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August 1, 2007

Frustrated Pumpkin Smashes Guitar

Billy and the kids are learning that life as a "new" group with old tricks ain't always easy. Reader Kayvon hit a couple of shows from the Pumpkins' 13-night Bay Area stint and wrote that, on Monday night, "Billy went on a whole tangent on how this was a new band and they make mistakes." Such candor! Though the cat was way out of the bag after this display from Saturday night, of guitarist Jeff Schroeder taking some of those "mistakes" out ... on his axe.

And when sound issues hand you lemons, you make ... a profit! Ever the entrepreneurs, the great Pumpkins turned it into an opportunity for some sweet-ass merch. Kayvon sent a pic from SP's Monday night gig at Fillmore, of Jeff's mangled guit -- for sale at the merch table. The cost?

$10,000 ... cash only.

Maybe if it had belonged to James Iha.

Monday's set was also being filmed -- for an upcoming DVD. Maybe footage from the Day In The Life Of the Smashing Pumpkins series will show up on it. This installment finds the band rehearsing for those Fillmore gigs. Key moments? Jimmy offering choreography tips ("Both of you guys come over here ... So we're all fucking looking at each other ... It'll look cool anyway..."), Corgan in his more flattering street gear, and, toward the end of the clip, seeing what appears to be that poor guitar prior to headstock decapitation.

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20 Comments

i went to the show on monday, it was horrible so i left before an encore, which was still 2 hours after they started. can't believe they are using it for a dvd

Posted by: evan at 08/01/07 1:48 PM | Reply
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pretty shameless

Posted by: Matt at 08/01/07 2:23 PM | Reply
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Say Billy Corgan and flush the toilet . . .

Posted by: Tibi Puiu at 08/01/07 2:30 PM | Reply
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I hate when performers smash guitars. At lease smash an assembly line epiphone.

Posted by: dannygutters at 08/01/07 3:43 PM | Reply
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The shame is someone will buy this guitar

Posted by: otis at 08/01/07 7:18 PM | Reply
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I'm scraping every last dime up to buy a new guitar and this prick destroys his because he can.

I think John Hiatt had something to say about that!
DwD

Posted by: Dw Dunphy at 08/01/07 8:18 PM | Reply
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I just vomitted up the last globs of respect I had for the Pumpkins...

Posted by: Zayin_451 at 08/01/07 9:53 PM | Reply
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whatev-ski

Posted by: b.LOUD at 08/02/07 12:13 AM | Reply
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Yes, I'm sure they were really selling.

Jesus, just enjoy the music. So he broke a guitar, oh wow, the controversy. My god, I am shocked.

Stereogum never has any good opinions on SP. If they released indie shit, stereogum would still go "oh, but look at his ego"!

Stop focusing so much on the personalities and enjoy the music, all you indie dicks.

Posted by: James at 08/02/07 1:28 AM | Reply
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but the music sucks...

Posted by: chris at 08/02/07 3:15 AM | Reply
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that doesn't matter, chris. ENJOY IT! ...or else.

Posted by: seth at 08/02/07 3:33 AM | Reply
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As an Irish reader of this site, any time I peruse the comments I always have a Napolean Dynamite voice in my head for these bitch fights.

The new Pumpkins album sucks balls, but at least the guitar sounds are good.

If you're looking for conclusive proof that Corgan has lost it, look no further:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=262627

Posted by: Neilo at 08/02/07 10:16 AM | Reply
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Wow, can't believe you really for that.

Yes, thats Billy corgan 100%. Wow, you are such an idiot. See above post for proof.

Posted by: James at 08/02/07 12:16 PM | Reply
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WTF!! $25 for a poster!?!?!

Posted by: gonzo at 08/02/07 11:01 PM | Reply
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and $45 for a t-shirt and $90 for a hoodie, i kid you not

Posted by: evan at 08/03/07 4:11 AM | Reply
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The show I went to could have been better, but they did play for 3 hours and closed their 3rd encore with "Geek USA" which is always welcome.

As a band, they do seem hell-bent on pissing throuhg any goodwill they earn, though. They opened the show with a 20-30 minute (longer?) version of Gossamer that included multiple extended guitar jams and a drum solo. Definitely my first time seeing people leaving the front row for the beer line during the first song. It took them an hour to build the crowd back up to the excitement level of the first note.

Posted by: ihartsf at 08/03/07 4:11 PM | Reply
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CASH ONLY

Posted by: OKOK at 08/06/07 12:40 AM | Reply
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It's a damn Gibson Les Paul Custom. they retail for like $3400.
their headstocks are VERY fragile. is something very well known. if you throw it like that, it WILL break. the fix will cost about 200$.
but no, better sell it to the fans for 10.000.
jesus christ. what a douchebag.

Posted by: Ezequiel at 10/11/07 5:58 AM | Reply
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i think it's time to say that apparently everyone hates billy and won't let him have his fun.
i see the selling of the guitar more as a joke, just another sarcastic thing from the tired mind that is billy's.

stop pissing him off.

Posted by: Christine at 02/16/08 2:02 PM | Reply
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All of his heretofore mysterious actions will all make perfect sense when he publishes his diaries (unedited, we hope!)

Posted by: USC Squirrels at 03/26/08 11:56 AM | Reply
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