After more than a decade of waiting, The Smashing Pumpkins, one of the most iconic alternative rock bands of the 1990’s returned to Peru with their acclaimed “The World Is A Vampire Tour” and performed at the Explanada del Parque de la Exposicion thanks to the Peruvian production company Kandavu.
Despite the change of location announced a few days before and the fans’ fear that there would be more problems, but the show began on time, even minutes before expected, the band led by Billy Corgan took the stage, generating excitement among their fans.
Corgan dressed in a black and white robe briefly greeted the audience while the introductory tape was still playing and in seconds the band settled on the stage and the sound became thunderous. “The Everlasting Gaze”, a song from the 2000 Machina/The Machines of God album, was chosen to open the concert followed by “Doomsday Clock” from the 2007 Zeitgeist. Two overwhelming and intense songs that surprised the audience due to the power displayed by the three guitars on stage.
After “Zoo Station”, a cover by U2, the first classic of the night would arrive with “Today”, a song from their successful second album Siamese Dream released three decades ago. With this song the audience began to sing and jump, displaying an energy that would not stop all night. The next song would be “That Which Animates the Spirit” taken from the third act of the album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts released a little over a year ago. After this song, the photographers who were located in front of the sound console would be invited to leave the place to leave our cameras outside the venue and return to watch the concert.
“Tonight, tonight”, another of the band’s great classics, was the next song and the screams of the public did not wait. This song was followed by “Beguiled”; a song released last year and one of the favorite songs of this photographer. “Ava Adore” and “Disarm” kept the band’s energy high, before Corgan was left alone on stage to deliver a pair of acoustic covers: Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and “Shine On, Harvest Moon” by Ruth Etting.
After this intimate moment that served to recharge the audience’s energies, another spectacular moment would come with “Mayonnaise” and the long-awaited “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, both classics from the 90s that aroused the nostalgia of the majority of the attendees who did not stop jumping and even throwing their beer glasses in the air.
It is worth highlighting the energy of Jimmy Chamberlain on the drums and the precision of the new guitarist Kiki Wong who perfectly complemented the work of James Iha and Corgan himself. “1979” would be another of the most intense moments of the night along with “Jellybelly”, both songs from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the album from which 5 songs were performed and which next year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Precisely the last song of the night would be “Zero” from the same album and would begin with excerpts from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come as You Are” remembering Nirvana, another icon of the 90s, as well as “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” by Lenny Kravitz. After the intensity of this song, Billy Corgan would say goodbye, but not before picking up a Peruvian flag thrown by his followers that said, “The Impossible is Possible Tonight.” A good way to end a show that mixes nostalgia with the energy of a band that still has a lot to offer.
Band:
Billy Corgan – Vocals, Guitar.
James Iha – Guitars
Jimmy Chamberlain – Drums
Kiki Wong – Guitars
Jack Bates – Bass
Setlist:
1- The Everlasting Gaze
2- Doomsday Clock
3- Zoo Station (U2 cover)
4- Today
5- That Which Animates the Spirit
6- Tonight, Tonight
7- Beguiled
8- Ava Adore
9- Disarm
10- Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover) (Billy Corgan solo acoustic)
11- Shine On, Harvest Moon (Ruth Etting cover) (Billy Corgan solo acoustic)
12- Mayonnaise
13- Bullet With Butterfly Wings
14- Empires
15- Perfect
16- Sighommi
17- 1979
18- Jellybelly
19- Gossamer
20- Cherub Rock
21- Zero (with “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Come as You Are”, and “Are You Gonna Go My Way” snippets)
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I’m a photographer with extensive experience working for national and international media. I’m also a passionate photography educator with extensive experience working with students of different ages. I love Heavy Metal music and I began shooting concerts in 1992. Concert Photography is my passion. I’m based in Perú but willing to travel anywhere.
