headling Reading, playing the O2 Centre...these are one-time comeback rewards that won't be repeated...barring the unlikely event that the next record's huge of course. In a way that's sad, in a way it's healthy. 1995 is a long time ago.

It comes and it goes. 13 years later they're still able to fill most parts of arenas, that says something. They will forever be a major band, but somewhere along the way kids and youngsters didn't take much notice of them. For the times I've seen em last year they were barely no 'young' people (16-18 year olds etc.)...The interest in the musical landscape has changed too radically, I guess.

Although ticket sales arent doing 'all that well', I don't think there's any reason to dramatise, it's all too unpredictable anyway. First the venues were too small, now too big, it's pretty hard to find the perfect venue, am guessing billy wants to have the feel of it once more, afterwards the band will slide into new directions, like they did many times.

Do you think, ten years from now, the seats will be full of people in their mid 40s - early 50's? It's going to look like what it might be like today if you went to see CCR minus John Fogerty.
And will I be one of those old, pathetic concertgoers trying to retain my lost youth? Likely.

I highly doubt the next tour will be a TFE type deal. The places Billy played on that tour were really small. He played Webster Hall here in NY and sold out both shows. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

I havent event thought about being a 40 year old going to a sp show hoping to reconnect with youth. That idea is frightening :erm:

time never stops

judging by the age of the crowd in the shows i've seen. NO.

why not? you think the fans in their mid 30s, those like myself who got into the pumpkins when we were 20, won't still be going to see them ten years from now? I know I will. Do you think the kids who are 10 now will dig the pumpkins when they're 20, or even know who they are? I'm sure it's possible; but if people think they're 'has-beens' now, imagine how they'll feel in a decade.

I highly doubt the next tour will be a TFE type deal. The places Billy played on that tour were really small. He played Webster Hall here in NY and sold out both shows. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

In DC he played 9:30, which was the same place he played with the Pumpkins and both were sold out. That's uh, like 1200 people though they've been known to pack in a couple hundred more despite the fire code.

I could see them easily filling theatres.

I bought tickets for the October 30th show in Atlanta (which, as we all know, was rescheduled for November after Jimmy's health issues) and that show sold out so quickly that a second Atlanta date had to be added, and an Athens, Georgia date after that. As much as people here love to complain about how Smashing Pumpkins are dead, the fact is interest in them remains as high as ever and the tour has been very successful.

As for the age, there were people from 6 to mid-40s at the show I saw. I am in high school and half of my friends saw one of two Atlanta shows.

it's just a matter of exposure - most young people today don't listen to acts from the 90s just like kids in the 90s didn't listen to acts from the 80s because it's always the new upcoming acts that get all the media

at NIN early last year, the crowd was definitely a late 20s - early 30s kind

upcoming sonic youth gig next week should be interesting - though im betting that at 22, i'll prob be one of the youngest there.....but we'll see!

The Normal, IL show sold out quite quickly, but as the show neared, people could barely give away their extra tickets. I ended up with an extra that took me about 20 minutes to sell outside the venue (for a bit less than face). A lot of kids looked at me like I was crazy for trying to sell them a cheap SP ticket

Just depends

TFE rulz