Billy Corgan Invites Heckler Onstage To Ridicule Him
Reviews of the Smashing Pumpkins' two night stand in NYC last week haven't been kind. "Things quickly fell off a cliff, bogged down by tuneless dirges like the reworked version of 'Heavy Metal Machine' and a noisy, directionless cover of Pink Floyd's 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,' said Rolling Stone. Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog agrees those two tunes were "flat-out awful" and felt the encore ("a song that mixes disingenuous hippy-dippy 'everyone is beautiful!' lyrics with improvised sarcastic rants that outright diss the city you're playing in, mock the fans for paying to see your band, and tell your visibly disappointed audience that you'll see them in hell") was "full-on douche-tastic passive-aggression." And that was only night one.
The next day, Billy acknowledged the elephant in the theater by inviting a disgruntled attendee of Thursday night's show onstage. "Last night's show fucking sucked," the kid complained. "We're all good," offered Billy, adding this juvenile rejoinder after the fan exited the stage: "By the way, I like that song you wrote -- 'Take Your Dick Out Of My Ass And Stick It In My Mouth.' It was a big hit in Europe." Ha ha. Ha? Video of the exchange below.
From the YouTube description: "I heard Billy was in a really bad mood on Thursday night. When he was leaving, he said he was never coming back to New York. "
Setlists via Fluxblog:
The Smashing Pumpkins @ United Palace 11/6/2008 (Black Sunshine)
Roctopus / Everybody Come Clap Your Hands / Tarantula / G.L.O.W. / Siva / Eye / Mayonaise / Tonight, Tonight / Speed Kills / Transformer / Superchrist / United States / Once Upon A Time / Again, Again, Again (The Crux) / The Rose March / Today / Bullet With Butterfly Wings / The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning / Heavy Metal Machine (horrible new version) / Glass' Theme / Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun // We Only Come Out At Night / Everything Is BeautifulThe Smashing Pumpkins @ United Palace, 11/7/2008 (White Crosses)
Ava Adore / Cupid de Locke / 1979 / 99 Floors / Owata / Sunkissed / Soma / Cherub Rock / Zero / Bodies / Crestfallen / I of the Mourning / Song For A Son / Landslide / Disarm / Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness / Galapagos / Gossamer / As Rome Burns / The Sounds Of Silence + Little Red Riding Hood metal dirge medley / The March Hare / Suffer / The March Hare (reprise) / Age of Innocence // That's The Way (My Love Is) / I Am One, Part Two
The tour continues tomorrow in DC. Good luck.
11/11 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
11/12 - Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
11/14 - Boston, MA @ Citi Performing Arts Center
11/15 - Boston, MA @ Citi Performing Arts Center
11/16 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
11/18 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
11/19 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
11/21 - Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
11/22 - Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
11/24 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
11/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
11/26 - Saint Louis, MO @ Fabulous Fox Theatre
11/29 - Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater
11/30 - La Jolla, CA @ RIMAC Arena
12/02 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
12/03 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
[Above photo by blainewad.]
Posted at 6:27 PM by Scott in Concert, Tour Dates, Video
Tags: Billy Corgan | The Smashing Pumpkins
the dub remix of 'Take Your Dick Out Of My Ass And Stick It In My Mouth' is pretty fucking good, so billy was actually spot on about that.
Score = 52
not the least bit funny...
Score = -44
sez you.
Score = 0
I thought it was pretty funny. . .
Score = -1
Bill lost all my respect the 2nd night in Toronto.
Score = 2
I don't know I was at the 2nd night in Toronto and I was really, really, disappointed that they didnt play more songs I knew...and the encore...who the fuck plays a 20 minute song no ones ever heard as an encore? But I thought billy seemed really nice...he like talked to people when they'd yell shit out and his guitar work was incredible. I was pissed off when they did like a 30 minute jungle jam thing where he played a tambourine...but I think I would've really liked it if it I hadn't been expecting the Old Smashing Pumpkins. I think billy was just really offended cause his music is his life and to have some jerk come up on stage and just be like THAT FUCKIN SUCKED, YO....i probably couldn't think of a good comeback either. just sayin...i wish this reunion had actually been a reunion...though some of the new songs i liked...in a chilled out acoustic kind of way...sounded more like a dave matthews/jack johnson hybrid than pumpkins though...
Score = 0
Looked staged.
Score = 4
I Am One, Part 2? is that like Unforgiven II? III? Did Billy replace himself with the guy from the New Radicals or is it still him?
Score = 1
"I Am One Part 2" is basically a new song, but it has a guitar part that is kinda like the lead part from "I Am One." It's a long jam song, with a lot of noodling and rumbling drums, pretty much the default setting for their jam stuff now. It was not very good, particularly as a show-closer.
Score = 3
Actually just learning now, it's a Gish era outtake done up with the new expanded version of the band. But the point is, it's not I Am One.
Score = 1
When does Jerry "The King" Lawler through coffee in Billy's face? What a joke.
Score = 8
love the andy kaufman on letterman reference...love it.
Score = -1
Wrong, Mr. Perpetua. "I Am One pt. 2" is a b-side from 1989.
http://www.spfc.org/songs-releases/song.html?song_id=77&song_type=-1
Score = -1
C'mon guys:.. let us all watch this one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6IJVq1qdZQ and let's pretend this reunion never happened.
Score = 3
God they suck. Saw them on the 2nd or 3rd night in SF during their 38-night stand or whatever and they played a set of about 98% new material. The older songs they *did* bother to play got tossed off in under-two-minute-who-gives-a-fuck versions and their 2nd encore was a 20+ minute (no shit!) version of a b-side from one of their new singles. Basically just some masturbatory riffing while Billy rambled on about a long black train or something to that effect. When that was over at about 1AM about 90% of the audience left and I was pleased to hear that Billy came back on stage for a 3rd encore a few minutes later but then refused to play it b/c the place was so empty. On the other hand, I saw Zwan play in a tiny little college gym a few years ago and that was fucking epic.
Score = 1
this is proof that everyone hates them now because you can really tell the crowd is on the heckler's side by the way they are booing him throughout
Score = 2
that is kind of interesting, isn't it?
Score = 0
Which begs the question, why pay money to see Billy?
Score = 1
I'm not sure what video half you people are watching, but the audience seems to be having a pretty good time. They also seem to be on Billy's side. This is a non-story.
Everyone needs to get over it, they aren't the same band and they aren't gonna be writing a sequel to1979 any time soon. Get over it.
Score = 2
When is this guy going to take the fucking skirt off
Both those setlists are pretty shitty, to be fair to the heckler. Five or six good songs each night isn't good enough.
Score = 6
Can't say I was ever a fan of these guys. This might explain why:
http://www.nucliess.com/sounds.html
Score = -28
Can't say I was ever a fan of these guys. This might explain why:
http://www.nucliess.com/sounds.html
Score = -30
...but....but this site doesn't seem to explain anything! Perhaps if I listen to all the MP3s you've uploaded there if might become more clear why you've never been a fan? It's a long shot, but hell, I just can't think why else you'd have posted that link three times if there wasn't some important information in there. I'll get back to you.
Score = 10
responding to the fan's criticsim with an, "oh yeah, and you're gay" joke is so juvenile (not to mention homophobic) and speaks volumes about him.
Score = 11
I was never a big fan - but my wife was, so we went to see night 1 in Toronto. I think some fans might have left disappointed by the lack of 'hits'... but I left with a new respect for the Smashing Pumpkins. They seriously brought it for close to 3 hours, and I thought that Billy's small bit of ranting was done with a sense of humour. I would have had a lot less patience than he did with the embarrassing loud-mouthed dumbasses (and there were a few) in the crowd.
Score = 3
The new music is awful. And this is coming from someone who's never loved a band like I did the Pumpkins in the late 90s.
I think people who insist it's not the Pumpkins sans Iha and D'arcy are naive (those two contributed nil), but something's missing. Sure as hell isn't the Pumpkins I knew.
Score = 2
Billy Corgan has gone from quirky artist, to egomaniac, to evil douchebag.
Score = 8
Is this the best acting talent they could scrounge up? Way to break down the fourth wall, Billy.
Score = 1
nucliess, those mp3s suck...is that your music, if it is its lame-o rific....BTW
Score = 8
At times like this, I miss Zwan. (Kind of.)
Score = 5
I'm not sure why everyone is so pissed off. Billy is who he is and does what he wants. He has been called arrogant for years, and for good reason too, I bet. You should know that going in to the show. Billy is not the kind of rock star that plays a show to make his fans feel good. He plays what he wants and jams what he likes. If you just went to the show to remember old times and listen to your "classic favourite Pumpkins song", you should have popped their greatest hits album in your stereo and stayed in your car.
Score = -2
He really needs to take off the ridiculous skirt. Time to bring back the psychedelic shirts, doc martens, and big muff Billy.
Score = 6
I have hated the Smashing Pumpkins from the very beginning.
Score = -10
Billy is a complete turd. Its truley sad because at one time he wrote some brililant shit. But Billy wants to be a star. Speaking of losing respect - as if the music alone wasnt enough - anyone ever see Billy on wrestling? Yeah thats right Billy was on wrestling - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3o2LY9uU6M
Score = 9
No shit. Billy Corgan actually was on wrestling.
Score = 3
i hated the SP from the beginning....shut the fuck up. they were awesome in 94 but you were probably 8 years old.
although James and D'arcy didn't contribute too much to the band (iha produced al ot of their work by the way) they still looked cool and distracted the audience from Billy's disgusting face, body, and overall look.
you can't call it a 20th anniversery show and play those setlist. he just spit in most of the fans faces. he's not dylan, he's not conor oberst, he's not ryan adams......just play the fucking hits and everyone has a good time...isn't that what rock n roll is all about? prick
Score = 6
"....just play the fucking hits and everyone has a good time...isn't that what rock n roll is all about? prick"
"Play the hits" is the Vegas philosophy, and rock n' roll ain't Vegas. They're pissing people off, but at the same time if all you wanted to do was relive your teenage years that's a little more pathetic than Corgan playing what he wants.
Score = 6
Billy Corgan is a total narcissist, so it probably really kills him that he no longer has legions of teenage acolytes like he did in the mid to late 90s. From the guy's attitude and a lot of his lyrics, it's clear that he wants round-the-clock worship from barely-pubescent angst-ridden teenagers so he can play out his contrived "reluctant superstar" shtick some more.
Score = 4
I saw them in Atlantic City Saturday night and they were great.
Score = 0
Just got back from the DC show and a similar thing happened. At the end of the show someone flipped off Corgan, a guy he name "Angry Tucker Carlson," and got into a fight which concluded with a fake James Iha on stage. Very fascinating....
Score = -1
fake James Iha? I don't understand.
Billy's making me sad. I liked Zeitgeist, but man. I just don't know. This shit is just.
Score = 2
"I like that song you wrote...it was a good one...
Take your dick out of my ass?....
Wasn't it number one in Europe?...
Take your dick out of my ass?...
Take my dick out of my ass and stick it my mouth?"
You could really see the wheels turning in Billy's head. This dude is like 40 right? I mean, really.
Score = 8
He's always been like this. Back when Lolla '94 sold out 5 straight nights in Detroit, he taunted the audience every night, made passive aggressive statements about the beastie boys who killed every night right before pumpkins went on, allowing the pumpkins to disappoint heavily. I never bought another pumpkins album and that was back when we bought music and beer only cost a nickel.
Score = 2
got tickets for boston. now im scared its going to suck.
shame, ive never seen them before.
i was hoping to hear at least some of the hits.
he could try to be a little more grateful for having fans.
can't make them that way.
Score = 1
Loved the Pumpkins since '93. Every show I've seen him, no matter the incarnation, was wonderful. Enjoyed their residency in NC. I felt he played plenty of the old catalogue during the residencies as well as the tour that followed. My appetite for old stuff was fulfilled. I think (just my personal opinion ppl, ok?) that usually the album in which you discover a band stays your favorite and those after are hit and miss. Some people get stuck wishing it could be like the ______album. Just can't be.
Why is this tour different? Many venues are those that Sp never played. I think it's great he's playing songs on this tour that he said he wouldn't do again (i.e. "Soma" and "Mayonaise"). Saw their documentary "If All Goes Wrong" last week, which explains a lot of these feelings, rawly documents the residencies, and why Billy doesn't want to do a Greatest Hits tour. I want him to grow as an artist; not stay stagnant and rehash 1995. Do I love everything new? No...but songs like "Superchrist" show the artistry and how Billy can still rock.
Thanks for reading.
Score = 1
Why would the kid come back for night two if night one was so awful? Staged? I love the graphic with FAIL on it. Billy needs to lose the skirts and grow out some hair. Love me some pumpkins but they are not the same anymore.
Score = 1
He doesn't have hair to grow out, his hairline is way at the back of his head now.
Score = 1
billy just proved he's a btch by acting like one. thursday's show obviously sucked and he couldn't respond in any way that didn't resemble a juvenile's response. he carried it over to friday, then invited the tard up to act like an ass, seemingly as an excuse for billy to act like an ass in kind. no bitchassness, billy. i hope you keep your word and never come back. and this from someone who remembers when you played a great show, like in the early- and mid-nineties...sad.
Score = -1
To be honest i haven't really liked much after Adore... This clip looks like it was staged. like they are trying to keep it interesting and get the fans all on their side. And from watching that wrestling clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3o2LY9uU6M ...i wouldn't put it past them that this was some kind of set up for press.
Score = 2
FFFFFAAAAAAAAAKKKKEEEEEEEE! I call such bullshit on that.
Score = 0
Billy Corgan has been a bitter asshole for years. If you pay money to see him play in 2008 then you deserve what you get. I saw the Smashing Pumpkins during their Adore tour years ago, and it was fine, whatever, but clearly that ship has sailed. He played at my college in like 2003 with Zwan, and that was terrible. He has always thought of himself as a better musician than he is, and whined that he never got enough recognition. I don't know that he'll ever again have anything close to Siamese Dream. Thus, don't see him live. Problem solved.
Score = 2
yes, yes and more yes.
Score = 1
Saw them last night in DC. We paid $60 to walk out after 5 songs, after seeing the setlist from the NY show and realizing we were getting the same thing. It really was that bad. Sound was awful. His "band" is comprised of pieces of furniture in 90's-futuristic gear. No one looked like they wanted to be there. "Rocking out" was comprised of Billy Corgan raising his guitar for 20 seconds of feedback now and then. He looked like a skeleton fighting its way out of a candle in his stupid skirt.
Billy Corgan bamboozled me.
Okay I'm done.
Score = 2
Everyone talks about Siamese Dream and how great it is, and it is. But for christ's sake, Gish and Mellon Collie also kicked fucking ass.
btw, fuck you Billy Corgan.
Score = 5
Saw the Pumpkins back in '94 and Corgan was pissed that the crowd was moshing and not "listening" to the music. He got so upset that during the encore they played "Today" and instead of singing he gave the crowd the finger. He has always been a pompous ass. Billy, for lessons on how to handle your "Post-90's Alternative Rock God" phase, please take a cue from Malkmus; lighten up and chill the fuck out. Oh, and also start making relevant music again.
Score = 1
i don't understand what they mean and i could really give a fuck
Score = 1
There it is! I was waiting for the Malkmus quote. What would a stereogum SP post be without the Range Life quote?
Score = 1
How could anyone possibly still care about this band!?!? Haven't SP fans been just consistently disappointed by everything Corgan has done since like 1994?
Score = -3
Billy is the Michael Jackson of alt-rock. No?
Score = 0
jesus, to the point, billy had his time in the sun, it's over, just play the hits, move on, why bother getting annoyed, disturbed or pissed at BC, just look at that leathery skirt and spider shirt and laugh and then close your eyes and try to listen to 1979 like the first time you heard it, enough said
Score = 1
The Smashing Pumpkins are a studio band, and always have been. I learned this in 96 on the Infinite Sadness Tour. The world is not a vampire, Billy is... he sucks the life out of the music every time he gets on stage. Its sad, they've made some truly amazing albums... but if you get the chance to see them, and are expecting some trancendent, amazing, live music experience- it will not happen. Be warned- Billy may be a (former) genius on record... but wow... he has ZERO to negative stage presence... he always ruins the show, and they've never translated well live... his voice sucks and the sound is always waaaaay off. My advice... don't bother.
Score = 0
PS- Billy always insists on ending a set with 20-40 minute "metal dirge" (what the fuck is that anyways?) that will inevitably do nothing more than leave a bad taste in your mouth- Obnoxious grating masturbatory droning guitar torture feedback bullshit that goes absolutely nowhere and serves no purpose other than to please his own ego. uggh...
ok i'm done.
Score = 1
If you listen to the SP cover of 'cinnamon girl' from the 1989 demos at the end when the song is over you can hear Billy screaming at someone in the band "HOW COULD YOU FUCK THAT UP!!!?" LOL
Score = 2
I can't find a download for "Take Your Dick Out Of My Ass And Stick It In My Mouth". Anyone track it down?
Score = 0
I was at the Friday NYC show. The place was packed and the audience was totally into it. Sure, they didn't play too many of their hits or whatever, but almost every song was enjoyable to hear live, whether or not I previously had heard it. The almost half-hour Goassamer is a pretty awesome song. Can't blame him for wanting to play new material. Regardless of who is in the band, Corgan doesn't want to be in a tribute band to himself I wasn't disappointed and given the length of the show, about 2 hours and 40 minutes, everyone got their money's worth. 9 people on stage, really tight sound. Pretty psychedelic at points and pretty heavy at other points. Billy did not interact with the audience too much throughout the show; he seemed pretty into what he was doing onstage--getting really into the music. overall, it was worth it. the smashing pumpkins broke up before i was really into their music, so it was a pleasure to see them live finally. if you can afford a ticket and were obsessed with them at some point, why not? I was there to hear music, not hear Billy taunt some annoying dude, so his immense ego doesn't really affect my view of his music, which was plentiful that night.
Score = 0
The sea monkeys he snorted in the 90's have slowly taken over his mind and they make him feel bad by inflicting upon poor Billy their religious guilt and the orgys they have near his cranial cortex cause a type of insomnia common in schizophrenics.
Score = 1
Classy move billy
Score = 2
This guy is obviously just looking for some attention, If you don't appreciate the music MAN, Don't go see them for 2 nights in a row MAN. I would have killed to see that set and I know other real fans would have as well. How bout getting a fucking attention span and actually listening to the 20 minute songs instead of taking a break to go light up your bowl MAN!! These New York Dueschbags think that thier opinions are the only thing that matter in the entire fucking universe, If you wanna hear some 3 minute hit from the 90's, turn on the radio for an hour, The pumpkins work hard to make their sets new and entertaining, and do the best to show their full musical talent and ability and pricks like this guy, who's critism consisted of "Last nights show fucken sucked, MAN," and other drunken babbles, don't mean shit to the thousands of real pumpkins fans who will follow Billy to the grave no matter how long he decides to make his songs. I know James and D'arcy aren't there and that sucks. but if you can't handle the new band then thats tough, I've seen them twice already and am seeing them again in a few weeks, and I can tell you that they are as good as they ever were and if your truely a fan, and appreciate some good music, then it's a great experience
Score = 1
we saw them tuesday night in chicago and we would not have cared if it was old or new songs. That old or new songs dilemma that corgan thinks he is faced with is not what people were upset about. Being entertained by a nearly lifeless band after a few songs doesn't excite many people. Being entertained with a mockery of kazoo playing and talk sessions that further mocked the audience was over the top and unnecessary. All the reviews of die hards and corgan himself are trying to explain the event as an inability of his old fans to "get" the new alternative music is ALL WRONG. That is insulting as the real deal is that it was the MOCKERY OF MUSIC itself. Next, a mockery of the audience.
Corgan may have to backpeddle his P.R. stunts because they may not work this time. Blame the economy for the bad reviews if you all need to find an excuse but don't fall for the excuse of old songs vs new songs....maybe he could of played real songs on real instruments that he knows how to play for the entire show.
I have seen many bands work out the conflict of old and new material who have been playing twice as many years as smashing pumpkins. Is corgan so different, so unique that his special niche of fans in his market are so hard to please because he doesn't want to sell out, the old pumpkins are dead..?? corgan is making too much of it all and so are his marketing people (maybe the more complicated their jobs the more money they can take from the band) - BUT IT IS JUST NOT THAT COMPLICATED.
I have never in my life of concerts paid to see anything as bad as the show tuesday night in chicago. You could feel it in the air, a looming black cloud of negativity bouncing out from the stage and the look on the band members faces was saying to me that they would rather be anywhere but there.
Sorry corgan that we just won't let you grow up and mature because we won't let the old pumpkins die, sorry we just don't "get it" and we are all impairing you from playing the best alternative music ever and finally sorry that disarm brought tears to the eyes of someone who was abused too and caused me to read all your lyrics and poetry and wanted to hear anything else new that you had to say. So sorry its all our fault you can't be who you want to be...
Score = 3
That was spot-on. We don't want to hear the old songs in the same old ways; we want new things... It's just that the new things are often so disappointing. :(
Thanks for an astute and very heartfelt post.
Score = 1
Don't any of you have a sense of humor? At least the audience does. Maybe they shouldn't have called it a Pumkins tour because that's what people expected. I probably would have been unhappy too. But, doesn't anyone get Billy's humor??? He's a witty guy.
Score = -1
hahaha i was at this show
they played well, too bad they played a bunch of shit material
and i thought it was funny at the time.. but mostly retarded
Score = 0
The Mighty Smashing Pumpkins are better than ever. That heckler is stupid. Why would he go to see them again if he thought the first show sucked? Billy then offered the guy his money back and he declines. The booing was directed at the heckler, not Billy. Notice that once Billy made his comeback, a lot of people cheered. Also a lot of people don't seem to understand Billy, he's no ego-maniac. 99% of the people that call him an ego-maniac are sheep following what everyone else says, the power of suggestion is a very influential thing. The remaining 1% are people who are always there to respond antithetically to everything Billy has ever done. Its much like how everyone likes to diss Herman Li when he hasn't done anything wrong. I respect that Billy wishes to move forward, to continue the Smashing Pumpkins, not to perform a string of nostalgic eulogies. Plus, he hasn't stated that he isn't going to perform any old songs, he'll play old songs, but he's also trying to promote new material, and for good reason. He pours his heart, soul and blood into every song he writes and I think that's something that is truely great about him.
To put it simply, let Billy do what he wants. If you don't like it, nobody forced you to go to his concerts. All I think Billy wants is to be heard and respected for what he does.
Score = 1
Billy Corgan is the greatest songwriter of our time. I get the feeling that his next release will have critics and indie snob assholes eating their words(like turds)
Score = -1