Billy Corgan: ‘The Smashing Pumpkins shouldn’t be an arty band anymore’

[New Art Rioter]

Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan has revealed he has altered plans for the band’s next album ‘Day For Night’, following the success of the band’s recently-released current album ‘Monuments To An Elegy’.

In interviews previewing ‘Monuments To An Elegy’, Corgan had said ‘Day For Night’ would be an “artier” companion album, to be released by the summer of 2015. But Corgan has told NME he now intends ‘Day For Night’ to be a more rock-oriented album.

“Before ‘Monuments To An Elegy’ was released, the plan was to take ‘Day For Night’ in an experimental direction,” said Corgan. “I was thinking ‘I’ll make a pop record, then I’ll make a weird, arty record.’ But, seeing ‘Monuments…’ come out and going to back the ‘Day For Night’ demos, I feel that The Smashing Pumpkins shouldn’t be an arty band anymore.”

Corgan went on: “I think the 14-year-old me would say that ‘Monuments…’ is a little bit too comfortable. ‘Day For Night’ is going back to something that would appeal to my teenage self. ‘Monuments…’ is really cool and I love having re-embraced my pop leanings. But is that why I really started the band? Is it what drove me forward? Not at all. ‘Monuments…’ is me solving a problem of how to get The Smashing Pumpkins back into the mainstream. I had to solve that problem before I can solve problem two, which is where ‘Day For Night’ comes in. That’s why I’d thought ‘I’ll do the thing I should do, then I’ll do the thing I want to do.’ But now what I want to do is kick people out of the way.”

The band’s only UK concert to promote ‘Monuments To An Elegy’ so far was a low-key gig at London’s Koko on December 5, which featured Marilyn Manson guesting on ‘Ava Adore’ and Manson’s song ‘Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge’.

But Corgan revealed that The Smashing Pumpkins have so far turned down offers to play UK festivals next summer, because they’ve been “disappointing”. Corgan said: “If we get the slots we want, we’ll come. But we’ve seen who else is on the bill, and we’re expected to go on before a band who have had one quasi-hit that’s not even that popular. Sorry, but that didn’t work for me in 1992 and it doesn’t work for me now. The funny thing is, the more that ‘Monuments…’ is kicking in, the more phone calls we’re getting. We’re getting calls asking for us, because they ain’t selling tickets. But how is it that The Smashing Pumpkins still sell tickets, but you’re offering me this poor slot? It’s disappointing.”

http://www.nme.com/news/smashing-pumpkins/81969

[T&T]

14 year olds don't give a shit about old bald billy corgan.
why does he keep being a fucking idiot about this. will labels stop giving him money.

billy corgan clearly doesn't know what he's talking about with his business savvy. proof is not only in the sales numbers but in the slot offerings he's being offered. year after year.
you're done old man. you're old, you're ugly, and everyone is tiered of listening to you whine. now quit being stupid too, it's embarrassing. fuck.


billy is a twat.

[Araneae]

"...We’re getting calls asking for us, because they ain’t selling tickets. But how is it that The Smashing Pumpkins still sell tickets, but you’re offering me this poor slot? It’s disappointing.”

"...‘Monuments…’ is me solving a problem of how to get The Smashing Pumpkins back into the mainstream."

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

[LaBelle]

Billy should do the obvious and say:
"The Smashing Pumpkins shouldn't be a thing anymore".

[Raventhird]

That's it.

I guess I might be completely done with this band after reading these statements. Not interested in his shit anymore, been doing this for too long anyway.

I really had some hope for the "arty" record, but now It'll be just the same crap all over again. It'll suck. It's almost like he reads Netphoria and purposely does the opposite of what his last serious listeners (us) are suggesting.

There are a ton of great bands out there writing good music, I just won't look at "Old bald guy doing idiotic media stunts, writing bad music to have commercial success and shelving his good songs" anymore.

[Slurpee]

Please god someone take away his money, his mansions, his cats and his girlfriends, then hand him a guitar and say: this is all you ever had.

I don't actually wish that misfortune on him, but COME. ON. Just fucking write the music you want to write. Stop being afraid!

[pavementtune]

Originally Posted by Raventhird

That's it.

I guess I'm done with this band. Not interested in his shit anymore, been doing this for too long anyway.

There are a ton of great bands out there writing good music, I just won't look at "Old bald guy doing idiotic media stunts, writing bad music to have commercial success and shelving his good songs" anymore.

It's almost like he reads Netphoria and purposely does the opposite of what his last serious listeners (us) are suggesting.

pretty much, it's like watching his third attempt of ultimate career suicide.

Originally Posted by Corgan

But now what I want to do is kick people out of the way.

this whole wrestling thing really messed with his head. it's nothing but "music is competition" now.

good luck with kicking people out of the way - he surely always managed that much. only this time around he's kicking the last remaining audience out of the way, too. two years from now he can sit all day in his teahouse as sole customer, bitter, and watch his girl waiting for a sole paying guest she can serve some vegan sandwich while his "SP merch" bins stand in the corner, right next to YUMMY food and ugly shirts.
sad, for the biggest songwriter of his generation. it wouldn't be that sad if he were approaching 70, but fucking hell this guy isn't even 50 yet.

[dreams of glass]

Billy is at his best when he's writing rock music for 14 year olds

let's hope he's actually going to do it, since most of his promises have been complete bullshit

it's just sad to see this play out though. It's like a really ugly protracted divorce.

It would suck for SP to end on such a sour note

[Araneae]

Billy must be living in an alternate reality where MTAE was a commercial success and SP can still sell out stadiums (as opposed to the 800 capacity venues he has been playing in this reality) and command headline slots. On a serious note, given his family history of mental illness, I sometimes get concerned when I see him say these things.

[pavementtune]

Originally Posted by Araneae

On a serious note, given his family history of mental illness, I sometimes get concerned when I see him say these things.

sure, but he knows what he's doing. surrounding himself with people who rather watch him going down the total trainwreck path again instead of getting him some help. so "artsy", so "wise", so "interesting" so "special." sure that's what it might look like if you're twenty and look up to chemtrail talk and former stardom.
vaccines are evil, so is medication when you are bipolar, so is counselling when you know it all better. he is setting himself up to be miserable as good as he can.

[cardiac]

Originally Posted by dreams of glass

It would suck for SP to end on such a sour note

At this point it'll end on a sour note no matter what.

So far the interviews he's given for MTAE have been full of spite and anger at how his work is not appreciated and suddenly now he feels that Monuments "solved the problem of how to get back to mainstream." What the hell?

[dreams of glass]

yeah he's a big mass of contradictions

[Slurpee]

Dammit, have I spent the last fourteen years pretending???

[DaveKShape]

Dude is off his rocker. Like seriously. He's a self-fulfilling prophecy in the worst way. Does he even actually enjoy playing/writing music anymore? Or is his music just a fame catalyst at this point?

[pavementtune]

catalyst. only downwards instead of upwards.

[Araneae]

Originally Posted by pavementtune

sure, but he knows what he's doing. surrounding himself with people who rather watch him going down the total trainwreck path again instead of getting him some help.

I just think it's mentally unhealthy to be living in this self-created bubble. It's also negatively affecting his work.

But maybe it's true, that he doesn't like making music anymore. Maybe fame was always the goal in order to build up his own self-worth rather than any artistic goal. The "I'm an artist" bit really didn't start until after Adore. He just keeps contradicting himself. He's true to his Piscean nature, a fish swimming both ways.

[Modern90's]

Originally Posted by Raventhird

That's it.

I guess I might be completely done with this band after reading these statements. Not interested in his shit anymore, been doing this for too long anyway.

I really had some hope for the "arty" record, but now It'll be just the same crap all over again. It'll suck. It's almost like he reads Netphoria and purposely does the opposite of what his last serious listeners (us) are suggesting.

There are a ton of great bands out there writing good music, I just won't look at "Old bald guy doing idiotic media stunts, writing bad music to have commercial success and shelving his good songs" anymore.

It pains me to see billy go fucking crazy because he wants his album to sell well even if he doesn't like it, so he does and says dumb shit. FUCK what the "mainstream" is and produce good fucking music your proud of and the fans (Us) and we'll eat that shit up. It's been mediocre shit since 2000.14 YEARS WEVE BEEN WAITING FOR GOOD MUSIC! ... But I guess I'll just sit here and hope he tries to make good music not this bullshit he is doing interviews promoting.

[Shallowed]

Originally Posted by Slurpee

Please god someone take away his money, his mansions, his cats and his girlfriends, then hand him a guitar and say: this is all you ever had.

Please, not the cats!

[mojo]

For such a control freak he’s now terrifyingly out-of-control.
And delusional.
The breakdown may not have hit yet but it’s in the mail.
He now sounds like the dictator of a small landlocked African republic.
If he’s not successful, it’s NEVER because his songs failed, it’s because they were the wrong kind of songs – too arty, too pop, too rock – never just too not-very-good.
He’s like a fading, failing soccer star who keeps playing badly but moaning that’s he in the wrong position – ‘play me in attack and I’ll succeed!’ ‘Play me in midfield and I’ll show them! ‘No, wait, play me in defence and you’ll see I’ve still got it!’
You want to look away and yet you can’t.
The rest of the world can pour scorn/ridicule/indifference – I just feel sad.

[Modern90's]

Originally Posted by mojo

For such a control freak he’s now terrifyingly out-of-control.
And delusional.
The breakdown may not have hit yet but it’s in the mail.
He now sounds like the dictator of a small landlocked African republic.
If he’s not successful, it’s NEVER because his songs failed, it’s because they were the wrong kind of songs – too arty, too pop, too rock – never just too not-very-good.
He’s like a fading, failing soccer star who keeps playing badly but moaning that’s he in the wrong position – ‘play me in attack and I’ll succeed!’ ‘Play me in midfield and I’ll show them! ‘No, wait, play me in defence and you’ll see I’ve still got it!’
You want to look away and yet you can’t.
The rest of the world can pour scorn/ridicule/indifference – I just feel sad.

That's pretty much what it boils down to its just sad

[gyang333]

Is it bad that I yearn for Zeitgiest-era Pumpkins? Listening to Z and remembering how they were headlining festivals and filling 5000+ venues in 07 makes it all a bit sad what SP has become. He's cut ties basically with all his friends/entourage and now it's just him and Jeff. He's on a lonely island all unto himself. I do applaud him for trudging along, albeit with delusional expectations of success. If I were him I wouls have said 'fuck it, I'm done' and just enjoyed the rest of my life with whatever millions he has left.

[Araneae]

Originally Posted by gyang333

If I were him I wouls have said 'fuck it, I'm done' and just enjoyed the rest of my life with whatever millions he has left.

And then what? He would just get bored and start feeling unfulfilled after a while. Despite what he says and does, he's not particularly good at doing anything else but making music. He's not going to stop making music, but he needs to face the reality that he isn't going to attract the mainstream 20 year old listeners.

[Modern90's]

Originally Posted by Araneae

And then what? He would just get bored and start feeling unfulfilled after a while. Despite what he says and does, he's not particularly good at doing anything else but making music. He's not going to stop making music, but he needs to face the reality that he isn't going to attract the mainstream 20 year old listeners.

I think we need to face it he's never going to try to appeal the to us

[mojo]

Originally Posted by gyang333

Is it bad that I yearn for Zeitgiest-era Pumpkins? Listening to Z and remembering how they were headlining festivals and filling 5000+ venues in 07 makes it all a bit sad what SP has become. He's cut ties basically with all his friends/entourage and now it's just him and Jeff. He's on a lonely island all unto himself. I do applaud him for trudging along, albeit with delusional expectations of success. If I were him I wouls have said 'fuck it, I'm done' and just enjoyed the rest of my life with whatever millions he has left.

I think the headlining status was more to do with the band being away from seven years rather than the popularity of Zeitgeist.

The Verve received the same treatment exactly a year later - releasing an indifferently received new album but headlining festivals all over the world on the strength of their 90s stuff and long absence.

The Verve always make me smile because in their Olympian loathing for each other they kind of make other bands -even SP - look relatively functional.

[Araneae]

Originally Posted by Modern90's

I think we need to face it he's never going to try to appeal the to us

It's fine that he wants to attract younger fans, that's how his music lives on, but what he shouldn't do is pander to a specific age group to the point where he's calculating each note and each lyric to suit them. Someone like Bowie still attracts young fans but he sure as hell doesn't make music for them.

[Order 66]

monuments is a "success" now? uh okay

anyway, pretty much contemporary SP in a nutshell: not an artistic endeavor anymore.

[Elphenor]

Textbook Sell-out

[Mals Marola]

If billy had really done something for *today's* mainstream, it mighta actually been interesting. Get tucking pharrell on a track or something, at least go all out if yer gonna do it all, you know?

[MyOneAndOnly]

Originally Posted by dreams of glass

Billy is at his best when he's writing rock music for 14 year olds

let's hope he's actually going to do it, since most of his promises have been complete bullshit

it's just sad to see this play out though. It's like a really ugly protracted divorce.

It would suck for SP to end on such a sour note

SP ended years ago

[MyOneAndOnly]

I had some hope after the solo acoustic show at the end of last summer. But that was misplaced. Kind of like thinking in 2011 that because he went an entire tour without saying something horrible that he wouldnt revert back.