BILLY CORGAN: NO LONGER LIKE A RAT IN A CAGE
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan confesses these days he is less ‘rat in a cage’ and more relaxed dad ahead of their whirlwind tour of Australia including the Gold Coast.
The legendary alternative rocker, 55, has opened up on fatherhood, what he makes of the Glitter Strip and the “tremendous” pressure he faced from record label executives at the height of the band’s fame in the mid-1990s – when the group recorded seminal double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995).
It became the biggest selling double record of the decade, with vitriol-infused hits (‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’, ‘Zero’), lovesick ballads (‘Tonight, Tonight’) and teen angst anthems (‘1979’).
But Corgan, now a father of two, admits the Pumpkins could have been a 90s footnote.
Mellon Collie, which the band intended as a one-up their highly-successful 1993 sophomore album Gish, came when record label executives were completely adverse to a double album.
Corgan, all rugged up and on a loungechair and in a scarf (he’s just returned home from Florida’s palm trees, everglades and alligators, to snowy Chicago) says: “We were at a crossroads where we were going to win big or lose big.”
THE PRESSURES OF BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROCK ACTS IN THE WORLD:
Recording Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, arguably the band’s masterpiece, Corgan says his record label gave him an ultimatum: “We had to make a successful record or we’d be dead (as a band),” he recalls, likening the experience to a “suicide mission”.
The pressure at the time from both studio executives and “the general culture” was “tremendous”.
But Corgan had an uncompromising vision; he fought the record label and told them: “I’m going to make a double album no matter what you think.”
Corgan - on Zoom and kicking back on a loungechair in a scarf, his piercing eyes peaking out from under a beanie – remarks he is “still in awe” of the record’s achievement – “It’s amazing we were able to pull it off”.
“The generational thing was a huge advantage – where the audience is young and you’re young – you can find the sweet spot where what you are producing is what the audience wants to hear,” he says.
“It’s a really beautiful thing because you can never really recreate it.”
Corgan says the band’s massive success was helped by the “commercial culture at the time”.
“It was different to today. You had MTV.”
THE ENDURING LEGACY OF THE SMASHING PUMPKINS:
When asked why both younger and older audiences still love the Smashing Pumpkins and why listeners still can relate to the band’s lyrics of sadness, teen angst and ultimately – hope, Corgan says: “We are honest”.
“We were always more concerned about being honest than being concerned about what we were wearing,” he says.
“We were certainly surrounded by a lot of people whose sole concern was what they were wearing. And that doesn’t change. Every generation has a certain shallowness which is fine.
“So far the indications are good (on having an enduring legacy). Probably the most encouraging thing is that ATUM (the new record) has been the best received album by young people in a really long time for the band.
“To stay relevant we can’t repeat what we are known for – the ‘rat in a cage thing’. It’s good to push into new kinds of music.”
WHAT HE MAKES OF THE GLITTER STRIP:
Corgan starting dating Veronicas singer Jess Origliasso in 2010 and despite ending their relationship after two short years, the two remain on good terms.
The relationship brought Corgan to Orgliasso’s hometown of Brisbane, where the pair would often take day trips to the sunny Gold Coast.
“I’ve been down to the Gold Coast several times. It’s beautiful there and the beaches and restaurants are fantastic,” Corgan says.
ON FATHERHOOD:
The Bulletin asked Corgan what his son and daughter (seven and four-years old) make of their father. Is he “cool dad” or “daggy dad playing his old-timey music”. Corgan erupts in laughter. “Well you know. My father was a musician and I was brought up with his music. But
I didn’t really think it was different because you know – it was my life,” he says.
“I wanted my kids to be around music as much as possible, so they would think it is normal. “But what started to happen was they started to figure out ‘wait, dad’s this guy in the world’ and they started to realise my name and who I am means something to people.
“Now they’ll just drop my name out of the blue because they want something (laughs).
“We’d all be huddled into a cab and my son would say ‘hey do you know who my dad is’.”
Corgan recalls a time he played a show to 14,000 people, and his son was sitting on the stage watching the audience and the band.
“My son was sitting in front of the barricades and he had this weird look on his face. After the show I asked him if he enjoyed the show. He said ‘yeah’ but I said ‘ you had this look on your face’.
“He said he was feeling sad because he didn’t like that many people looking at me.
“He felt confronted I think. Like ‘there’s my father who watches Netflix with me and tells me to go to bed standing there wearing make-up and a dress and 14,000 people are staring at him’.”
CORGAN’S LATEST DOUBLE ALBUM RELEASE, THE ROCK OPERA ATUM.
Corgan says the concept of making a rock opera album was “a bit over my head”, but believes it is what has made some of the biggest bands in history; Think Pink Floyd with ‘The Wall’ and The Who with ‘Tommy’.
“I thought if we don’t do it (a rock opera) now, we will never do it,” he says.
“I still look back at all the music that’s on the new record and kind of shake my head. It was the perfect storm of circumstances that led me to say ‘okay, I’m going to do this’.
“Once you’re half way down the road on an album like that there’s kind of no turning back.
“I felt like if I don’t finish this (album) it’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life.”
However, Corgan says it is “counterintuitive” to record a rock opera and that it goes against the traditional “rockpop 3-4 minute moment” whereas Broadway is like “a movie in a song”.
“Trying to combine the two as the Smashing Pumpkins was very awkward. I wouldn’t recommend it (laughs). It’s a strange marriage.”
He says Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was written in a similar way to ATUM – “theatrical”.
THE UPCOMING WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR (THE BAND WILL PLAY THE GOLD COAST’S BROADWATER PARKLANDS ON APRIL 30):
Corgan says the relationship with supporting act Jane’s Addiction, the legendary 1980s alternative rock band from Los Angeles – is “incredibly warm”.
“We actually played with them in 1988 the week ‘ Nothing’s Shocking’ came out. It was our third gig as the original four-piece,” Corgan says.
“What’s really nice is we just did a huge American tour with Jane’s with 30-something shows – it was hugely successful. People were really happy with how we played, they played and the combination of us together.
“In our case – Jane’s was certainly a very important band for us and influenced what we do. “It’s always great to play with them and because of the personal relationships it’s an incredibly warm feeling.”
Corgan has also had a longrunning involvement with the National Wrestling Alliance, and says he is excited to bring his love for professional wrestling on the Australian tour.
The self-described professional wrestling geek wears an (NWA) sweatshirt, an organisation he has owned since 2017, through his Lightning One Inc. company.
His love for the sport will be on full display for the upcoming World is a Vampire Australian Tour, where along with two of the Pumpkins’ original bandmates – guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin – Corgan will pit an army of American wrestlers against a number of Aussie hopefuls in a live display between sets.
1990s alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction are also on the bill, along with homegrown acts Amyl & The Sniffers, RedHook and Battlesnake.
“It’s really cool and I’m organising the whole thing. I wanted to make sure when the wrestling is on there’s no music playing. So between the bands people can really focus on the live wrestling.
“The exciting part is if you’re a professional wrestling fan we are bringing some of the best stars from the NWA to face off with some of the best stars from Australia that are young and up and coming.”
The World is a Vampire tour kicks off in Australia on April 18 with a show in Brisbane. The band will play the Gold Coast’s Broadwater Parklands at Southport on Sunday, April 30.
The Gold Coast show is 18+. Some shows are sold out but tickets remain on sale for the Gold Coast and Brisbane shows.
For tickets, visit oneworldentertainment.co m.au