jrt87

is literally 3 miles from my house, and I have not even a passing interest in one act playing.

Thanks Duke Of Malborough!

go see Springsteen, REM, MBV and Radiohead this summer instead of going to Reading. Been a few times (04, 05, 07) and considering I spent Sunday last year screaming at 16 year old's to stop throwing fire about (when I wanted a good nights sleep) It was clear it was time for me to draw a line under that.

All my friends at Uni are pretty much of similar state of mind, so luckily I had no-one to rope me into it.

Line-ups not horrific, but very safe from the organizers POV.

or are you going to keep harping on about when you saw them at the peak of their popularity?

Yes, I was too young to see them the first time round, but I'm informed enough to know that:

1) They have pretty much always been an on/off band in terms of live performances.

2) That Corgan (and back when Iha) shared a very dry and ironic sense of humour that pseudo-journalists take too seriously.

3) They would frequently alienate and frustrate swaths of their paying audience due to the quixotic interpretations of their more well known tracks.

Sound familiar?

Get over your nostalgia and generally assess this collective of musicians on their live merit. Of which the only criticisms I've heard are about the set lists from casual fans who know little beyond SD/MC and can't handle 15 minutes of instrumental.

Zeitgeist is turgid, but as for live quality this rump of the former band don't appear to be much different. Inconsistency, impromptu jamming, constantly changing how certain tracks are played live etc.

What I think is the main problem is the casual fans who like the singles or own SD/MCIS turning up to see a band prone to technical ostentatiousness and not getting a 'greatest hits' set. They get bored; they wail, and cry for more Mellon Collie. When I saw them In Shepherd's Bush last June it was much different. Rarities like 'Winterlong' and 'Lucky 13' got huge cheers and it was clear it was the diehard fans who were willing to have been up at 9am and pay £37.50 (when they had already been announced for Reading/Leeds) to be there.

Smashing Pumpkins; like them or loathe them always had a HELL of a lot going on in terms of material. A stupidly large amount (across a wide variety of established genres) was written over that initial 9 year periods, and for some reason they are one of those bands that really breed obsessives. Corgan has been aware of this been aware of this; and has mixed the sets up to appeal to all.

Poor sod can't win. If they didn't record any new material and he just played the hits he'd get accused of just 'doing it for the money with no soul'. Yet, he mixes up the set lists, records material (and if your not in Nottingham really seems to be enjoying himself again) and he gets similarly chastised.

Were they REALLY that bad that it required a damn article? The current tour contained Drown, Today, 1979, BWBW, Tonight Tonight, Stand Inside Your Love, Everlasting Gaze, Ava Adore, Perfect, Try Try Try in terms of singles; alongside Mayonnaise & Porcelina. The members showed enthusiasm and could play their instruments.

Just seems sometimes people hate something for the sake of hating.

!

...Serves me right for missing him last time.

Like Caribou, but not enough to go to Liverpool when it's likely I'll be on my lonesome.

It's just I'm sure there's a very similarly venue right next door that has a smaller (3000) or something capacity.

I remember wandering what the hell Bloc Party & Panic At The Disco were doing playing 'MSG' before I realised.

Although, out of sheer boredom I did have a look on the MSG site, and they are there. Alongside Spice Girls and such.

Weird.

...he even looks like a cheap "aesthetically-slightly-different-to-avoid-copyright" South Park version of Alex Turner

More United States/Tarantula and less 7 Shades of Black/Doomsday Clock.

In fact, no more of the six-Corgan's-at-once production.

I bought my Manc ticket back in September.

...this is gonna be a pain in the arse when it comes to putting it on an mp3 player (although I guess numericals after each 'untitled' would stop the 'same filename' problem).

that was in reply to Yes_

If you wanted it legally for nowt, you've had over two months to do so. They'd actually look moronic physically releasing the album with the legal download still up.

Ticket prices are a bit obscene, but I'm sure the show will be worth it, and we don't even know the support yet.

The ebay thing I agree with you on though. What the hell are they thinking?

Besides, the album's fucking great stuff too.

...They are my favourite band that aren't The Pumpkins/Pixies.
- They are my home town band
- THey have made two of my favourite albums ever.
- Seeing live footage makes me die of envy.

However, £70+ after fees/travel and what not? For one big outdoor show? Just not affordable nor really desirable.

...predictable?

...what is with people naming-dropping that Kiedis book that was published a few years back as "their favourite book ever". I've encountered loads of people who have done over the past few years.

Am I missing something here? Is it really something more than egoistical crap about how many drugs he's taken and how many girls he's banged? Or is it really a case of people not wanting to look illiterate so coming up with whatever light bedtime reading they partake in?

...what is with people naming-dropping that Kiedis book that was published a few years back as "their favourite book ever". I've encountered loads of people who have done over the past few years.

Am I missing something here? Is it really something more than egoistical crap about how many drugs he's taken and how many girls he's banged? Or is it really a case of people not wanting to look illiterate so coming up with whatever light bedtime reading they partake in?

...is this meant to be ironically subversive to hide the fact that it is actually...trying to be subversive?

...go on sale at 12pm luckily.

I love Loveless loads and would like to see MBV. However, I'm back home from Uni a week before the Manchester show, and TBH I can only just scrimp to afford Pumpkins tickets*.

*especially as some fuck knocked my glasses off my face at Alexisonfire and thous had to pay £59 today for a new pair :(

...Rick Wakeman.