Smashing Pumpkins - Sydney, 25th Feb 2015
Words: Todd Lockley
There was a chill off the harbour as black shirts and tight skirts were gobbled up by Luna Park’s big mouth. As the light weight crowd made their way into the big top there was a sense of hope that big bald Billy and his band of all-stars would deliver a cracker of a show to the young and very old. Ex-My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way was greeted by a few early arriving scream teens and although he held a higher energy than the dark demanding Pumpkins frontman, the crowd were only there to see one band but unfortunately for him, it wasn't Gerard Way.
His theatrical take on rock was a little hard to digest but he put on a good underdog performance, kick starting with The Bureau and washing through songs off his solo romantic split, Hesitant Alien. Echoes of the unkind jabs were heard throughout the audience and increased as it got closer to the headliner’s arrival.
For a show originally scheduled for the Hordern Pavilion, it would have been an awkward viewing at that venue, as there was nowhere near enough punters to fill the Big Top, with all of the seating section curtained off and only standing room available. The Hordern would have looked rather empty in comparison. To little fan fare The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage and launched into the eargasm bliss of Cherub Rock. The tempo was set, a moody Corgan keeping the chatter to a minimum and some heavy hitting from ex - RATM drummer Brad Wilk to keep all in toe.
The hit list came early with 1979 and Ava Adore following in quick succession, before a barrage of album tracks took away the early crowd momentum. The beautiful Stand Inside Your Love made many a weak knee on the dance floor, eye lined peepers fluttering under Corgans deep gaze and "oh so tender at times" vocals, which continued throughout Monuments. It seemed Billy had singled out a single person to confess "Lover, you're strange!".
His theatrical take on rock was a little hard to digest but he put on a good underdog performance, kick starting with The Bureau and washing through songs off his solo romantic split, Hesitant Alien. Echoes of the unkind jabs were heard throughout the audience and increased as it got closer to the headliner’s arrival.
For a show originally scheduled for the Hordern Pavilion, it would have been an awkward viewing at that venue, as there was nowhere near enough punters to fill the Big Top, with all of the seating section curtained off and only standing room available. The Hordern would have looked rather empty in comparison. To little fan fare The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage and launched into the eargasm bliss of Cherub Rock. The tempo was set, a moody Corgan keeping the chatter to a minimum and some heavy hitting from ex - RATM drummer Brad Wilk to keep all in toe.
The hit list came early with 1979 and Ava Adore following in quick succession, before a barrage of album tracks took away the early crowd momentum. The beautiful Stand Inside Your Love made many a weak knee on the dance floor, eye lined peepers fluttering under Corgans deep gaze and "oh so tender at times" vocals, which continued throughout Monuments. It seemed Billy had singled out a single person to confess "Lover, you're strange!".
Disarm was disappointing, barely recognizable without the pretty strings and atmosphere of the original release, but the straight forward rock of Bullet With Butterfly Wings woke the crowd to a new found form of enthusiasm, also giving Jeff Schroeder a heavy amount of time in the spotlight, shredding to the delight of the pogo'ing kids mid pit - he was on song from go to woah.
After a brief drinks break the band returned for what was a bit of a confusing encore. If you were a first time Smashing Pumpkins attendee you'd be expecting the big guns to come out firing; songs like Rhinoceros, Here Is No Why and the anthem to a grunge dreaming generation, Today, but these songs weren't to be, instead a stripped back version of Tonight, Tonight in which much of the vocal was lost to the crowd followed by a horrible cover of David Bowies Fame.
The sad part is Zero was the final song on the setlist at each Pumpkins’ feet, which would have been a rollicking closer to an up and down night but instead the band returned backstage and the lights came up, people muttering "that was shit!" and other saying "Oh my god, that was amazing". Perhaps with a Smashing Pumpkins live show, it's left to interpretation of the individual fan. A solid show full of fun songs sung in a not so fun way.
After a brief drinks break the band returned for what was a bit of a confusing encore. If you were a first time Smashing Pumpkins attendee you'd be expecting the big guns to come out firing; songs like Rhinoceros, Here Is No Why and the anthem to a grunge dreaming generation, Today, but these songs weren't to be, instead a stripped back version of Tonight, Tonight in which much of the vocal was lost to the crowd followed by a horrible cover of David Bowies Fame.
The sad part is Zero was the final song on the setlist at each Pumpkins’ feet, which would have been a rollicking closer to an up and down night but instead the band returned backstage and the lights came up, people muttering "that was shit!" and other saying "Oh my god, that was amazing". Perhaps with a Smashing Pumpkins live show, it's left to interpretation of the individual fan. A solid show full of fun songs sung in a not so fun way.