Vlad Bunoan

Article (news)

Smashing Pumpkins

Totel V. De Jesus

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398271877557594173_1205813841592166_2559520351044651515_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookAfter 13 years, The Smashing Pumpkins played for the second time at the Araneta Coliseum on September 29 as one of the stops in the Southeast Asian leg for their “Rock Invasion” tour. Vocalist-main composer-guitarist Billy Corgan returned with two of the original members, lead guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. They were joined in by current bass player Jack Bates and touring guest guitarist Kiki Wong. They performed 21 songs without an encore.</div>It would have been a near-perfect show but they didn’t play lots of personal favorites like “Perfect,” from their 1999 album, “Adore,” and a lot more hits from their first five albums in the 1990s that older fans like me would love to hear.Surprisingly, there were younger and new followers, as young as teenagers. The reason I was actually there was because my 18-year-old daughter asked me to buy tickets as early as May 31 last year, when the organizers announced a ticket pre-sale day. On concert day, I kept on telling my daughter we had to secure our seats at once because, well, this is a foreign band and they naturally followed “American time.” Then again, they didn’t start their set at exactly 8 p.m. Understandably, there were still people lining up for tickets, at least at the Green Gate section where my daughter and I went in, while those already inside the coliseum were, gasp, lining up for pizza and hotdog sandwiches.They started a little past 8:10 p.m. with the loud and fired-up “Glass’ Theme” from the “Adore” album, followed by “Heavy Metal Machine” from their year 2000 studio album, “Machina/the machines of God”. Most were still comfortably enjoying the show in their seats while taking videos with their smartphones as late comers made their excuses to find theirs. There was about a few seconds of silence before the third song, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” which made everyone stand up. When Billy Corgan sang the first line, “The world is a vampire…” everybody knows it’s jumping and headbanging time. At some point, the band stopped playing for the crowd to sing a capella: “Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage…”It’s all pandemonium.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398365519556669957_1205813824925501_3154088099892086912_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookAfter the song, lead guitarist James Iha, with an American accent, greeted the crowd, “Ma-gandang ga-bi. Maraming sa-la-mat. We’re the Smashing Pumpkins. Thank you for coming tonight.” The crowd cheered him on. He played the lead intro to a perfect follow-up, “Today,” one of their biggest hits from their 1993 album, “Siamese Dream”. It’s videoke time again when Corgan, with his high-pitched, melodic, nasal style, started singing, “Today’s the greatest day I&#x27;ve ever known/Can&#x27;t live for tomorrow, tomorrow&#x27;s much too long/I&#x27;ll burn my eyes out…”</div>Incidentally, the band released the song on September 30, 1993. The following day after the concert, Corgan posted on his socials a “Happy 32nd anniversary” with a video clip of their 1993 performance on “Saturday Night Live.”He described it the “song that changed my life more than any other.” Apparently, he wrote it during one of the most depressing moments of his life.To sustain everyone’s dopamine rush, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin started the opening beat to “1979,” another signature song from their 1995 iconic album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”. Almost all in the crowd were up on their feet.Then, it’s time for the new songs. They played “Pentagrams” and what many considered the sonically-perfect “Edin” from their 2024 album, “Aghori Mhori Mei.”My daughter told me all the older guys she saw were wearing the same black T-shirts, blue or black denims, the same as I. It’s like a uniform, with matching eye glasses, beer bellies and slightly graying side hair. I told her, wait till you see an Engelbert Humperdinck concert, where there were wheelchairs and personal nurses all around. But we’re not there yet.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398466877557622051_1205813858258831_1764335504629729779_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookI was telling her that in good humor and coincidentally, the band surprised the audience by doing a cover version of “Take My Breath Away” from the movie “Top Gun.” I was among those laughing about it but I found out later, it’s part of the “Rock Invasion” tour setlist.</div>Then, Corgan teased Iha about singing for the Filipino audience, a kind of “gift from the heart.” Iha hesitated, saying, “I can’t do that. I can’t tonight.” Instead, he started playing the opening lead to “Mayonnaise,” another ultimate favorite hit from “Siamese Dream,” and everyone was singing again.At this point, Corgan had about three guitar changes and on his third, he played acoustic. He did some strumming of an unfamiliar tune, followed by the recognizable opening chords “to Disarm,” another signature song from “Siamese Dream.”Everyone was singing to the classic line, “The killer in me is the killer in you….” They followed it up with what many fans considered a national anthem in the 1990s, “Tonight, Tonight” from “Mellon Collie”.Before playing “Cherub Rock” that sent everyone wild and screaming again, Iha made a short spiel. Well, sort of.“It’s a beautiful place here, lots of rain, lots of goddamn rain. We’d like to give a shoutout to the rain,” he said, to the delight of the crowd.<div>“Seriously, we’re having a good time,” he added before rocking the audience again. But Iha’s words were without weight. He probably remembered the first time they played here in 2012 to promote their seventh studio album, “Oceania.”<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398531597556838172_1205813708258846_5927394359348554871_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookI failed to watch that show, also held in Araneta, for the Manila leg of their Oceania World Tour. I remember it was originally scheduled August 7 but because there was a strong typhoon and Metro Manila was placed under a state of calamity, it was moved to August 8. I’ve read from previous reports that as reward to fans who braved the downpour and still-flooded streets leading to Cubao, they performed 22 songs plus an encore set with seven songs. For their final song, they did a cover of Kiss’ “Black Diamond.”</div>Then again, back then, they also didn’t play some personal favorites like “Perfect,” “Thirty-Three,” “The Boy,” “Silvery Something (Ghosts)” and from their five albums in the 1990s that heavily influenced local bands like Teeth, Wolfgang, Pedicab, Pupil and other contemporaries. Since there was bad weather, we couldn’t expect them to play everyone’s favorite, “Drown,” from the 1992 Cameron Crowe movie about single people set during the early years of the Seattle grunge scene titled, well, “Singles.”Music writers usually classify Smashing Pumpkins as a member of the grunge pioneers but because of their ethereal, dreamy, partly psychedelic and melancholic sound, they were more likely under alternative rock, specifically shoegaze.In 2012, Corgan was the only founding member in the band. He played with guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Nicole Fiorentino and drummer Mike Byrne. There have been rifts with his former band mates prior to the tour. At the time, Iha, Chamberlin and everybody’s rock goddess, bassist D’Arcy Wretzky, were not with the band anymore and were doing their own thing.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398600019557595652_1205813534925530_6557499579133571804_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookDespite not being with the band for more than two-and-a-half decades, her fans, or at least those in their 40s and 50s, still miss Wretzky and the distinct sound she contributed to the early Smashing Pumpkins music. She was with them since 1988, when the band was struggling until their debut album, “Gish” in 1991, followed by “Siamese Dream,” “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and the electronic-flavored “Adore” (1998). She left the band in 1999 for personal reasons but various reports also said it was the same year she had her divorce finalized with music producer Kelly Brown. When the group released “Machina” in 2000, they had a new bass player, former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. She was only there for a year because the band disbanded in the latter part of 2000.</div>The band became active again in 2005 with Corgan as the only original member. Since he has always been the main composer and band leader, there were several changes of members until the “Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour” reunion tour in 2018.Iha and Chamberlin rejoined the band. There were reports D’Arcy was invited by Corgan to come back since the tour was promoted as having a three-hour set list that featured the hits from the first five albums. Apparently, Wretzky had a shoulder injury and needed surgery. Based on her version of what happened, it was Corgan who informed her it was still OK for her to contribute in any way she could, probably play for a few songs not the whole set list in each show during the tour. When the time came Wretzky was able to assure Corgan that she’s physically fit to play with the band, she was informed they already hired a young bass player named Jack Bates, whose claim to fame was being the son of Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook. Corgan apparently told Wretzky she could still get a T-shirt printed with her face on it that would be part of the tour. And that was the last time they communicated and things didn’t go well anymore.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759398653079557727433_1205813878258829_2712423415826826850_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from Smart Araneta Coliseum/FacebookAs of this writing, though millions of Smashing Pumpkins fans still miss her, Wretzky was reportedly content in leading a simple, quiet life in her Michigan farm.</div>The other songs on the September 29 set list included “Sighommi,” “Bodies,” “Porcelina,” “Jellybelly,” “999,” “Ava Adore,” “Stand Your Love,” “Zero” and their final song, “The Everlasting Gaze.”It was only a little past 10 p.m. when they called it a night but the crowd was waiting for an encore. We thought, if they were coming back onstage, perhaps they might include “Perfect” or “Drown” or “The Boy” this time. Sadly, that was it. No more. Nada. Time to go home. So, here’s hoping they will perform again in Manila and it won’t be for another 13 years. We could be on wheelchairs by then.

The Smashing Pumpkins roared back to the Araneta Coliseum after 13 years that had fans old and new singing, headbanging, and reliving the ’90s. While some favorites were left off the setlist, Billy Corgan and company proved why their alt-rock anthems still resonate across generations.

The Smashing Pumpkins roared back to the Araneta Coliseum after 13 years that had fans old and new singing, headbanging, and reliving the ’90s. While some favorites were left off the setlist, Billy Corgan and company proved why their alt-rock anthems still resonate across generations.

Concert review: Smashing Pumpkins’ music embraces fans of all ages -- but we still miss D’Arcy

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Events

Concert review: Smashing Pumpkins’ music embraces fans of all ages -- but we still miss D’Arcy

Totel V. De Jesus

Published Oct 02, 2025 05:59 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 05, 2025 03:58 PM PHT

Read More:

concert review

Smashing Pumpkins

Araneta Coliseum

Billy Corgan

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.