Corgan!
Oct 28, 2008 Gaming
Billy Corgan has always been more than a little self-absorbed. It’s why the last few Pumpkins albums have sucked — they are all Corgan. Well, check out how the Guitar Hero World Tour launch party in LA went last night, with the Pumpkins as feature act:
Next door, the crowd of several hundred was warmed up by DJ Jazzy Jeff before emcee Mark McGrath introduced Smashing Pumpkins.
One might have expected a set peppered with Pumpkins hits like “Today” or “1979,” but front man Billy Corgan (above right, with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin) was clearly at odds with the situation, and was much more interested in pushing the limits of his audience and hosts. Certainly the band’s most dedicated fans would appreciate a blistering rendition of “Siva” off the Pumpkins’ first album and the debut of the new song “As Rome Burns.” But casual fans didn’t get any of the huge hits.
Corgan punctuated his point with the set closer — an extended cover of Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” which devolved into the Pumpkins’ bald leader pounding on timpani, guitarist Jeff Schroeder on theramin and the rest of the band joining in with a chorus of chirping stuffed bird toys. The performance left the audience thoroughly confused and emcee McGrath at a loss for words.
By midnight, the faux celebrities had had enough of the faux instruments, and most of the crowd had disappeared. Closing act Jes was left to perform to a few dozen drunken revelers as the rest of the gamers were pried off the demo stations and escorted back to the buses.
A line of gamers waited patiently back at Best Buy for the doors to reopen, so they could purchase the new game, and get a taste of the rock ‘n’ roll facsimile that we were all treated to.
Corganed!
They should have just had a huge screen with this on repeat.
Tags: Guitar Hero World Tour
