the album was being finished, and they did the best they could with what we gave them to work with. They didn't officially join the band because there was no band by which to join. We all looked at it as playing together out of love and a shared purpose. Most people don't know this but Jeff and Ginger were both big SP fans before we met them so they have a unique perspective and understanding with regards to the band's legacy and the choices that we've made.

The Smashing Pumpkins of 2010 feature Jeff Schroeder on guitar, Nicole Fiorentino on bass, and Mike Byrne on drums. I must say I am really proud of this line-up of the group. It is the first time I have felt totally comfortable in a band situation since 1996, and that surprises me. I have no crystal ball of how long we will last together, but I hope we last for a very long time. We are doing each day what a band is supposed to do, which is make a new kind of music together.

I see this band coming together as it has as a sign that the past has been healed, and it is time to find new roads to travel. When music is played the right way to my heart, I see stars and fireworks. And this band gives me stars and rainbows and a big 4th of July. The time is coming right for us. I really feel that.

Joining us on the tour are Bad City and Kill Hannah, two excellent bands from my hometown of Chicago. Bad City play with the fire of early SP and somehow have managed to gene splice in 80's hair metal. A superfresh take on the Rock. I really look forward to watching them play. Kill Hannah I have known now going on about 10 years, and this is our first chance to play together. They are certainly one of the pioneering bands of what is now a successful mix of glam, alternative rock, and electronic music. When I first saw them back in the day I didn't totally understand, but now I see how ahead of their time they really were.

As of today, June 24th, 2010, the next Teargarden by Kaleidyscope song will be released on July 6th. Please spread the word and I encourage you to help by sending friends and family mp3s of the new SP songs, which are of course available to anyone on SP.com. So far I am very pleased with the reception to the music, and the people we have worked in conjunction with to get the music out have been fantastic. So thank you to all of them. While the rest of the world continues to engage in an outmoded and inherently negative way of releasing music, I am proud to release music in a holistic way. Free isn't really free. But I have great faith in the power of my music, and the power of this band to reach anyone who is open to listen. Please know I am grateful to you for your love and support. See you on the tour!
Link8 Comments | Comment

Believe. [Jun. 25th, 2010|08:32 am]
Billy Corgan
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Passion Pit's version of my song 'Tonight, Tonight'. Well done lads!!!! Check it out if you can...



via twtr
Link6 Comments | Comment

INTIMATE U.S. TOUR DATES STARTING JULY 6, TWO SUMMER SONIC FESTIVALS IN JAPAN [Jun. 2nd, 2010|10:26 pm]
Billy Corgan
The SMASHING PUMPKINS have announced a 12-show run of intimate venues beginning July 6 in Cleveland and wrapping July 21 in Tampa. This marks the iconic band’s first tour since December 2008 and will feature, says leader and founder BILLY CORGAN, “a balance of classics, a few obscure ones, and new ‘Teargarden’ material.” Last week, the Pumpkins released the four-song TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL.1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR EP (Martha’s Music/Rocket Science Ventures). This is the first of an eventual 11 specially packaged EPs--taken from the in-progress 44-song work TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE--to be sold in record stores. Notably, all the music is being released online, for free, with no strings attached.

CORGAN and his band mates--guitarist JEFF SCHROEDER, drummer MIKE BYRNE and new bassist NICOLE FIORENTINO—are planning to invite select fans to attend their sound checks (details TBA). “We are going to do something unique, which is play an invite-only set during sound check of almost all new, unreleased songs,” says Billy. “We're still figuring out a way to make it possible for some of the fans who'll be in the line outside waiting to get in for that.”

Rehearsals for the tour “have been fantastic,” adds Billy. “I haven't been this comfortable in a band situation since about 1995. Musically, we seem to have wound our way back to a more kinetic, electric, and psychedelic sound that reminds me of SP in Gish-Siamese era.”

The decision to play intimate venues keeps in line with the Pumpkins’ “long-standing tradition of trying to start up new tours at smaller venues because it allows the band the opportunity to take some chances musically,” explains Billy. The band has been recording and rehearsing in Los Angeles, and recently broadcast a full session live online: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-from-coldwater-studio

After the U.S. dates, the Pumpkins will head to Japan for four shows, including headline performances at two Summer Sonic festivals in Japan--August 7 in Tokyo (Marine Stadium) and August 8 in Osaka (Maishima)--to be followed by two headline dates in Tokyo (August 10 and 11 at Studio Coast).

The very limited edition collector’s EP TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL.1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR (“A Stitch In Time,” “Widow Wake My Mind,” “A Song For A Son” and “Astral Planes”) is packaged in a beautiful silk-screened wooden box. Each box contains a 4-song CD, a vinyl 7” and a hand-carved obelisk from the shadows of the Incan ruins in Machu Picchu. Of the first EP, Jerry Shriver of USA Today described the music as “a delicious swirl of howling psychedelic rock and melodic ballads (5/25/10)," while Edna Gundersen (also of USA Today) singled out the song “A Stitch In Time,” noting that “Billy Corgan binds a pretty melody to shimmery acoustic pop psychedelia, thus extending his brand's relevancy (6/1/10).” Elsewhere, Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times cited the “jammy, psychedelic side, with winding song structures, lyrics about endless seas and astral planes, and buckets of circa-'70s guitar fuzz (5/26/10).”

The Pumpkins also plan to tour South America and Australia in 2010 and hope to return to the U.S. later this year.


Here are the tour dates:


TUE 7/6 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
THU 7/8 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
FRI 7/9 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
SAT 7/10 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
MON 7/12 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
TUE 7/13 Richmond,VA The National
THU 7/15 Norfolk, VA The Norva
FRI 7/16 Charlotte, NC Fillmore
SAT 7/17 Charleston, SC Music Farm
MON 7/19 Orlando, FL House of Blues
TUE 7/20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
WED 7/21 Tampa, FL Ritz
SAT 8/7 Tokyo Marine Stadium / Messe
SUN 8/8 Osaka Maishima / Summer Sonic Site
TUE 8/10 Tokyo Tokyo Studio Coast
WED 8/11 Tokyo Tokyo Studio Coast
Link4 Comments | Comment

New bassist. [May. 11th, 2010|09:44 am]
Billy Corgan
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS welcome a new member to the band: bassist Nicole Fiorentino.



The Los Angeles musician has been in such bands as Veruca Salt, Spinerette, Radio Vago, Twilight Sleep and Light FM. The latter group appeared at a Los Angeles benefit concert last November headlined by the Billy Corgan - led band Backwards Clock Society (proceeds from that show went to Laura Masura, the former head of the Smashing Pumpkins fan club who was injured in a motorcycle crash).

Fiorentino will perform with the Pumpkins on their world tour later this year, a trek that will include headline performances at two Summersonic festivals in Japan: August 7 in Tokyo (Marine Stadium) and August 8 in Osaka (Maishima).

Recently, the Pumpkins released - online, for free - the swirling, psychedelicized "Astral Planes," the final song to be issued for the EP TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL.1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR; it is the first of an eventual 11 EPs to be sold in record stores. TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. 1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR is set for official release on May 25th through Martha's Music/Rocket Science Ventures. This very limited edition collector's EP will be packaged in a beautiful silk - screened wooden box. Each box will contain a 4 - song CD, a vinyl 7" and a hand - carved obelisk from the shadows of the Incan ruins in Machu Picchu.
Link13 Comments | Comment

The 4th song from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. [Apr. 19th, 2010|04:19 pm]
Billy Corgan
Astral Planes can be downloaded for free now. Alternatively, you can go to smashingpumpkins.com and stream all four songs released so far, which now complete the first EP.
Link10 Comments | Comment

Can you play bass or keys? Last chance to apply for a job with us! [Mar. 31st, 2010|12:53 pm]
Billy Corgan
With the news that THE SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Ginger Pooley has left the band to raise her new baby with her husband, BILLY CORGAN has announced that he will look for a new bassist in the same manner as he found new drummer Mike Byrne last year: via an open audition process (see below for details). CORGAN also says that auditions will be held (again, see below) for a new keyboardist who is a fan of--and can play in the prog-rock style of--Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman.

Until a new bassist is found, Mark Tulin of The Electric Prunes--with whom BILLY toured last year in Spirits In The Sky--will fill in on an interim basis. Look for The Pumpkins to soon announce a world tour including dates in the U.S.

Says Ginger, who toured the world with the band in 2007 and 2008: "With sorrow and yet with much thankfulness for the opportunity to have played in the Pumpkins, I am sad to say that I can no longer tour with the Pumpkins. Although I've been blessed beyond belief over the past few years through playing with the Pumpkins, my priority now is to keep our little family unit together, which includes my husband and my baby. Although I do plan on continuing to do music in different forms, my priority is for neither for my husband nor myself to be apart from our daughter so that we can raise her together. I wish Billy all the best and look forward to seeing the Pumpkins in the near future. I would also like to thank all of the Pumpkins fans for all of their support. I will see you at the Pumpkins shows!"

Says BILLY: "Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first. I appreciate everything that she has contributed to The Smashing Pumpkins, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend.

"We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process," BILLY adds, "so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position. As you can see from our past and present, age, race, or a person's background is not an issue. Everyone is truly welcome to audition."

Audition Info:
Bassists and keyboardists looking to play with The Pumpkins should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com. Note: only musicians with video clips can be considered. Youtube.com type posts are perfect--that's how Mike was found. Final date for submission is March 31st.
Link9 Comments | Comment

The 3rd song from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. [Mar. 5th, 2010|01:37 pm]
Billy Corgan
A Stitch In Time can be downloaded for free now. Alternatively, you can go to smashingpumpkins.com and stream all three songs released so far.
Link15 Comments | Comment

Second new song, Widow Wake My Mind [Jan. 21st, 2010|02:35 pm]
Billy Corgan
You can download the next free song from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, by going to smashingpumpkins.com or just clicking and saving as here! Enjoy.
LinkComment

New Song, A Song For A Son. [Dec. 8th, 2009|02:07 am]
Billy Corgan
New song is available to download on smashingpumpkins.com for free. It's called "A Song For A Son".

The first EP from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope also will include “Astral Planes”, “Widow Wake My Mind”, and “A Stitch in Time”.
Link15 Comments | Comment

Billy talks about one of the first S.P. guitars. [Oct. 20th, 2009|06:11 pm]
Billy Corgan



I bought this guitar around 1989 or 1990 because I needed a spare for playing live, and wanted an almost identical sound to go with my main one at the time which was an early 70's Strat (yellow that I hand painted). THAT guitar was the featured guitar on Gish and was probably my favourite guitar ever. It was stolen in 1992 out the back door of St. Andrews Hall in Detroit and has never resurfaced. I would still pay good $ to get that guitar back, no questions asked. So THIS guitar is the last remnant of that period of my life, and I really cherish it. It was painted ala Eric Clapton's cream era guitar by my friend crazy Nick. As you can see it's taken a bit of a beating back from a time when I used to throw my guitars around like candy. The history of this guitar is its a 1978 'bullet' Strat with the flat pickups (as opposed to the staggered pole pieces). I preferred these pickups at that time because it allowed for maximum gain by running the pickups up really close to the strings. This guitar does have some recording history of note, as it was the guitar I would use for solos as it seemed to just have more cut than the main one. So all the solos on Gish were done with this guitar. It has a vicious attack as you can hear on songs like 'Tristessa', 'I Am One', 'Rhinocerous', and 'Siva'. I'm fixing this guitar up now and I hope to use it again soon. I've started using more old-school amplification, like my 1969 Marshall Super Tremolo head (currently ailing) so guitars with this kind of cut are what I'm looking for. It makes me laugh that I'm sort of back to where I started when it comes to gain and attack. I see the BC Dimarzio pickups as more the modern application of gain, and the older type pickups as a more vintage approach to the use of gain.

Link17 Comments | Comment

(no subject) [Sep. 19th, 2009|06:14 pm]
Billy Corgan
Here's a livejournal feed of kerrybrown's daily studio blog (glittercop.blogspot.com) about the recording process in the making of Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, one song at a time. Add to your friendslist.

Also, a feed of the everythingfromheretothere.com site can be found by adding billiamcorgan.
Link

New Smashing Pumpkins album [Sep. 16th, 2009|04:55 pm]
Billy Corgan


I'm happy to finally announce the plans for the new Smashing Pumpkins album.

Recording began yesterday, September 15th, 2009 on the new record which will be entitled 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope'. The album will feature 44 songs, 4 of which are now being recorded. My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.

We will however sell highly limited edition EP's (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EP's will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single. We may also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song. The commitment that is most important is the one I'm making to you: that the music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL.

When the entire album is finished, it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EP's need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.

The story of the album is based on 'The Fool's Journey', as signified in the progress of the Tarot. It is my intention to approach this by breaking down the journey of our life here into four phases as made by these different characters; the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic, and the Mystic.

The music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.

I already have 53 songs written for the record, so I am quite confident that I already have much of the material that I would need to undertake such an extensive project. I am very committed to seeing this album through to its completion and very, very excited about the prospect of delivering new Smashing Pumpkins music to you in a unique and exciting way.
Link48 Comments | Comment

(no subject) [Jul. 22nd, 2009|04:58 pm]
Billy Corgan
Just a little heads up for everyone on the Sky Saxon Memorial Show happening here in Los Angeles friday night...

What's been great so far has been in the spirit of Sky the Spirit! Everyone has been working together to put on a quality show. I'm excited that we will have Electric Prunes and Strawberry Alarm Clock people in the house, Nels from Wilco, 2 of the original members of the Seeds, and a whole host of others all pitching in to honor Sky in the best way possible. And it's in the way he would have wanted it, which is a great, big, loud party.

We are rehearsing today for our part of the show. It seems like I haven't been on stage in years...and years and years...

Hope to see you there. It should be fun! Much different than an SP show ha ha, because you see those are like therapy...only therapy at this show will be the Seeds and the Alarm Clock and the Prunes taking you so far out of your head forward that you'll wish you could go climb back, back, further back before time.
Link11 Comments | Comment

Pumpkins By Any Other Name [Jul. 13th, 2009|10:12 am]
Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan took it upon himself to post a response to Supervajra's recent article, "Pumpkins by Any Other Name." His response is below.

I really appreciate this article, and I commend Supervajra for having the courage to write it. Addressing the 'who's in the band' concept on this website is not the easiest thing for anyone to do. Afterall, I am not really telling anyone much about what I am up to these days, and we are all a far ways away from what the cozy alternative music scene was like in the late 80's. I certainly didn't think when I started up with James Iha at my dad's house in 1987 I would be where I am today (musically, spiritually, emotionally).

The idea of identity is a strange one to tackle. For many years, I treated the idea of the band named The Smashing Pumpkins as an existential concept that exsisted away from my being and body. It was sort of 'over there', if you will. Jimmy leaving in 1996 made me deal quite heavily with the concept of loyalty to the 2 members who were left (James and D'arcy) as our relationships at that time were quickly drifting apart. And so on, and so forth, thru the different people coming and going. In the center of any of it has been for me, speaking personally, my music. Yes, MY music. The music that came out of this being and body. I've called the umbrella the songs came out under different names but to me I guess there really wasn't a whole lot of difference. As they say, a song is a song.

What the future holds is unknown to me. I am 100pct committed to the future of SP. I can tell you that. 100pct!! I've never been happier about being in SP, or a part of SP, than I am now.
The music I am making sounds like The Smashing Pumpkins. It doesn't sound like solo work, I can assure you of that. But only when you hear the music can you decide for yourself. I'm not worried, because I know most of you are rooting for me to get it right. I want to get it right, but not for you, for me. Its been a long journey to get back to where I started. There have been many sad days along the road, but honestly, these are really happy days.

We've all seen over the past 2 weeks what happens when a man loses touch with his hope, his spirit, and his music. The path I am on is one of feeling reborn by my love for my music. I wasn't really deep down sure I could get back here, but I am here.

I will never say to you what people say to me all the time, which is that 'I am the band'. I am not 'the band', I am just the leader of the band. I only want people around me who respect me and my music. I think that is a healthy thing to want, and is consistent with the ideas of holistic living. What would you say about me if I worked with people who didn't care about me or my music? Isn't that a form of selling out?

There is a lot of discomfort as we watch our world change quite quickly before our eyes. Familiarity breeds a sort of security, but it also breeds contempt. If you know anything about me, you should know you won't catch me. Smashing Pumpkins is not a concept 'over there' anymore. Its where it has always been. Right HERE.

Get it? Got it? Good! (Wrestling catch phrase from B.G. James)

Love always from one of my 701 personalities

BC!
Link15 Comments | Comment

(no subject) [Jun. 25th, 2009|03:22 pm]
Billy Corgan
Recently I read a post by another famed alt-rocker from my generation lamenting the negative cultures of the internet...how its inherent narcissism ruins a lot of good fun for everyone because those that shout the loudest and are the most obsessive are able to control a dialogue over things that in the normal discourse of real life wouldn't be that big a deal...I have watched with great interest over the last 15 or so years the rise of the web and how it has given form to new social dynamics and single-handedly helped to blow up the music business that I think I used to belong to...as a interested observer, let me say then that I am fully aware that nothing I say here will change anything as it pertains to any negativity lingering proudly in the human soul, because that is a decision that only comes thru and from the collective; when a majority of us are tired of such constant poison that we'll scream 'enough' at the top of our lungs and the idiots get drowned out by those who have sat silently waiting till they can take it no more...I am more silent these days than not, an ironic fact of which I am criticized by fans for not feeding them with enough vacant info to their liking, but nicely applauded with apathy by those that don't care should I live or die...after all, aren't I a horrible, detestable creature that would dare go his own way in life?...shame on me for not being one of the sheeple!!

I have tried in vain to create a positive, loving website that takes into great effect those that would use it most...I hear quite often not to let the bad apples in this bunch that do visit the site far too often ruin it for the rest of those that aren't so destructive and are capable to see the forest from the trees...the point being 'hey Billy, its just the way of the world, don't be so sensitive'...

That's a similar logic I heard when I first started in music and I was told certain things were not possible with my band or my tunes...my point to you is just because everyone accepts something dumb doesn't make it good or whole or essential...in essence their point is, yes, the website is a reflection on the larger culture as a whole, and I am powerless to stop it... Todays laughter was me being criticized for a post that had info about a charity that was offering (to the highest bidder) a lunch with me. Unfortunately, unknown to me, the info stated that lunch was on the person who won the auction. Having never offered myself for a charity lunch date before, I was curious to see what fans might say about it. I was surprised to see a minor detail I was unaware of that said the winner must pay the bill at lunch turn into an attack on me and my supposed fortune. What an asshole I am to not want to buy lunch?

I bring this to your attention because this is exactly what's to be expected in a mean and bitter world. Every act, no matter how kind or caring must be viewed thru the dim lens of ambition, greed, power, and ultimately selfishness. There must be an ulterior motive to all of this, right?? A charity lunch just can't be as simple as that. The awareness raised for the charity means nothing against what its going to do for my career...and what a career its been! And thank God someone gets to fit the bill for my meal!

Yes I'm being sarcastic but the sad part is someone out there will read this and think the worst, never seeing the darkness and avarice in their own heart...

I've made a pledge to lead a different kind of business, and it must begin with this website, which stands as the public face of Smashing Pumpkins World Domination Corp.

What do I wish to dominate with? Love and good music...did he just say love and good music? Now I know he's insane...

Love means nothing against someone with something to say.

So I'll get to my point. This website is going to change. It is going to transform into something that is consistent with the concepts of love, grace, and community. We are not looking backwards anymore, only forward. I for one am willing to stand for something good here, in this little corner of the blogosphere, and say it's time.

What makes the things I'm saying here even more real to me is the passing of my dear friend Sky Sunlight Saxon. Sky lived everyday with the concept of LOVE as his guide, and he walked the talk. He was a spiritual warrior who would tell me that Yahowa knew the beauty of our hearts, and that musicians were the living prophets of the world. So in Sky's memory I am going to re-dedicate this website to represent the things he cared about most; love, life, music, his spiritual family, and the protection of all God's creatures, big and small.'
Link33 Comments | Comment

(no subject) [Jun. 5th, 2009|07:01 pm]
Billy Corgan
Good Friday y'all...

Just wanted to take a moment to say hello to everyone, wishing you well from here to there. Still working hard on getting these darn songs together. This past week has been trying to take the best one's and get them ready to record, which means some kind of realized arrangement and lyrics, which requires some teeth pulling and self-flaggelation to get me to say anything at all. Whatever happened to me during that poetry tour of 2004 has made it quite difficult for me to open up the channel to speak freely. Working on it.

I recently got to visit C Love in the studio and she looked and sounded great, as she is still working hard to complete her album. Also got to go to game 7 of the Lakers-Rockets series. I even went to see Star Trek which I thought was quite good. So you see, even I go outside sometimes. I am thinking quite hard of writing a book, had a meeting about it. Still looking for the right guidance on what I'm trying to really say. Again, refer back to 2004 for the root of where the obstacle comes from.

As I said recently, I am still on target for putting out new music in October. There certainly is no shortage of ideas to choose from. And I think I have my drummer of the future. I've worked with him so far for one week and all indications are really good that he's the man for the job. Going to work with him some more before it becomes official. Whoever takes the job has quite big shoes to fill, no doubt about it. I see Jeff every once in awhile as he's been busy with work. I hear there is a Lassie Foundation gig coming up I think this week so anybody in LA try to check out Jeff's band. Spoke to Ginger the other day about maybe getting together and playing. This I have to see because she is so tiny and all the reports I'm getting are that she is the cutest pregnant woman ever so I guess she'll be playing sitting down? I've never played with a pregnant woman before so I'm not sure how it all works. Guess I should have paid more attention in biology.

Keep those prayers coming, I need 'em...

God bless all the SP fans. Its a life of suffering, I know :)

L, BC Sent by a lost soul...
Link25 Comments | Comment

(no subject) [May. 28th, 2009|05:47 pm]
Billy Corgan
Hey Every-One!

An update then for the curiouser of you on what's going on with the art film/album making and the ol' SP archives...

Presently I am working a whole lot on new songs. At this point I have over 25+ ideas in the air and am just now reviewing everything to try to whittle the pile back down. Part of the challenge of doing such a sweeping concept record is to find some core consistency in the work, feed the bigger story line with some tangential narratives, and have some sense of where it all goes in the end. Having done Machina and Mellon Collie, 2 albums that were in the 50+ song range, I at least have the experience of when that material goes right and how it easily gets lost in the shuffle. I think the current approach of only recording a song at a time will at least address some of those past pitfalls. I personally am quite happy with the work and I feel I've found some of what I was looking for when I came back to SP. There is a real vitality to the new work that feels futuristic, and that always excites me. Still am shooting for the end of summer (Aug-Sept) to start recording, so hopefully the first song(s) will be dropping from the sky in October!

As far as the daily album updates go, for the moment that project continues to be on hold...the logistics of putting everyone together to make it happen with the short turnaround to this point is just too much for me to take on on top of writing the material. What was supposed to be 'fun' and 'groundbreaking' quickly turned into the SOS (translation: same old stuff!). I've learned not to let concepts come at the expense of the quality of the writing and so far this has been the case. Currently shooting for a short term window of work (4-6 weeks), which is obviously far down from the 12 weeks initially proposed. I'm crossing my fingers, because I still think that it can inform the work and add a layer to it that it doesn't currently have. But honestly it also exposes heartfelt work to a vibration that I'm not sure belongs along side it. Jury is still out. See 'If All Goes Wrong' for insight into how much the world cares about new music ha ha! Seriously though, thinking up new ideas and implementing them are 2 different worlds as far as creativity goes. I am currently 'alone' in all this, and I must be honest with myself to try to achieve the most positive attitude moving forward.

Ok, so some current thoughts on archives...

I have started marching down the path on a 'one release at a time strategy' but I am starting to believe this will not work. If I look at what is succesful in other parts of the musick-biz (and it does make me sick), the best examples right now are ones that derive max impact for least amount of effort. A single release at a time, no matter how worthy or illuminating will require us (which is currently only Frank and I) to get your attention each and every time. Let's be realistic, that's just not going to happen, nor are there enough of y-o-u to assume that each and every release will be worth the intrinsic effort. If you asked me today which way I am leaning, I'm starting to think that a boxset-type model is the best scenario to keep everything simple and easy. It is still at the end of the day too big a leap to take without being sure. For those that continue to demand music right now, I ask you to have some compassion and quite possibly some common sense. I know my getting involved in the archives makes no common sense to me. Too much hassle. So why am I getting involved? Because it's my life's work and I want this stuff available. It's that simple.

With Lots of Love, WPC
Link9 Comments | Comment

Message from Billy [Apr. 9th, 2009|03:39 pm]
Billy Corgan
Hello from sunny California, where I'm currently working with some of my friends on new SP songs. The mood here is relaxed, serene, and studious as my pals are helping me with some TLC to zero-in on the new direction that I'm trying to take the music. I've made many, many mistakes through the years, and one of them is that I often rush headlong into my next album without really taking the time to reflect on what I've just done, and test my resolve a little on where I'm going. One small detail that I think was beneficial to the band in the early years was we practiced a lot. It wasn't uncommon to have weeks where we practiced 30+ hours, which may not sound like a lot but at high volume this was very fatiguing, and of course exciting too. Through all that playing you would easily come into contact with the emotional value of whether or not a song 'worked', so to speak. Add to that another 20-30 hours per week at home writing music and lyrics, and you can see I was very immersed in that process of checking my ideas between head, home, heart, and practice.

Right now we are just focused on about 5 or 6 songs, using them to try out some new feels to try to find a consistent foundation upon which to build this large multimedia project I have in mind. 44 seems to be the magic #, so let's say I'm shooting for 44 songs on this one. I'll get to how I plan to release them later. Because the work will be conceptual in nature planning it all out also I think will help keep me from losing my way in the evil forest.

I'm going to step right into the heat of the matter now and address the infamous 'why?' question. The why being 'why' I have chosen to continue on under the Smashing Pumpkins banner considering I am the only remaining original member? The simple answer is that when I decided to write and record again under the name The Smashing Pumpkins in 2005, I committed myself 100 pct. 100pct of my mind-body-soul to come back and make the band really be great again, and I feel in tune to SP in a way I haven't felt in tune probably since 1995 or 1996. As they say in No Limit Poker, I'm 'all in'. I'm not going to back out of the challenge in front of me now. I'm absolutely exhilarated by what I see and feel the future to be for SP. There is a difference in how I think and approach a body of work for the Pumpkins then say I would as a solo artist or under any other name. Being the near lone songwriter for the Pumpkins has always made me want to put all the diverse harmonic fragments in my mind together, and it has been an incredible musical journey so far to keep trying to match up to the size of that idea. I truly am not focused on where I've been now as much as where I am going, and I haven't felt that way for a very long time.

I appreciate that for many fans, the public part of my musical journey has often been quite confusing. I've tried to explain many times in both public and private venues that it's really not so different than a character on tv who embodies the role they are in. I don't think there is anything inauthentic about my play-acting within those created personas (zero, the whyte spider, the sad guy, the vampyre, etc) and acting them out on the grand stage in front of the glare of whoever cares. That to me IS what rock and roll is about. But many lack the sophistication to appreciate that just because I play a baby-faced killa upon the darkened stage that it doesn't come close to who I really am. I would point very gently to the diversity and complexity of my artistic work to give you some sense of who Billy Corgan really is (that is a joking 3rd person by the way). Part-alien, part-human, part-robot, part-star-crossed lover and part-mercury filled apparently if one was to read the songs in that way. I am a sensitive soul and I make no apologies for that. As Popeye said, ”I yam who I yam”. Or in my case maybe it’s ”I am who I ain’t.”

I am at peace now with the idea that SP is worth bringing to life again and again, because the challenge of the band's shadow has inspired some great work. It's also just a name, THE Smashing Pumpkins (it just rolls off the tongue, don't it??). It’s a dumb name, but I choose it cause I thought it was funny (yes, funny in 1987 ha ha). All that aside, what the band represents to me and obviously to so many fans SYMBOLICALLY is what is really important in my opinion moving forward. I think the energy in the Pumpkins community is fantastic right now. I love the diversity of opinion and perspective. There is nothing to argue about there. But at least there is something to argue over! Meaning SP is substantive once again; there are new songs, questionable decisions, abject failures, and unique triumphs to dissect over and over. Enjoy!

I do plan on doing other things coming up though. I have notions to start 2 other bands and also release some more solo work. I would love to get into more details on those projects but I would like to secure the domain names first because I don't want to have to fight to get them back later. It’s bad enough that I have someone posing as me on Twitter LOL...the general idea is the work of the other groups and solo may intertwine with the SP album as far as a release schedule would go. But I'm all ready ahead of myself there.

So let's get down to business and talk about what the plans are ahead. First up is/are the drum tryouts on the 14th/April. We've received a staggering amount of submissions so far (over 1,000!), so let me say to everyone who has submitted thank you and God Bless you for having the courage to throw your name out there. The auditions on the 14th are just the first round of trying people out. There is no 'hurry' at the moment, as I'm not quite ready to record yet, and it’s possible I may need more than one drummer for what my plans are. So for someone who may think they would never get a chance there is still time in the months ahead to keep trying. I view it as a process to find the right person(s) and it's important that the right consideration is given. Jeff and I will be holding the first round of auditions, with me on bass (lookout!).

As I stated earlier in this post we've just been rocking amongst friends, so for the moment Kerry Brown, my best man and co-producer is manning the skins. The past few days we had Daxx Nielsen in to play on a few things, who is a great drummer himself. Lord forbid I would want 44 different drummers on 44 different tracks, but I suppose anything is possible.

Ok, album plans: first off, I still plan on making an album. I know this may contradict with what I've said publicly but I think I just didn't state what I meant clearly. I meant I don't think I'm going to make albums in the old-fashioned way, meaning 12-15 songs, etc in one small package. My desire at this point would be to release one song at a time, over a period of 2-3 years, with it all adding up to a box set/album of sorts that would also include an art movie of the album. (Sounds like a lot of work, don't it??) My thinking is that if I focus on one song at a time I would approach them as beautiful, distinct paintings that would each require the attention they deserve. This would also mean I would choose what I am recording quite carefully as there would be tremendous internal pressure to get it just right, and that is the kind of pressure I like, which is to make the most beautiful thing possible. I've gotten lost many times during the long haul of making a record and have overlooked some great songs because of that. The new standard for an SP song would that it be excellent and fantastic and most importantly essential or it’s not coming out. I will do my best to meet that intention fully. So soon I will announce (hopefully) that I've begun the process, May being the most likely 'start' date. I will continue on from 'there' until whatever date it all seems finished. That would probably be marked by the release of the final artwork package and the movie. So lots of details to be worked out as you can see. I plan on the first actual song release coming in September. For the new SP I don't think I would be interested in a subscription model unless it was something where enough people wanted a daily access to the work (in progress). I guess we as a community could throw out how many people would be interested in that as an idea. It would definitely have to be something that would be worth the effort on all sides.

Speaking of subscription models, I think Frank Quinto is doing a great job so far as Archive Czar keeping all of us in the loop on his progress. I can say from my end right now the biggest hurdle is sorting out the business side with our former label EMI (once Virgin). As some of you know, there are currently 3 lawsuits; the band is suing EMI, 2 of my former band mates are suing EMI, and EMI is suing me because of the ex-bandmember lawsuit. Thankfully EMI has shown a willingness to try to sort this out and God willing it will be resolved soon. My hope is to have access to all of the unreleased materials (with the contractual rights clearly worked out) so that I can set a plan in motion to get it all out over the next decade. That would be the best way, but sometimes that is not the way it works out. I do have all the Gish unreleased rights, but I don't want to kick start that and by the time we get to Siamese have a whole legal mess on our hands and then have to stop our momentum. It’s all or nothing with the archives. Those with a positive attitude can see that as a blessing because it means if stuff starts to come out it's all coming out.

It is really important for me to re-state first and foremost that the band will remain now and forever about making new music. This is where most of our energy over here belongs. That doesn't say or mean to say anything negative about the past. In fact my posture on it is consistent with the original band vision, which was to always push forward. I'm not about to change that now. That doesn't mean we can't be smart and live in the world of 2009 and approach opportunities with a fresh mindset. Together we can find the right balance.

Many of the old indie-world values that people throw about without context were BS back in the day, and I said so back then too. I am no poster boy for alt-nation because alt-nation found its heroes elsewhere. You can have those heroes now. I am my own man from this day forward. The day SP gets proper credit for what it got right is the day that this can be a different conversation about what I may or may not be entitled to. The funny thing about being left out in the cold is you get used to the temperature.

I want to be quite candid here and say some things I don't think I've ever shared. For many years I've been really unhappy with the stupidity of the music business (that's no secret!). But now I am free from corporate meddling. No contracts, no deadlines to meet, nothing but rainbows ha ha... My wish is that from this day forward this group will represent nothing but love and light. If you see BC out there griping, it is only because I have failed to set the proper conditions to be in the love and light with you. The fan is NOT responsible in any way, shape, or form for my happiness or the my ability to do my job. (Nor have they ever been) If I have given that impression to any of you through the years I am sorry about that. That was an error on my part. When a fan comes to an SP show we owe it to you to put on the best show possible, rain or shine. I believe the days of standing on a stage somewhere in the world feeling torn about why I am up there are over. SP will be about peace from this day forward as well. The music WILL also reflect this shift in devotion and humble gratitude. You shall see!

I would like to end by saying thank you to those who pray for me, and send me well wishes and support. It means a lot to me that there are fans out there who see me as the humble human I truly am. Public life is a brutal, weird game that I have chosen to play for my own convoluted reasons my OWN way. I wish it was as simple as being about the trappings normally associated with fame! If only life were so simple. But it ain’t...but that too shall change. SP can and will represent a new kind of way of connecting my music with you in a way that leaves both parties feeling better for it. You have my personal promise on that.
Link52 Comments | Comment

Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin leaves The Smashing Pumpkins [Mar. 20th, 2009|11:56 pm]
Billy Corgan
The SMASHING PUMPKINS' guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member Billy Corgan has announced that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the group. Chamberlin joined the band Corgan founded in Chicago in 1988 and played on all their albums except Adore (1998). Corgan will continue to write and record as the SMASHING PUMPKINS with plans to head into the studio this spring.

( Jimmy blogsCollapse )
Link55 Comments | Comment

Message from me [Feb. 26th, 2009|11:55 am]
Billy Corgan
Since it's a new year, let's try something new...
Let's try to forgive each other, support each other, be kind in our words and deeds, and get out of judging each other...
The world around us right now is very complicated...
I for one am very confused by much of the information I come across...
I am concerned about so many losing their jobs, homes, and peaceful lives under an increasingly curious set of circumstances...there are however new opportunities to be had, even in the worst of times...we are all affected by the changes that are going on on a global scale...the politics of egoism and cultural divides mean very little if you can't support your family, or help those in need, even if you want to help...it is a test for us now to find how to heal each other...i believe very strongly in the power of prayer to affect change and welcome in forgiveness...
I don't mind asking publicly for your forgiveness...if I have offended you somewhere along the way, out of my own ignorance or fear, please forgive me...it would be part of my own healing to be forgiven...
I can honestly say that if I have ever wanted to do anything in this life it has been to heal others thru my work...i have failed many times to shine some light in this world, but I can still try and try again...
B
Link28 Comments | Comment

Clarification from my interview with Greg Kot in the Chicago Tribune. [Dec. 9th, 2008|11:16 pm]
Billy Corgan
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
Link81 Comments | Comment

Observations from a delayed traveler [Oct. 27th, 2008|03:15 pm]
Billy Corgan
Sitting now at the San Jose airport, waiting for a flight to Los Angeles seeing as my other flight was canceled. I love airports! Their fake security, their non-stop noise, their Starbucks addicted minions milling about like a khaki apocalypse. Reminds me why I love America so. Remember: America, love it or leave it!

Last evening we were able to play for the first time as a 9 piece version of the band, which is very exciting. The more we let go of how the band is supposed to appear numbers-wise and more of what it is supposed to sound like heart-wise, the closer we get to a present kind of truth. It is very exciting to be making music again for the times we are living in. Playing live is such a big part of that. I had forgotten that in the fallow years of non SP, that connecting with the diverse backgrounds of our audience that has everything to do with finding that voice. I cannot thank those who attend our shows enough.

Of course, last night was not 'our show', more importantly it was 'their show', a concert to raise funds and awareness for the students of the Bridge School. We are really proud yet again to have been able to contribute to this wonderful school thru the dedication of Neil and Pegi Young, and of course, Elliot Roberts (our good friend and one-time manager of Zwan). Bridge School is the kind of place that makes me smile the biggest smile I can.

The night before we played the new Guitar Hero release party, which was great fun. I swore I kept hearing someone from the crowd yelling over and over, 'where are the Smashing Pumpkins?'. I think I imagined it but either way it made me chuckle to myself.

So two very different shows over 2 days, and we were able to play 4 new songs: Owata, A Song for a Son, As Rome Burns, and a 2012 version of Simon and Garfunkels 'The Sounds of Silence'. We've rehearsed now for 3 weeks for the 20th Anniversary tour, so I trust we have a few more suprises in store. That is, if you dare come to watch us piss on our own grave.

I've noticed in the run-up to the tour a few indications that seem to think that we are sentimental in announcing our 20th anniversary extravaganza. When you see the total set-list, particularly for the black crosses and white sunshine shows (or is it the other way round?), I don't think terms like 'harkening back' or 'sentimental' will be the words that will come to mind. This tour is a celebration of where we are, not where we've been. We are HERE! (With a big smile and a foot in your back) Enjoy it if you will, we realize its not for everybody. For that you have a whole army of fellaciators (is that even a word?) to gratefully service you. These are not angry words, by the way. We are having fun. Yes, who would have thunk it that after 20 years (or 21, who's counting?) we would not only be alive, but also loving our jobs and our shows and our experience of being in this group. The rest can go play their sad games of dominion and bridge-burning (meaning ubiquitous band 101 and 102). We have been there and have learned the lesson that there is no joy in it. Its a dead man's dance. Saying something as simple as 'we are real' is not grandiosity, it is fact. We are all real. We are all here. Life is an opportunity. We choose our opportunities wisely. Believe it or not we know what we are doing when we don't get along, don't play nice or fake our way thru the oblivion. So what about the consequences!!? What is life for if you don't make some waves or save a soul here or there? If anyone comes to this tour expecting a hand-holding, teary-eyed tribute to a dead band, forget it. That is long gone. Outside of 9 shows in 1999, that band hasn't existed whole since 1996.

Let me take this pause then to say a few things about our former bandmates...

We absolutely, without reservation, honor James and D'arcy. There is no qualification to that statement. We honor them IN FULL. They were there, then. And together we did some incredible things.
But let me go one step further. When Jimmy and I decided to move forward and begin again with SP we very openly addressed the question of James and D'arcy returning. We spoke honestly with each other about our feelings and personal reservations, and decided together that the door was open to them to return. Because it was the right thing to do. Honestly though it wasn't suprising to us that they didn't want to return, because that was consistent with their general position to date (and continues to be I might add), which is they see the band as something that they got away from for their own reasons. There were no conditions ever put on a return. They simply didn't even want the conversation with us.

I can now say definitively that they aren't ever coming back. Period. There is no maybe. If the door was once open to at least have the conversation and consider the possibility, it is now closed. For good. We have moved on. We love them, and we wish them well.

The Smashing Pumpkins are now whoever is standing on that stage, on any given day, with a willingness to play those songs. Not just any songs, those songs. Because its not just what we play, its how we play them. The music MUST come first. And that's just the way it is. And to the credit of Bruce Hornsby on the whim of a memory, some things will never change. We are who we are. I know what I see. I see what I know. And nothing I know compares to you...

I am not crazy. I am just free. The Smashing too now are free, and in that we are truly insane from the mad beat.

God Bless, with love from the 7th ray and the rainbow at the end of my heart,

William
Link32 Comments | Comment

About the 20th Anniversary shows... [Sep. 24th, 2008|07:21 pm]
Billy Corgan
Those of you that may have seen either the press release or any info out there about the tour may find yourself scratching your head a bit about the shows format. We tried to keep it simple but as is our custom, its just not always that simple!! SO I thought I would post up some additional info to make sure that there was absolute clarity about what shows would be going on where-when.

First off, the 2 night format is about playing the most songs over 2 nights that would hopefully create very distinct shows from one another. No song will be repeated means exactly as it sounds, if you go to show #1 of a 2 night stand (black sunshine!), you wouldn't hear anything on night # 2 (white crosses) that you heard song-wise on the first night.
The cities where we are playing only 1 show will feature an amalgamated show that will most likely have some songs we won't be playing in the 2 night format shows, but take from both the sunshine and the crosses show. Get it? I hope so...cause its a lot for us to digest as well.

Below is a list of shows, where I'll highlight just for overkill what show will be taking place:

Sunshine, Cross, or SS (special show for the one offs)

  • Sat 11/1 Cleveland, OH Palace Theatre (SS)
  • Mon 11/3 Toronto, ONT Massey Hall (sunshine)
  • Tue 11/4 Toronto, ONT Massey Hall (crosses)
  • Thu 11/6 New York, NY United Palace Theatre (sunshine)
  • Fri 11/7 New York, NY United Palace Theatre (crosses)
  • Sat 11/8 Atlantic City, NJ (SS) Borgata
  • Tue 11/11 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall (sunshine)
  • Wed 11/12 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall (crosses)
  • Fri 11/14 Boston, MA Wang Center (sunshine)
  • Sat 11/15 Boston, MA Wang Center (crosses)
  • Sun 11/16 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena (SS)
  • Tue 11/18 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre (sunshine)
  • Wed 11/19 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre (crosses)
  • Fri 11/21 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre (sunshine)
  • Sat 11/22 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre (crosses)
  • Mon 11/24 Kansas City, MO Midland Theatre (sunshine)
  • Tue 11/25 Kansas City, MO Midland Theatre (crosses)
  • Wed 11/26 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre (SS)
  • Sun 11/30 San Diego, CA RIMAC Arena (SS)
  • Tue 12/2 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre (sunshine)
  • Wed 12/3 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre (crosses)
    • Link33 Comments | Comment

    Hello from Chicago... [Aug. 27th, 2008|09:47 am]
    Billy Corgan
    Hello from Chicago. A few thoughts to share, if you'll indulge. First, thanks to everyone who came out on this last tour. For me, that was the most exciting tour I've been on since before Jimmy left in 1996. I thought the band did a fantastic job, and I really appreciate the enthusiasm we saw towards what we were getting at. It seems like we have finally found what we have been looking for since we came back.

    Secondly, I want to say openly that I am optimistic about a return to our site hosting a message board. What I would need to see is a constructive framework that would allow a whole host of thought and opinion in a positive way that brings fans together, and not further divide them. As you can see from the Media Militia writers, thoughtful opinion and criticism are welcome here.

    Lastly, I would like to make a small declaration. For 20 years I have been asked 'what kind of music do you make?', and to be honest. I've never had a good answer. When I began playing seriously in 1985, there was no such thing as 'alternative music'. It was known then as 'new wave'. Alternative music seems to be the label that won, so I suppose that's what we get lumped in as. Once we were New Wave, then Post-Modern, then Grunge, and now just plain Alternative. And honestly, I've never liked any of those labels because it doesn't really cover what we do. In addition. Alternative Music has been hijacked by poseurs. No mystery there as to why.

    Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I've found a label for our music that fits. And that is that we play 'American Gothic' music. Yes, I know that's the name of our e.p. that came out, but its not meant as a self serving self reference. I was attracted to the idea of an American Gothic movement musically because it embodies both the English ideal of gothic music and the decay of Americana. So that's us for now on. We play American Gothic music. Please use that label, its one I hope sticks :) blah blah
    Link51 Comments | Comment

    Adore. [Jun. 2nd, 2008|05:58 pm]
    Billy Corgan


    I was surprised when someone mentioned to me that today was the 10th anniversary of the Adore album...my first thought was surprise that it had been that long since, and how quickly time passes...it seems like a long time ago and yet, in some strange ways, not that far back either...


    recently, when we went in to record 'Superchrist', it was the first time I had been back to Sunset Sound studios since the completion of the Adore album...some of the same people still work there, and spoke very kindly to me of the time spent making that album...we were working in another room for 'superchrist', but I did ask to go to peek inside the other room where many of the songs were cut, and it's funny how time can play tricks with your mind as far as the proportion of things...the tracking room was full of amps and guitars back then, and so empty it looked quite large...i could see in my mind's eye the three of us sitting in a small circle recording 'shame', a song I had just written that morning...and playing take after take after take of 'for Martha', the band in the main room and me at the piano in the isolation booth, trying to reach them thru glass...


    the reaction at the time of the album's release, if memory serves me correctly, was overwhelming negative...it was a very naïve thing to try to do, to make an album that sounded little like the one before, and which spoke very openly about mourning and loss...D'arcy in particular was very critical at the time of the decision to even call it a Pumpkins album, saying that it really should have been my first solo album...then I didn't know what to think, because the hopes I placed on the album, mistaken as they were (that the band could be seen in a more open light that had more to do with artistry), were dashed in all the talk of what it didn't sound like and how it was a failure thru and thru...and secretly yearned that the embrace of it would heal some of the wounds of my mothers death and probably honestly the death of the band as well...but none of that worked, none of it came true, and it has been a circuitous journey ever since...it does seem to be the demarcation point of what was, and what became, and what might be...the fact that after 10 years the album has found it's warmer place here and there shows that it's birth and death and re-birth are very much in line with the themes of the album...which is one of hope, and taking a chance that the moment lived properly is ultimately more important than in what gets written down later...


    i lived that album quite deeply, and maybe that's why I still can't listen to it...and I can no longer blame anyone if they don't either...it's one of 'those', an 'other', something apart...and the pun of the title, crude as it is, serves quite simply:

    Q: "when is a door not a door?"

    A: "when it is a jar"


    ...see, bad joke...

    Q: "when is an album not an album?

    A: "when it is a-dore..."



    Link109 Comments | Comment

    Message from Jimmy [Mar. 24th, 2008|01:12 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    Hello music lovers.

    As the tour winds down I would just like to say what a pleasure and an honor it was to play for so many of you. I try to never forget that my job is a sacred privilege. Music, the thing that binds you to me and all of us to the Universe is my light.

    Let me also say that this band, The Smashing Pumpkins, will continue to write, record, release, and perform AS LONG AS WE ARE ABLE!

    Some of you may have read bits of an interview that was done in confidence by yours truly in which I say that the Pumpkins probably won't record cd's anymore. What I meant by this is this: Although we may not use the "album" or "full length cd" as a format anymore, WE WILL WRITE AND RECORD MUSIC UNTIL WE ARE DEAD!!!!!!!! WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY!!!!!!!!

    I could go on about how I was stolen from, violated, lied to by some ignoble journalist, but what's the point?

    I choose light.

    Love Jimmy.
    Link35 Comments | Comment

    Dear Big Bright Lights in the Night Sky... [Dec. 18th, 2007|04:42 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    I emerge from my seemingly eternal self-imposed silence to bring good news! The collective We is happy to announce that We have just finished a new acoustic e.p. entitled 'American Gothic' that features 4 new songs:
    • The Rose March
    • Again, Again, Again (the crux)
    • POX
    • Sunkissed



    Even better is the news that these songs will be available on i-tunes starting January 2nd...the collective We looks forward to you hearing these new songs afresh and us playing them to you anew on the upcoming European and Australian tours...

    Since the holidays are upon us, the collective I would like to take this opportunity to give gratitude where it is due, and that is to those that are not hypnotized, or so numbed by darkness that they cannot hear the chime in my words...I wish you a warm holiday and a brilliant New Year to come, and may you get all you deserve! (again) From my heart to yours, sincerely, I hope you feel the love that we have for all of you, even for those of you who are lost and seeking, bruised and still keeping...i hope these words find you as well...

    The new day has finally come as we turn the corner on the end of one energy that no longer serves us and begin to embrace the new dawn that will...and no, I am not speaking about the band or the music business...what is past is passed, and we all wear the black arm bands in honor of, but life happily, as it should, marches on...hopefully to a good beat...

    Thanks to New Orleans for showing Us the meaning of hope...and thanks to the old guard for showing the same dull move, you know the one that never works? Art band that said old guard wishes they were in so bad that they wish importance upon it? Check! No matter what you crutches all dream up, Led Zep is still a 100 times better! Go Zep! Go Team! Rock on! Long Live the Mighty SP!
    And...

    Thank YOU for showing up! And yes, I mean YOU :)
    lovingness, happiness, BC
    Link39 Comments | Comment

    Jimmy's blog [Dec. 5th, 2007|02:51 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    Greetings, I hope these words find you all at peace.

    First I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers and energy. It was well received and I'm feeling much better. The tour was a rock rampage and now we are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide.

    Look for these around the first of the year. Busy Bees !

    I wish all a Happy Holiday and a productive 08!
    LinkComment

    Blog by Jeff [Nov. 28th, 2007|07:51 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    As I write this, I'm listening to a live version of "A Love Supreme" recorded at the 1965 Antibes Jazz Festival. According to AllMusic, this was the only time that Coltrane and his band played it in concert. Needless to say, the playing is phenomenal. So good in fact, I'm having a very difficult time thinking about the task at hand: writing this blog.

    Things are very quiet right now and we're all enjoying a bit of rest before we head back to Europe early next year. There really isn't much to report, so I'd just to say thank you to everyone who has come out and supported us over the last 7 or 8 months. There are so many great memories swimming in my head right now that I know it will take me years before I can sort through them all. To have been given the opportunity to grow both as a musician and as a person is something that I will cherish and value for a long time.

    To return Coltrane for second: Even if I practice 24-hours a day for the rest of my life I will never come close to being to able to play like Coltrane, Davis, Malmsteen, or Van Halen. However, I don't find that discouraging at all. Besides notes, phrasing, technique, or anything else you might glean from these players, what I try to take away from them is their complete devotion and dedication to their instruments and to their music. I've barely been home a week and I'm already looking forward to playing with the band again.

    See you in Europe,

    Jeff
    LinkComment

    Lisa's blog [Nov. 20th, 2007|12:21 pm]
    Billy Corgan



    Hello friends!


    Thank you all for the warm birthday wishes. Some of you even shouted them out in the middle of the show last night! How sweet! To celebrate my b-day and the end of the American tour, we had a big sushi dinner at Nobu. It was great to have some quality time together before the big break.

    Speaking of which, we will be home for almost 2 & 1/2 months. Seeing as I haven't been home for more than 5 days at a time since April, there will definitely be an adjustment period. However, I think we are all ripe for some rest and replenishment.


    At last night's Dallas show, it really struck me how much we have all grown since April. Musically, we have taken lots of chances, turned arrangements inside out, memorized 70 songs or so. I have had a ball and I look forward to making more music together in 2008!





    Here are some pics from the Orpheum Theatre shows in Boston. . .



    The spaceship has landed!




    Heavy Metal Machine!



    My father took this pic when he came to see us in Boston. | Ginger, me and friends causin' trouble in the hotel lobby!




    Jimmy rockin' Red Rocks, Colorado



    Good times at the airport |
    Doug, the crazy man behind the cart, is our tour manager. He is obsessed with baseball and his diet consists of crispy crème donuts and oreo cookies (don't forget the milk). The stuffed animal, Mr. Barkley, was not injured in the filming of this event.



    Meeting of the minds


    Keep it rockin!



    Lisa
    Link2 Comments | Comment

    Life is good (Ginger blog) [Nov. 14th, 2007|11:29 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    That's what I'm feeling right now as I sit in the Austin airport writing this blog. I feel really blessed to be able to play in this band and be able to play music most every night. Yesterday's show was great. The weather was amazing and the sound was good. It was a great crowd, too. Everyone in the band also seemed to be in great spirits. Austin is a great town with great people. It's no wonder Explosions in the Sky are from Austin.




    Me and Munaf from Explosions in the Sky taking an artsy photo



    Me and Esteban with Explosions in the Sky


    We have had such a great time being on tour with those guys and we miss being on the road with them already. They are such a great band and the most down to earth group of guys I've ever met. I am happy to know that we will be friends for years to come. When we arrived 2 days ago here in Austin, Munaf from Explosions came and picked Jeff and I up from the hotel and took us around town. He showed us the Explosions headquarters and then we all went out for Indian food! It was a amazing. Afterwards, we hit up the downtown area and hung out till the wee hours of the night. We had a blast.





    Well, besides Austin, I've had a great time in seeing friends in Boston, Philly, Nashville, Atlanta and of course Vegas. It's fun to be able to visit friends that are scattered throughout the country that I normally wouldn't be able to visit if I weren't on tour. It has been a bit of a rock/friend visiting tour for me, which is great. As this leg of the tour comes to an end, I am happy about how tight we've gotten as a band and of all that we've accomplished this year. I am also excited to go home for the holidays and to be with friends.


    Life is good.


    Some more recent photos.



    On a roadtrip to our show in Columbia, SC







    Mall of America A street corner band in New Orleans






    Me in front of Cafe Du Monde



    Home of Chickoree coffee and binets, mmmm
    Link3 Comments | Comment

    Travel Blog from Jimmy [Nov. 14th, 2007|11:28 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    The band is currently awaiting their flight to return to the rescheduled shows in Atlanta, GA and were kind enough to check in quickly from the airport!

    From Jimmy:
    I'm feeling much better. I would like to say thanks to everyone for their letters, prayers and patience and to apologize to those who are going to miss the shows. Hopefully we can make it up to you somehow.
    JC




    Ginger kicks back waiting for her jet



    Adam, our chef surfing for recipes!



    Jeff Schroeder reading Plato

    Also, Billy being the patriotic American that he is, was searched at the airport!

    Here's my ticket for my flight today...i got searched because I am a threat to all...

    Luckily the entire band made it and is now safe in Atlanta.
    Link3 Comments | Comment

    Ribbit Ribbit [Nov. 14th, 2007|11:23 am]
    Billy Corgan
    If you were paying attention in the last 24 hours, then you know that The Smashing Pumpkins had a welcome blast from the past in Austin last night. None other than dear friend Jimmy Flemion of The Frogs joined us on stage at the Backyard for the 2nd encore.


    After the experience, Jimmy Flemion himself had a message he would like to share:
    To my dear friends Billy and Jimmy, my heartfelt thanks for last night. I am honored to play with suchexceptional musicians. Your devotion to music has inspired many. Best of luck on the rest of the tour.


    Love, Jimmy


    Billy Corgan had something to say about the experience himself:
    There are few people in the world as talented at Jimmy Flemion. It was great to see the fans embrace him on our stage and end what was a great show with a Frogs all-time classic. Jimmy tore the house down!

    Flemion joined Billy Corgan and Jimmy Flemion to play The Frogs' own "I Only Play For Money" and The Beatles' "Taxman" before ending the show with "Disarm" by the Pumpkins themselves.

    For more information on the Frogs check out the following links.
    www.thefrogsarchive.com | www.myspace.com/thefrogs




    Photos courtesy of SP.com member Iolite
    Link2 Comments | Comment

    Words Iz Cheap [Oct. 11th, 2007|05:53 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    The Blob

    There was a moment in time once where I would welcome any opportunity to speak my piece, my heart, if only to rip it from my breast and toss it to your table bloodied and torn, declaring wildly 'look, how gloriously it beats to it's own drum! Even I can't control it's passions and delusions and murmurs'…but these days words iz cheap, and any 'ol chump can throw 'em round like darts…(a blab has become a blob has become a blog)…and just like the sci-fi movie from the 50's "The Blob", no one can figure out how to kill it or simply outrun it…we all just stand here transfixed, gaping at the lack of consciousness of something so unwilling to negotiate, it's only obvious intention seems to be a desire to absorb all in it's path…so with that, with what's left in my mind, I sacrifice these words to the gaping maw of The Void…






    I love my country…I love it so much, I'll say it twice…I LOVE this country!!...today i am in Columbus, Ohio, and everything about Columbus has everything to do with what I love about America: the collisions of architectures idealistic and functionally gaudy…the lone characters who climb out of treetops and caves and still retain their sense of home…everywhere that I look here I am reminded of other battles and beliefs that now seem forgotten, yet their symbols still blow their horns in silent reverie because that's all they know how to do…like children waiting for a dad to come home who won't ever come home because he has run off to Trinidad with his secretary…(Uncle Sam has moved down to his timeshare!) But I want him to know I still love him so, and his once glorious charge…that commission is what my uncles died for, and what haunted my grandfather so that he drank himself to death, that feeling of hope and coldness that is America…Walt Disney knew enough to dress it up fancy in sentimentalism to try to keep it warm, but even he tried to outrun it and tackle the coming urban blight with what his EPCOT Center was supposed to be…high technology as a new kind of centering religion…Disney devotee's are still comfortable with his pirate ships, but many forget he also realized that we also need a safe harbor to enjoy our cozy memories from…and unfortunately he too died before he could complete that vision of a 'City of Tomorrow'...so no safe harbors here…




    snow globe So from this snow globe that I shake up for you I'll try to beam out what goes on back in here…having started this particular journey of The Good Ship Pumpkin way back in November of 2005, I've now had maybe 2 months off total since then…I am not complaining because I love the work, but I am pretty exhausted day after day…however it is the Spirit of the good fans who travel so far to give us that love really lifts me back up…with much help from God…so my Spirit is strong, and I am happy to report that the band is playing beautifully presently, and as a unit is fully committed to not wasting your time with vague intentions…I am also happy to report that we have been able to, over the course of the last 5-6 months, address all the eras of the group quite faithfully, so that there now feels like there is a harmonious balance between Zeitgeist and the previous musical periods…nothing feels like it is being sacrificed against a new whole…of course, some songs don't apply to this, but this has more to do with their inconsistency against the energies of the times we are in than in the foundational energies of Zeitgeist…it makes me very happy we have been able to accomplish this in so short of a time…
    Jeff dropping the puck in Arizona




    Sometimes after shows I like to stop and talk to fans, to hear what they are feeling and what they want, and maybe even see what they need…in Detroit a few nights ago, a fan kept yelling at me 'Billy, more Siamese Dream, more Siamese Dream!'…of course I asked him my favourite question, 'why' and he said, 'because it's the best!'…what I think he really meant is 'it's my favourite album and I came here hoping to hear you play more of those songs'…to his credit, he was young and probably didn't get the chance to see 'ol SP on that tour back in 93-94…so I respect that…(in fact, I respect all fans opinions, even when I may disagree strongly with them, which I often do)…I respect that he may have come in the hope to hear us play his favourite songs, and triumphantly be the band he wants us to be…but as I said the other night to the same audience in Detroit that this young man was in, 'this is not a reunion tour'…



    The question I ask is when does the past begin to dictate our future?…if one was to listen to Siamese Dream from a particular perspective, you might hear me at age 25 or so struggling with how to escape my past! How ironic that that same struggle should now become part of my current struggle for autonomy…the current SP is designed to live on happily, strongly, proudly, and boldly…there is no other way that I can see to water the flowers properly…we choose life, and the love of the moment for the song we choose to sing…



    I believe God talks to me at each and every moment of my life, the only problem being that I don't listen…God does not want any of us to be unhappy, or to mourn for that which has no meaning…thanks to digital media, many of us can and will be remembered in perpetuity by an unseen future, but they probably won't bother to watch…my guess is our images and sounds will seem as archaic to them as images and sounds from the beginnings of the 20th century sound to us now…so fighting for the preservation of values that don't matter now and will matter even less down the road seems a sad waste of energy…I am happy to be a warrior of light and universal logic if I am fighting for the good in us…sentimentalism in and of itself is a form of death…sentimentalism in the context of preserving that which meant something to our ancestors and therefore is encoded secretly in our dna is something I am raptuous about…if God is love is truth, than you are that to me…SP stands at the center of my musical truth, and mirrors how god stands for me in the center of all truth…I would hope we can faithfully copy that paradigm, and always stay focused on what really matters…we may not always be what you want, but we do have what you need!



    B C
    Link8 Comments | Comment

    Geetings from Jimmy Chamberlin [Oct. 1st, 2007|09:26 am]
    Billy Corgan
    Greetings. I hope this finds you well and happy. As you know we have been on tour for some time now. It has been quite a journey and I can't tell you how proud I am of the band. From where we started in a little room in LA, to rehearsals in Chicago, to the first show in Paris, to headlining the Reading festival! And it hasn't stopped. The band continues to improve on a nightly basis. The band is becoming one with itself. Finding its soul if you will. And all of these things are adding up to a new future of Pumpkin Music and lots of it. Billy and I are constantly brainstorming about our future in the band. It is a strange time in the music business and a strange time in general. But it is also an exciting time; a good time to be alive. The future will present itself with some challenges. Those who can adapt will succeed. Those who don't will remain tethered to anachronistic ideals and will suffer terrible consequences. We intend to be part of the former.



    On a more current tip, we played Red Rocks last night and by all accounts it was a great show. The fans showed up in force and a good time was had by all. We are finding that the younger audiences really respond well to the new material and the kind of stretching out we do on songs like, SuperChrist and Heavy Metal Machine. This is very encouraging to us as it tells us that the things we are attracted to as artists are relevant to listeners as well. The time is fast approaching when real music will be played by real people for real people like you to listen to!



    Speaking of artists, I have been listening to a lot of music these days. Namely John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Tony Williams Lifetime, Lee Morgan, Mulgrew Miller, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Captain Beyond, as well as watching tons of old Jazz videos. Anything I can get my hands on that isn't strapped to some sort of conventionalism. I've been studying the life and career of Coltrane. I've been trying to insert his dedication to music and truth into my own life. It's certainly not easy but well worth it as it not only makes me a better musician. It makes me a better husband, father, friend, etc. Being on tour you find yourself with a lot of time to kill and I feel that the best use of that time is practicing and studying music. Like Coltrane I have found that when I have my music straight, the rest of my life follows easily.



    But it's not all work work work for JC. A man has to spend some time "off grid" once in a while. I've been going out here and there and having some fun. I got to throw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game last week. Talk about nerve-racking! I was more nervous than I have ever been before a show. I got NO practice and just had to walk out to the mound and throw a strike. Now I played baseball my whole childhood and into high school, but never in a major league stadium! So out I marched to the mound (all the way to the rubber, 60' 6"!), and heaved one home. The whole time I'm thinking, "Don't bounce it in or that's what you'll be remembered for, not music!" All went well. I didn't choke and I was able to hold my head high as we watched the D'Backs lose to San Francisco.




    GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






    I also have had the recent honor of being on the cover of Modern Drummer. Ever since I was a little drummer I have thought of MD as the pent ultimate achievement. I use to look at my heroes on that magazine and think that someday, if I practice hard enough..................



    So check it out. It's a good rant on the state of affairs and has some good Zeitgeist stories as well as some beautiful photos of yours truly taken by the illustrious Kristin Burns. It's the third cover for me but it's always exciting. Remember that anything is attainable. The whole of your life's dreams are alive in your heart waiting for you to set them free.

    Love, Jimmy



    Some Photos to go along with this blog:


    Some cats in Greece!





    Me in Greece






    a not so friendly protest outside of my hotel......................... In Greece!





    Cat in Istanbul!





    A Peregrine Falcon visits one of my bird feeders!





    J.S. pre-show warm up!






    Chemtrails over Southern California





    The Spaceship lands at Red Rocks!!!!!





    What JC does for fun!!!!!!!!!!!!





    And more fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Link3 Comments | Comment

    Throwing Balls, Dropping Pucks, and the JLAM [Sep. 26th, 2007|12:57 pm]
    Billy Corgan
    Greetings friends. Today I'm writing from Vancouver, where I'm enjoying a nice day off. It's my first time here and I'm liking the city a lot. While our main reason for being anywhere is to play music, it's nice every so often to have a day off and do something non-music related. And over the last couple of weeks we've done some pretty cool things that I'd like to share with you. So sorry, there won't be any sex, drugs, and rock and roll in this blog. You'll have to wait for Ginger and Lisa's next ones for those stories! Just kidding, of course…

    You'd be surprised where you sometimes have the best day off. You might think that places such as New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco would be the best place to spend a day off, and that is often true, but it also some of the not so obvious places where the true fun takes place. For example last week we were had a day off in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the last couple of years I've been to Phoenix a bunch of times; and while I've never had a bad time there, I've never had a particularly great time either. However this was one of my best days off so far since we started touring in May. I think a lot of this has to do with where you stay and who you know. Luckily Billy and Jimmy have some very nice and generous friends in Phoenix who really made our stay there fantastic. One of these people is Bradley. He is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and he set up a pretty memorable night for Jimmy and I especially. He organized these two historic events in Pumpkin history and for that we are forever grateful.




    If you didn't watch the Arizona Diamondbacks play the San Francisco Giants play last week you may have missed Jimmy Chamberlin throwing out the first pitch. Unfortunately I was somewhere else that night, which I'll get to in a second, so I didn't get to see it. I searched YouTube for a clip but couldn't find anything. If you have anything, please forward it to the site. But from what I heard, Jimmy's pitch was so ferocious that Barry Bonds decided to take the night off.






    While Jimmy was striking out the side at the Diamondbacks game I was on the other side of town at the local hockey arena watching the Phoenix Coyotes play the Colorado Avalanche in an early pre-season match-up. Being a huge hockey fan I was super excited just to be able to see some puck while in the middle of a tour. The morning of the game I received a call from Doug, our tour manager, and he asked me if I wanted to drop the first puck at the game. My first response was a "no way." However Doug quickly talked me into doing it and I sure am glad he did. From the minute we got to the arena the Coyotes staff treated us fantastically. Right before the game started, Chris, our production manager, and I were walked down near the boards and we got to watch the players walk out of the locker room and onto the ice. If you don't follow hockey, you probably don't know that Wayne Gretzky (the greatest hockey player that ever was) is both part owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. It was an honor to stand within ten feet of him during the national anthem. To be honest I was so nervous before walking out to center ice to drop the puck that I don't really remember much of it at all except that I tried to walk away before retrieving the puck back from Coyotes captain, Shane Doan, who former Los Angeles King and now New York Ranger, Sean Avery, named the most overrated hockey player in the NHL. I would have to disagree with Sean on this one because Shane is not only a monster player but also seemed like a really nice guy. Once again thanks to Bradley for hooking all this up.







    Now on to my final subject of this blog-the JLAM. You may be sitting there wondering what JLAM means. It stands for Jon Lemon Approved Meal. Often while on tour, time-or the lack of it-dictates how and what you eat. It isn't uncommon to arrive to a city just before you have to go to soundcheck and get ready to play. So in terms of food, you eat what you can and most of the time we eat pretty well. But when we have a day off we like to take it to the next level, and that is a JLAM. Jon Lemon is not only our Front of House sound engineer (the one responsible for making what you hear sound amazing), he is also the person we ask to find the best restaurant in town. This doesn't mean the most expensive; it means a place that passes the highest culinary and aesthetic standards that Jon over countless years of touring has devised. These meals are often so good that we talk about them for days afterward. For example, on Sunday night a couple of us went out for a JLAM at restaurant here in Vancouver called Gotham. While primarily a steakhouse, Gotham serves fish, chicken, and lamb dishes as well. The steaks there are an A+. Jon and I are still talking about them. So, if you are ever in Vancouver and you want an excellent steak, you need to go have a JLAM at Gotham. You won't be disappointed.






    Thanks for indulging me and reading about this stuff. I hope I see some of you out on tour.
    LinkComment

    1st blog from Lisa [Sep. 17th, 2007|11:16 pm]
    Billy Corgan

    Hi there!

    For those of you who don't already know me, my name is Lisa. I'm the chick behind the keyboards. What an amazing 4 months this has been. We have been to Europe twice, completed two residencies and are now well into the Fall US Tour. Time flies when you're a Pumpkin!





    Jeff took this pic in Paris with his amazing camera






    Orange Peel (Asheville, NC)






    Fillmore, San Fransisco, CA.






    Here's a little bit about me . . .




    Fav things to do on travel days . . .



    Catch some zzzzzzzs,


    read sacred poetry, journal & solve sudoku puzzles.
    (Billy thinks I am completely addicted but, I say I can stop anytime I want!)

    Artists on heavy rotation on my IPOD right now . . .



    Lots of Hendrix and Deep Purple (Jon Lord's organ solos are mindblowing!) Jeff totally hooked me up with Hendrix "Live at the Fillmore" and I am obsessed with learning the song "Power of Soul". What a huge sound Hendrix had & all three of the band members were just monster musicians!


    Most memorable experience on tour thus far . . .


    There are sooooo many but, I would have to say visiting the Moog keyboard factory in Asheville, NC. I was like a kid in a candy store; playing with the theramin and all of the cool effects pedals. Anyways, I went there with Billy just to "check out" the factory and I went home with their brand new Minimoog Voyager keyboard!! I just had to have it!



    Here we are at the factory




    Checkin out the cool toys!




    This is the keyboard. Isn't it beautiful?





    Here are some more highlights . . .


    Scotland was beautiful!!








    Vegas, baby! We had a great show at the Pearl Theatre






    Jeff, the "dancing machine" @ Moon, Las Vegas.






    Backstage after a great show at the Pearl Theatre








    Backstage, keepin' the boyz in check!





    Talk to you soon friends : )



    Peace and love, Lis
    Link9 Comments | Comment

    1st blog from Ginger [Sep. 7th, 2007|10:01 am]
    Billy Corgan
    Leaving San Fran

    What a jam packed few months it has been for us here at the Pumpkin camp. We went from playing a two week residency in San Francisco, to doing a video in LA, to the Virgin Fest in Maryland and then went off to our second European tour for 3 weeks.



    That's The Way video shootvideo shoot on motorcycle



    I am currently on a plane going to Chicago from my small town in California called Los Angeles. Maybe you've heard of it? Anyway, although it has been very busy around here, we have not lacked in good times and adventure.

    Hanging out on night off



    This European tour was a lot different than the first. We had a lot more time to explore and meet up with old friends. Reading was particularly fun for me as I ran into a lot of my friends who were playing, too. I got to see my friends in the Cold War Kids, Funeral for a Friend and the Used. I also ran into my friend Aaron, who informed me that he has been playing in NIN for the passed few years, who knew!?

    Matt from Cold War KidsMe and Matt from Cold War KidsMe and Aaron from NIN



    Our show that night was so fun, probably one of our favorites so far. The crowd was amazing and there was a lot of energy on stage. I went to Reading as a fan a few years ago and it was awesome to experience the festival with my friends. Going back this time as the headliner was surreal, to say the least. I definitely don't take that for granted.



    Our next stop was Greece, where as you may have heard, there was a national disaster. There were horrible fires throughout the entire country and over 50 people died. We were booked to perform in Athens and still arrived, when we found out that the show was cancelled due to the fires. We all feel very sorry for the devastation and loss of those who were affected by the fires. We are also sad to have not been able to perform, but we hope to be able to come back someday.




    Going to the Acropolis



    While we were in Greece, I was able to see the Parthenon and eat Greek salads. Both were amazing. Some of us also took a day trip to Delphi to see where the Oracle once lived. It is pretty fascinating to some of us history nerds to see such incredible historical sites.


    me at the AcropolisBilly taking a break at DelphiRock n Coke poster for Istanbul show
    Istanbul at night





    Our last stop of the European tour was in Istanbul. I have always wanted to go there and it didn't disappoint me at all. It was gorgeous and we had a great time. Well, we are about to land and Billy and I are betting to see what time we think we will land. He always seems to win at these guessing games, but we'll see what happens!

    See you soon!
    ginger

    Link1 Comment | Comment

    navigation
    [ viewing | most recent entries ]
    [ go | earlier ]