BILLY CORGAN SAYS SMASHING PUMPKINS COULD BE A TOP 25 GROSSING TOURING ACT IF THEY PLAYED MELLON COLLIE
Billy Corgan discussed the state of the Smashing Pumpkins and their viability as a touring act in a new interview with Crestfallen.com. Crestfallen.com owner Monte read off a few names from the top 25 touring acts of the last year which included Nickelback and Pearl Jam. Corgan responded, “If we had done the celebrate Mellon Collie tour we would have been in the top 25 easily.” Corgan compared the Smashing Pumpkins to a ‘rebuilding sports franchise’ and said ‘We want to be a team that can win championships.’ He also said that when people say he has become difficult, he said he has always been difficult (in the context of new material/live shows) and that he doesn’t understand why he should change his strategy that won him championships in the past. He also said that the Pumpkins will never again play a new album live front to back and that with Oceania it was a ‘one time thing.’
I love the guy to death but whenever he pulls the “never ever again” shtick, I just don’t believe him.
Some history:
Will never regroup the Pumpkins. HAPPENED.
Will never release a new physical album for money. HAPPENED.
And a few others I forget.
I hate it when he sets himself these moronic limits. Who gives a shit if you play or not Oceania in its entirety again?
As for Mellon Collie, wasn’t he already playing songs from it? That album only has like 3 songs that people who aren’t hardcore fans (thus, they didn’t help them become a TOP 25 touring band this year) know and those are Zero, 1979 and Bullet. So give me a break. The problem with the Pumpkins, is that they went away for like 7 years and that seriously damaged the fanbase.
Look at the Foo Fighters: they weren’t nearly as popular as the Pumpkins in the late 90′s, yet they kept releasing good albums periodically (while Billy was with Zwan and solo) and they toured their asses off and they never left the spotlight and they etched themselves on Rock radio and in people’s minds.
That’s what makes you a TOP 25 touring ROCK band.
He could play all of Siamese Dream and Mellan Collie and it wouldn’t matter. Not even the reunited SP would fill arenas. The rabid fan base just isn’t there like it is for Pearl Jam. The only way SP sees a full 10,000 seat arena again is if they join a bill of 2 or 3 other formerly big artists and maaaaaybe it sells big. SP, Bush, Creed or something like that. Maybe that pulls in enough nostalgia to put 10,000 people in the seats…if ticket prices are reasonable.
Sorry, but it’s true. They should have never booked arenas on this last tour. They should have kept it intimate and played theaters.
Finally some sane Corgan comments,thanks Mike and Andrei.
Somebody needs to burst Corgans gigantic ego.
Pearl Jam pretty much fills 50-70% of their set with non-hits and Billy thinks all he has to do to be on their level is play his hit record?
Clearly he doesn’t understand why people go to shows.
@Mike:
I think it would be hilarious if SP joined a bill with Creed. You would almost be able to hear BillCo’s teeth grinding from here.
I love the Pumpkins and Billy, but these kind of quotes from him are just asinine.
“We could do this if we wanted to” is such a lame way of boosting your ego.
It’s like if Magic Mike said, “Well I could bang Taylor Momsen if I really wanted to,” when we all know that it is impossible.
It’s sad to say, but even with a Mellon Collie tour, the Pumpkins wouldn’t even crack the top 50 touring acts. Not these days.
The puppet is the smartest one in the picture.
Will NEVER release a single for Oceania.
Happened…
@Mike; They booked arenas so they could have the floating orb above the stage to complement the show. The orb won’t fit in small theaters. That was the reasoning behind arenas.
People are getting too hung up on the number… top 25… whatever, look, you know the essence of what he’s saying. He could sell out and go on a greatest hits tour but that’s not what the band is about. It’s about creating new music and moving forward. Corgan has a big ego but he also is a huge talent who just put out an excellent album. Bash him all you want but you can’t bash quality music. He put his money where his mouth is when it comes to Oceania.
Why SP haven’t a live official record yet?
To Spents, SP have played shows with Creed before, in 1998. Apparently Billy liked them and even hung out and gave them some ‘big brother’ advice on what to watch out for as a band on the rise.
@Matt This never happened.
Billy Corgan also said he hated Pearl Jam after Eddie Vedder threw a cup of beer at him while touring together in 1996. He said that Vedder was “The most stuck-up son of a bitch I have ever fucking met!”
They could also be if BillCo shut the hell up and just played.
I’m not buying the reissue Billy, you failed this year and all you get is coal in your stocking, none of my cash from now on, zero.
Vedder and Billy never toured together in 1996. Never happened. Both bands were headliners at that point. Maybe when PJ and the Pumpkins opened for the Chili Peppers on the Blood Sugar Sex Magic tour.
I’ve met Billy Corgan before. He wouldn’t even give me 1 single autograph personalized to me with 10 people standing there. Met Eddie Vedder a few times. He signed at least 1 autograph per person every time.
Anyone else remember Siamese Dream? Maybe they should do a tour on that and Mellon Collie. We can be sure of anything until it happens
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