Just ahead of Smashing Pumpkins' European tour with Weezer, Billy Corgan has warned fans to expect the band to play more than just their hits.
In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Corgan said he doesn't feel obligated to add songs to his set list due to popular demand. “I don't play any songs I don't want to play,” he stated clearly. “I don't care if they are a classic or not. If I don't want to play it, I just don't play it. I don't tell the audience, 'Well, I have to play this for you.' “I think it’s some kind of cheese.”
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Corgan went on to say that while he understands why fans who paid their hard-earned money and hired a babysitter want to hear certain songs, he doesn't think artists should feel like they have to “serve something they don't want.” attend. As if they were chained to a past or a legacy.”
He also believes there's a middle ground where a fan of early Pumpkins music walks away from a show with a new appreciation for the deeper cuts and B-sides: “You put them in the position of feeling like it's theirs to pursue.” . . You're not preaching, 'Here's our new song, you better like it or you're not a fan.' It's really up to the band to play great. That's what solves everything.”
Ultimately, Corgan's stance comes from avoiding the feeling of doing karaoke. “It's not a bad thing that they want to listen to songs they love,” she said. “But you can't live in the past. It is the death of any artist. And particularly in the United States, you know, we have a whole cottage industry of people who live in the past.”
One of Corgan's bandmates who would disagree is Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, who said last year that “it's a bit c*nty” when bands treat it as “a burden” to play their big songs.
Although fans shouldn't expect a Pumpkins anniversary tour anytime soon, the band isn't completely shying away from playing their hits. During her 2023 “World Is a Vampire” tour, her set list included classics like “Today,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” and “1979.”
After closing its European dates (tickets here), Smashing Pumpkins will join Green Day for the North American leg of “The Saviors Tour.” They've also booked some shows of their own, taking place this summer and fall. Get tickets for those dates here.
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