Circus Magazine Article- Febraury 1997
By: Edward Fruchtman
Transcribed by Tigger3331@aol.com
Smashing Pumpkins won top honos for "Best Concert" in the 1996 Circus Magazine Reader's Poll.
Out of nowhere, singer and songwriter Billy Corgan screams recklessly at a recent New York gig, "And into the eyes of the jackyl, I say KABOOM!" after a five-mintue-long break in their stomper, "X.Y.U." The pulsing music then crashes back through the P.A. system and the band is set on overdrive to handle the song's wildy-speedy tempo. The chicago-based Smashing Pumpkins repeat theis tactic throughout most of their 1996-97 Mellon Collie tour and even their most reluctant followers cheer the band for this often-used, yet always-efffective gag.
"I think we're one of the best live bands, but we're the kind of live band that you have to follow the whole time," Corgan told Addicted to Noise. "We're not going to hit you over the head in the first five minutes and then the rest of the show is boring."
The pumpkins have become the archetypal arena rock band, creating a well-placed, energetic show yet also generated a eceptive record-buying public. Offstage, they spent ten months creating the multi-million selling double-disc epic album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Their two-hour concerts are known for passion and ferocity. Guitarists Corgan and James Iha (founding members in the late 80's) rarely compete for attention; their chemistry is evident in the dual passages and on the quieter parts of their performences. Among the notable musical moments is the building up to the epic "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans." Corgan and Iha tackle the distorted, fuzzy solos and play rhythm simultaneously; there is never a clear-cut soloist.
Hiding underneath her long straight blonde mop, D'arcy plucks hard on her bass strings. Along with touring drummer Matt Walker and sit-in key boardist Dennis Flemion, the Pumpkins have proven to be victorious in the live genre.