The Smashing Pumpkins have had a pretty turbulent history, to say the least. Over the years we’ve seen the rock ‘n’ roll romance with drugs, attitudes and break-ups. Some fans were loyal and stayed with them through the good and the bad times. I was lost in the down time, but always held fond memories of the good old angsty youth days. This was a show that would, for me, see if they could live up to what they once were, and if I still viewed the music in the same light.
With the reformation, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain are the only original members who are keeping the Smashing Pumpkins flame burning. Many may argue, however, that these are the two elements that make up the Smashing Pumpkins and all others merely support the project. So together with bassist Ginger Reyes, guitarist Jeff Schroeder and keyboardist Lisa Harriton, the Smashing Pumpkins were set to reignite the relationship with their Melbourne followers.
After hearing stories of people missing fair portions of the Sydney set, my accomplice and I made sure to get to Festival Hall nice and early. We arrived at eight to the sound of the crowd erupting. We presumed this was for the band and not our grand entrance. A bit early for rock ‘n’ roll, but luckily we made it in time to hear the commencement of first song Porcelina of the Vast Oceans.
Billy Corgan was on full display, with shaved cranium and reflective dress as the band moved seamlessly from song to song. They are certainly a professional band. Perhaps more so than I envision they were back in the day. However, since I never got to see them prior, all I can do is speculate rather than compare. With professionalism often comes a sense of sterility. This was evident to an extent, but still all the songs held up.
The overall set seems catered for the loyal supporters. The classics were still there. Today, Tonight, Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Ava Adore, 1979 and even Drown were shown in all their glory, but played much earlier in the set than I had expected. Nice to see a band move from an expected formula.
However, while the set was well suited for the die-hards who lived every album, it seemed the crowd was still one that lived on the memories. Newer songs, such as Bring the Light and Tarantula, did receive raucous cheers initially, but they didn’t compare to the response for the older numbers. There was strong respect shown for the performers, one patron even showing a sign of support for Corgan as next president, if only we could vote. And the respect was returned. There wasn’t a huge amount of banter, but Corgan did address the crowd with some thank yous and observational humour of the rats in the Festival Hall caged seating.
The show was well varied. There were definitely goosebump moments of bliss but also some moments of indulgence that lost me. However, you have to expect a level of pretentiousness with a band that has reached these great heights. Although, with the PC world mentality to sit back and appreciate music more, it’s hard to tell if the audience is stunned with amazements at these extended jams or just struck with boredom.
Overall, it was a solid set reinforcing how talented a band Smashing Pumpkins are and the legacy they have given music over the years. This was evident by the highlights of the show, which had to be the classics. Tonight, with the crowd taking rein over the vocals for the entire first verse was magic. Billy Corgan’s solo acoustic version of 1979 was something you wish you could bottle. And, Bullet with Butterfly Wings is just a number that can’t age.
Whilst I wouldn’t say they are the band that they used to be, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Billy’s still got it and I hope it stays around for a while yet.
