Latest news with #BillyCorgan
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy Corgan talks Machines of God tour, Smashing Pumpkins reissues and Howard Stern
Billy Corgan talks Machines of God tour, Smashing Pumpkins reissues and Howard Stern Show Caption Hide Caption Live from Cleveland: It's 'Saturday Night' at the Rock Hall "SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of Music," a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum looks at the NBC show's influence on music. Onstage, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan cuts an imposing figure. His towering, bald-headed frame shrouded in floor-length coats and a distinctive voice that meshes a bellow with a whine are forever linked with the alt-grunge-goth-rock that thundered through the '90s. In conversation, Corban is soft-spoken and thoughtful as he chats from his historic 1920's home just north of his native Chicago. He's readying his new solo project, Billy Corgan and The Machines of God, which also includes recently recruited Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong, drummer Jake Hayden and bassist Kid Tigrrr (aka Jenna Fournie). The quartet will hit the road June 7 in Baltimore for the monthlong A Return to Zero tour, where they will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Pumpkins' seminal 'Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness' album. Along with the many hits spawned from the diamond-certified release ('1979,' 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' among them), The Machines of God will also tackle songs from the double album 'Machina/The Machines of God' and 'Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music' – both being remixed and rereleased this summer – as well as 2024's 'Aghori Mhori Mei.' Along with prepping for the 16-date tour, which will hit cities including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Minneapolis, Corgan has stayed busy with his Madame Zuzu's tea shop in Highland Park, Illinois and his popular "The Magnificent Others" podcast. He's also energized about the Nov. 21-30 pairing with Chicago's Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus for 'A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.' Take a deep breath and he'll tell us more about all. Question: Last summer you were playing to 50,000 people with Green Day on a stadium tour and now you're heading to small theaters. Where are you more comfortable? Answer: I'm fine with a stadium full of people. There's the economy of, more people equals more money and more T-shirts, but honestly it's the economy of time. It's hard to communicate in such a complicated digital world. When we would play a small show in the '90s, even in early days of internet, it felt like you were doing this secret club thing and people would find out about it and tell the world. Now, if you don't operate at scale, it's like it never happened. I laughingly call it the digital tree that falls in the forest that no one hears. And obviously this won't be stadium-style staging. Any small tour you have to make a series of choices and mine is supreme sonic quality and production. I made the joke that you'll see me with a swinging light bulb behind me because I can't afford to bring a full Pumpkins light package. But my sense from the fans I've talked to is they're excited to see these songs in this context, so the set list is really what they're interested in. Why did you want to go on the road with this band configuration? For years I've pushed my bandmates to take a different approach to touring that would require a different mindset, which is, there is value in us playing deeper shows past our expected greatest hits reign. Unfortunately, we're not in agreement on that and we've had a gentleman's agreement since James (Iha) came back (to Smashing Pumpkins) that we wouldn't do anything unless everyone was on the same wavelength. But they're totally cool with what I'm doing. So James and (drummer) Jimmy (Chamberlin) were asked to be part of this project? Oh, yeah. But to be fair, I've been pushing for this conceptually for more than five years so I reached a point – I'm 58 years old – of, like, OK if you're not into it I'm just gonna do it because I'm a proof of concept guy. It's something I want to do and there's a host of reasons for why it will matter once you do it. One thing I found with operating the tea house is there is a way to make small, big. Speaking of the tea house, how involved are you in its operation? Every day. My wife runs it, but I hear about it every day. We have the huge archival 'Machina' box set version with 80 songs coming that you can only get from the tea house (or its website). It's also the 30th anniversary of 'Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.' What do you most remember from that period? I think the good news is 30 years is enough time to let it all work itself through – the good, the bad, the heartache, the regrets. I think within the group we look at the period very fondly as far as, wow we achieved something magical forever. If there is any regret it's that we weren't able to put Humpty Dumpty back together in the same way. (Success) creates such a force that you're swept on a river that you never know where it goes. Maybe we were in sort of a spell and like a lot of beautiful dreams, once the spell was broken, you then you get down to the business of how to get out of Oz. Let's talk about the podcast, but I also want to talk about how great you are every time you're on Howard Stern's (SiriusXM) show. Howard is one of my great inspirations for the how I do the podcast. The greatest people I've been interviewed by are Charlie Rose and Howard Stern. It feels very conversational and that's something I've tried to emulate. Howard has been one of the biggest supporters of me, one of the biggest to mock the fact that we're not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and one of the biggest defenders of me as an artist. I have a lot of loyalty to Howard You've had a really eclectic lineup of musicians on the podcast – Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, (Missing Persons frontwoman) Dale Bozzio, Carnie Wilson, Gene Simmons. What are you looking for when you're booking? My number one goal is I want to talk to people who I think have tremendous value and their value in the culture is not properly understood. Dale is one of the most influential artists of the last 40 years, and yet most people would not know her band or her unique story, like that Frank Zappa saw something in her and that's a direct line to Lady Gaga and the pop stars of today. A lot of artists with long careers struggle with being overlooked or underappreciated. It's not a crusade, but a way to tell the world, do you know you've overlooked a true treasure here? I think it's criminal there is a wide open space of stories to be told and nowhere to tell them.
CairoScene
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
The Smashing Pumpkins to Play First-Ever UAE Show at Etihad Arena
The legendary alt-rock band is bringing its 'Rock Invasion' tour to Abu Dhabi on October 9th with a career-spanning setlist. May 23, 2025 The Smashing Pumpkins are heading to Abu Dhabi for the very first time, bringing decades of alt-rock anthems to Etihad Arena on Thursday, October 9th, as part of their globe-spanning Rock Invasion tour. The Chicago-born icons, led by frontman Billy Corgan alongside original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, are set to ignite the capital with a career-spanning set that blends grunge-era nostalgia with their latest sonic experiments. Fans can expect to be swept up in the emotional swell of classics like 'Tonight, Tonight', scream along to the angst-fuelled chorus of 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings', and drift back to teenage memories with the shimmering dream-pop of '1979'. But this won't be just a greatest hits show—the band's newer material, including tracks like 'Empires' and 'Beguiled' from their recent albums, will keep things fresh and furious. With over 30 million albums sold, Grammy wins, and a legacy that helped shape the alt-rock movement of the '90s, The Smashing Pumpkins remain one of rock's most dynamic acts—balancing poetry, distortion, and the occasional existential scream. Tickets go live this Friday, May 23rd, at 10 AM via Live Nation Middle East's official website. Set your alarms—because in the words of Billy Corgan, the world is a vampire, and this show will sell fast.
Al Etihad
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Smashing Pumpkins to rock Abu Dhabi for the first time in October
22 May 2025 02:34 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Fans of '90s rock, grunge, alternative and any kind of glorious guitar music, take Smashing Pumpkins will be coming to Abu Dhabi for the very first part of their globe-spanning Rock Invasion 2025 tour, the iconic band will play Etihad Arena, Yas Island on Thursday, October in Chicago, the Pumpkins' have cemented their place in Rock History in a career spanning over three the raw, grunge anthems of Siamese Dream to the symphonic sprawl of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, expect a setlist filled with classics like Disarm, Today, 1979, Tonight, Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings and fronted by the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan, the Pumpkins continue to blend dream-pop, metal and electronica with a flair that's unmistakably the years, they've sold more than 30 million albums, won two Grammy and seven MTV awards and an American Music Invasion 2025 will mark the band's first full-scale tour of Asia in over a decade, offering a rare chance for fans to experience their explosive live performance up close. General ticket sales will commence on May 23 at 10 am via Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
The Smashing Pumpkins to make UAE debut this October
DUBAI: Alternative rock icons The Smashing Pumpkins are set to perform in the UAE for the first time, with a one-night-only concert at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on Thursday Oct. 9, 2025. The show is part of the band's global 'Rock Invasion 2025' tour and marks their Middle East debut. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Led by founding member Billy Corgan, with longtime bandmates James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, the Chicago-born group will deliver a setlist spanning their three-decade career. Fans can expect to hear beloved classics such as '1979,' 'Tonight, Tonight,' and 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings,' alongside newer tracks like 'Beguiled' and 'Empires.' A post shared by Live Nation Middle East (@livenationme) The Abu Dhabi stop is the final leg of their regional tour, which also includes performances in Tokyo, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, and Bahrain. The tour follows the release of their ambitious rock opera 'ATUM' and their latest album 'Aghori Mhori Mei,' released in late 2024. Tickets for the Etihad Arena show go on sale through Live Nation Middle East, with artist and presale tickets available starting May 21, and general public sales opening on May 23 at 12 pm.
Time Out Dubai
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
The Smashing Pumpkins to perform first-ever GCC show in Abu Dhabi: Ticket details and more revealed
Time to dust off your flannel shirts and revisit your 90s playlist – The Smashing Pumpkins are making their long-overdue UAE debut this autumn. Yes, that Smashing Pumpkins. As part of their globe-spanning Rock Invasion 2025 tour, the iconic alt-rockers will play Etihad Arena, Yas Island on Thursday October 9, in what will be their first-ever regional performance. With a back catalogue that defined a generation, this is going to be loud, nostalgic, and a totally indescribable moment of your life. From the grunge-tinged glory of Siamese Dream to the symphonic sprawl of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, expect a setlist stacked with classics like 1979, Today, Tonight, Tonight, and Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Throw in newer tracks like Beguiled and Sighommi from their recent albums, and you've got a career-spanning show from one of the most sonically adventurous bands of the past three decades. Still fronted by the inimitable Billy Corgan, the Pumpkins continue to blend dream-pop, metal, shoegaze, and straight-up rock with a flair that's unmistakably theirs. Over the years, they've sold more than 30 million albums, scooped up multiple Grammy and MTV awards, and remained gloriously difficult to categorise. The band's return to Asia – for the first time in more than a decade – includes dates across Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Bahrain, making this Abu Dhabi gig a historic moment for fans in the region. Presale access starts on Wednesday May 21 at 10am for artists, followed by Live Nation presale on Thursday May 22 at 10am. General ticket sales go live on Friday May 23 at 12pm, all via Live Nation Middle East. Thursday October 9, 2025. Etihad Arena, Yas Island. Tickets from Friday May 23 at You might also like: UAE public holidays: Every long weekend to look forward to in 2025 The dates to know 22 pictures that show how much Dubai has changed from the 1950s to today Take a look at these unrecognisable photos of the city 112 best things to do in Dubai in 2025 Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list
