Seeds of the Pumpkins

Farewell gig yesterday for Billy Corgan & friends here in Paris. Well, I know most american hip indie kids find the Smashing Pumpkins « an awful band since they’re sellout », but we tend to see things in a slightly different way down here in Europe. Anyway, I HAD to see once in my life the band that made Siamese Dream, and it seems like it’s their last tour.

Support : Sunna ; honest band, working very hard to conquer the kid’s favors ; surprisingly, their label is Melankolic, the next step after Day One towards eclectism ? It’s disturbing that bands with an overground ambition tend to do this kind of light metal music again, it brings us back to the Nirvana years…

The Pumpkins concert began very awfully. They’ve slowed the tempo of wonderful songs like ‘Today’ or ‘The Everlasting Gaze’ to a point where it wasn’t at all the same tracks, and then they added some free-jazz piano improvisation à la Pink Floyd over it (Did Billy want to prove he’s as good as a musician than Radiohead ??). It was terrible. I was thinking I had a nightmare : « Oh my God, this is the Adore Tour ! I have to wake up !! ».

Act II : Billy took the electric guitar, and here it goes for two songs (including ‘Bullet with Buttefly Wings’) played… with an increased tempo ! At least it was interesting to hear. But after half an hour, the real show begun. This was the Smashing Pumpkins magic. The wonderful voice of Billy, Jimmy’s energic drumming, James’ modesty and virtuosity, and the special asset : Melissa, so sexy with her bass guitar. A really remarkable light show. An audience going crazy. Only fantastic songs on the set list.

The most moving moment was the second encore, when Melissa introduced the musicians in a perfect French, with her adorable voice. The last song was ‘1979’, an obvious choice, and a very fulfilling apex to the show. Billy stayed on stage a couple of minutes after the song ended, just to enjoy those magical moments when 12 000 people give you love and respect.

Whatever the venue, whatever the band, whatever your position in the room are, the most exciting person to be is the guy on stage.

Not the folk who would cry if he were not ashamed, not any of the few thousands seeds of the pumpkins.

PS: Don’t forget to download Machina II/the friends and enemies of modern music, their last and free album, not available in stores.