The Smashing Pumpkins, QueensOf The Stone Age @Entertainment Centre, Adelaide(04/04/08)

Sat 5th Apr, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Check out all the photos HERE

Adelaide might have been overlooked to host a V-Festival, but as long as the headline acts continue to stop off for side shows we certainly won’t complain. Everyone knows that sideshows kick festival arses anyway. I was a little worried after the poor support of the best of the V shows last year but QOTSA and The Smashing Pumpkins were always going to draw a crowd.

As I rocked up at the Entertainment Centre there were people everywhere and the sense of anticipation was huge. It was a shit night (wet, cold & windy) so uncharacteristic after the heat we have endured for weeks, but this didn’t deter the big crowd nor did it dampen their enthusiasm. I think there were a lot of punters who have waited a long time for the Pumpkins to return. Despite the changes to the line-up since the band last graced the Adelaide stage the head was still the same and I, for one, couldn’t wait to hear Billy rock the songs that shaped the 90’s.

In the absense of a local support Queens Of The Stone Age started at 7:45pm. Not having the early support caught a lot of punters out who scrambled in during the first couple of songs. Queens played for about an hour, which was probably an hour too short, they were only just starting to get into it and it was over. They played a great set of new songs from their Era Vulgaris record as well as the hits that everyone wanted to hear. Joshua Homme was on fire his vocals are amazing and he leads the band brilliantly. Highlights of the set where Little Sister, 3s & 7s, and Go With The Flow before finishing the set with No One Knows.

Then it was time for the band that everyone had waited to see, The Smashing Pumpkins. As Billy walked on stage, dressed in his silver skirt, the crowd erupted and with little hesitation they jumped straight into Porcelina of the Vast Oceans which had the crowd going crazy. After such a long wait between tours the expectations for this show where pretty high and for the most Billy and new look band met this expectation. The first 90 minutes were excellent, the set was awesome, the sound and light show was spectacular, but then for the last 45 minutes including the encore Billy went off on a self-indulgent John Butler style guitar odyssey that culminated with United States which had majority of the crowd looking at their watches. The loudest cheer of the night was when Billy asked the crowd if they liked the old stuff better than the new stuff, to which he replied fuck you and preceded to rant for 10 minutes why his new stuff is better bla bla bla. The most disappointing part of the night was the finale, Billy returned solo to the stage and played a one-track acoustic encore before leaving for the final time (If anyone knows what it was please let know). The highlights of the show were Tonight, Tonight, an amazing acoustic 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings and Today (no surprises that it’s the older stuff). I think everyone left a bit shocked at how it ended, the show started so brilliantly and then drifted off to a pretty disappointing end.

Check out all the photos HERE