Billy Corgan doesn’t want to play fan favourites at Smashing Pumpkins gigs: “I don’t care if they’re a classic or not”

nme.com:

Billy Corgan has said he doesn’t want to exclusively play fan favourites at his shows with Smashing Pumpkins, adding that he “doesn’t care” if the tracks are regarded as classics.The frontman of the alt-rock band shared the update in a new interview with Kerrang!, where he looked ahead to his upcoming UK tour dates with the group.During the discussion, Corgan gave insight into what to expect from the upcoming setlists – adding that he has no plans to appease fans by playing Smashing Pumpkins’ most famous songs every night.“I don’t play any songs I don’t want to play.

I don’t care if they’re a classic or not,” he told the outlet. “If I don’t want to play it, I just don’t play it. I don’t put that on the audience like, ‘Well, I’ve got to play this one for you.’ I think that’s kind of cheese.”Instead, he explained, he’d rather incorporate some lesser-known tracks into the performances in the hopes that it’ll not only be more interesting for devoted fans, but also inspire newer listeners to dive into their catalogue.“Here’s the best way I would say it: the best show for me would be, you’re a fan that really is mostly focused on the older music,” Corgan continued.“You come and you hear those songs you think, ‘Wow, those sound great, band sounds great.

The voice is still there.’ You feel good about your decision to come to the show.”He added: “But then you might hear five, six, seven other songs, and you find yourself going, ‘I don’t know this one,’ so you look up one, and go, ‘Oh, that was a deep cut from 1996.

I didn’t know that one. It was some B-side. That’s interesting.’“And then someone making the same discovery about your new stuff, but thinking it was old.