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Smashing Pumpkins Kick Off Australian Tour

by The Smashing Pumpkins are currently touring the land Down Under. Addicted To Noise Australian correspondent Alex Jackson got sweaty at their opening night show in Perth. Here is Jackson's

The Smashing Pumpkins opened their first major Australian tour in Perth on Monday (Mar. 4) and boy, did they rock. The Pumpkins circa 1996 are a far different beast than the band who first visited Australia in 1994 for the Big Day Out traveling music festival - and in more ways than Billy Corgan's shaved head. With the advantage of a booming sound system, full lighting and video effects, they were nothing short of dazzling - and incredibly LOUD!

The soft yet somewhat morbid pianos of the title track to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and a bizarre car chase movie (from Bullet) set the scene for a monster of a show. Fans were waving cigarette lighters before the Pumpkins had even appeared.

Billie Corgan, dressed in a zero t-shirt and silver pants (yep, just like in the video), held everyone transfixed from the moment he walked on stage. Although often portrayed as "difficult" or "troubled," Corgan seemed totally at ease, chatting between songs, saying thanks to the fans and telling them how great they were.

Searing metal-like riffs and crazed vocals on numbers like "Zero" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" sent the capacity crowd of around 8,000 fans into a screaming, sweating, pogoing frenzy. The Entertainment Centre seemed like one giant shaking mosh pit, with calm only coming in quieter moments like "To Forgive" and the show-stopping, emotional "Disarm."

"Cherub Rock" closed the set, but the determined screaming and shoe stomping of fans called the Pumpkins back for not one, not two, but three encores that included the dreamy pop of the group's current U. S. hit, "1979," the maniacal metal of "XYU" (during which Corgan wielded his guitar like a lethal weapon) and the stop start calm/frenzy, drum heavy "Silverfuck."

When the Pumpkins gathered around family-style for the sing-along "Farewell and Goodnight," it was obvious the show was really over - but after a full-on two hour sonic assault - no one was complaining.

The Smashing Pumpkins continue their Australian tour with shows in Adelaide (Thurs., Mar. 7), Melbourne (Wed. & Thurs., March 8 & 9), Brisbane (Sat. & Sun., Mar. 11 & 12) and Sydney (Tues. & Wed., Mar. 14 & 15).