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The Smashing Pumpkins - Rock Titans or Self Indulgent Flops?

Have your say here...

  • by Scott Colothan
  • Tuesday, February 19, 2008
  • Photo by: Shirlaine Forrest
  • filed in: Indie
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The Smashing Pumpkins’ tour of the UK has divided opinion seismically over the past few days.

In one corner, Pumpkins stalwarts are claiming the tour was a triumph, where Billy Corgan and co. treated audiences to epic sets mixed with classics and rare gems. Christ, he even cracked the odd joke.

In the other, disgruntled punters have labelled the shows as self-indulgent twaddle, “dire” and amongst the worst gigs some people have seen.

Gigwise has been inundated with messages from both sides over recent days, each claiming that the other is talking gibberish.

Now you can have your say by voting in the poll below. We’ll close the poll and reveal the results at the end of the week.

To read Gigwise’s less-than-flattering review of the band’s O2 Arena show, just CLICK HERE. 

CLICK HERE to see their Manchester and London shows in pictures
(13)
  • thats crap , was at the gig , was great , prity much sold out , they played 28 songs good stuff

    ~ by martyn 2/19/2008

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  • I agree with Martyn, it was fascinating and moving and so diverse. I loved every minute.

    ~ by xelizabeth 2/19/2008

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  • Bollocks, I was so bored it was painful. There was absolutely no atmosphere - you would have thought that Corgan and co would have dipped their hands in their pockets for some screens!! 22,000 of the 23,000 couldn’t see anything apart from Billy’s head

    ~ by The gospel truth 2/19/2008

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  • It depends where you watched them and if you appreciate musical talent, or just after a laser show. Its all a personal opinion at the end of the day. They rocked Manchester for 2.5 hours, flopped at Nottingham cos of the crowd and other things, and I do not a clue about London personally. I would love to see such a talented band again, first class. Good Live music is heavily influenced by the crowd as well as the band...

    ~ by fattmort 2/19/2008

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  • I saw them in Istanbul in the summer and they were absoluteley dire. Mr Corgan has disappeared very far up his own arsehole. And to think this was the band that gave us Siamese Dream. It was tragic to witness such a sad spectacle. Amazed people in the UK even wanted them to come back?

    ~ by bobrock 2/20/2008

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  • Always such differing opinions. When I saw them during the summer (Primavera Sound, Barcelona) they were fantastic, much better than the Dublin 2000 show. I concede that as a fan for over 10 years you’d expect me to say that however my two friends with me were not fans - one only liked their first album Gish, other only Mellon Collie- and both did not have good opinions of Billy yet they enjoyed the gig immensely and were very impressed with the band and Billy in particular.

    ~ by kevin 2/20/2008

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  • It was amazing! everything you expect from a pumpkins gig. Maybe not for the casual fans but the best big gig i’ve been to in years.

    ~ by Mark 2/20/2008

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  • The only people that are crowing on about how bad the show was are the jaded casual fans who just want to hear them play their greatest hits all night. Fact is, the Pumpkins sound as great now as they have ever done, playing extensive and unique sets that rather than just dwelling on the past, actually look to a brighter future.

    ~ by alex 2/21/2008

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  • i went to the o2 arena. joint best gig ive seen of all time with the pumpkins at shepherds bush last year. i enjoyed the whole set and was sad that it had to end. cant wait until they return to london!!!

    ~ by mike 2/21/2008

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  • I saw the pumpkins In glasgow SECC on 12/02/08 and I have to say the Venue was what disspapointed me. There was not much atmosphere compared to when they played at Carling Academy glasgow where they totally rocked! HOWEVER! the quality of the show was brilliant. Corgan put passion into his songs and rocked hard throughout the night! He even spend ten minutes jokin around with the crowd! It was a night to remember and be proud of the Pumpkins.

    ~ by Chris .P 2/22/2008

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  • Plus give Billy a break for ”self Indulging” in his music at shows. The guy Is a musical genius, and those of you who are too impatient to apprecite his innovative approach to live songs, well tough luck! I enjoy his extended guitaring at gigs!

    ~ by c.p 2/22/2008

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  • I thought in Dublin they were 90% unbelievable and 10% poo but as a pumpkins fan you should already know and put up with the fact that Billy Corgan’s not Bono and it’s not a greatest hits tour so I’ll indulge him with the admittedly awful wankery on united states considering he also played today, porcelina, ava adore, cherub rock, yada yada...

    ~ by richiemurryay 2/22/2008

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  • i’ve seen then four times now since the reformation. paris, london, reading and now london again. the first three shows were massively underwhelming, so i wasn’t sure i was going to enjoy the 02. i left surprised, elated, and satisfied. i wasn’t right at the front, the crowd were respectful, the sound was the best i’ve heard at a Pumpkins show, what else can i say? They played a 3 hour set - there’s no way they would be able to appease everyone with that amount of m

    ~ by Amy 2/23/2008

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