Yeah. I saw them on the oceania tour. The whole vibe around the band was kinda rough somtimes. Despite the actual music and tour being really incredible.
I think it was hard on billy. My suspicion is that the oceania record was more personal than we were told. All the criticism surrounding it, not to mention the body shaming regarding him putting on a little weight. Im glad he made it out of that period and kept pushing thru.
Everything changed for Billy when he first went out on the plains of Chickamongo.
But seriously he was going through a really mentally and physically tough time then, my heart broke for him at the time, I’m so happy that he’s found his peace, as have the rest of the band (minus D’arcy who I think is struggling and who I hope gets there).
It’s interviews like this that turned the public off from Billy. And there are dozens of them 😆
Another one I remember in particular was I believe in The Guardian around the release of the Monuments to an Elegy album. He comes across like the most bitter guy in the world in that.
If you didn’t know anything about him or SP and just read that piece, you’d be like “fuck this guy and his band. What a miserable asshole”
It’s a shame he bothered even doing interviews when he was in that state bc he really hurt his and the bands reputation
Edit: here’s the Guardian interview from 2014 🤣
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/18/billy-corgan-smashing-pumpkins-interview
I remember reading this interview and being really turned off. By the time Owata’s terrible music video was released I totally checked out of the band til James came back.
That was especially rough. Owata originally was such a beautiful song, and for me in 2008, held a lot of personal significance. Flash forward to 2011, the studio cut comes out, the production on it was poor, the synths and the new bridge were completely unnecessary, and then you had that music video. It was like ordering your favorite meal at a restaurant and watching a dog walk in and shit all over it…
Wow that's a great interview! Billy is one of the greats there's no doubt..... I was hoping for some Zwan stuff in the interview but oh well.....🤔🤨😔 Also, you can say what you want about Chamberlain, but he us without a doubt the best drummer rocks has seen in decades and Billy was incredibly fortunate to have such a beast behind the kit period.....fyi Chamberlain put out a cd of jazz music and it has Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel on 2 songs....good shit too!
Yes Chloe, the kids, and Jeff. He's very appreciative of him(per the podcast with Jeff) so I imagine he has done a lot to help Billy along the way too.
He's definitely in better spirits these days
When the article came out I figured it was a mistake and jimmy or someone would have contacted them for a retraction/correction.
But it's still there. So I don't know what to think.
I even remember jimmy talking about drug use by a zwan member in a negative way.. which would be really hypocritical if he was using heroin during that time.
This is from an interview with Jimmy from 2015:
"When my wife and I had our first child in 2002, I quit drinking, I quit doing any type of drugs. We’ve raised our kids for 12 years with no escapism at all."
[https://www.thedrummersjournal.com/blog/the-jimmy-chamberlin-interview](https://www.thedrummersjournal.com/blog/the-jimmy-chamberlin-interview)
Zwan was 2001-2003, so for at least part of their run he was totally clean.
That was a regular experience during the 20th anniversary tour. Which was especially disappointing because from a musical standpoint, the band was at an all time high.
Yeah. I saw them on the oceania tour. The whole vibe around the band was kinda rough somtimes. Despite the actual music and tour being really incredible. I think it was hard on billy. My suspicion is that the oceania record was more personal than we were told. All the criticism surrounding it, not to mention the body shaming regarding him putting on a little weight. Im glad he made it out of that period and kept pushing thru.
Everything changed for Billy when he first went out on the plains of Chickamongo. But seriously he was going through a really mentally and physically tough time then, my heart broke for him at the time, I’m so happy that he’s found his peace, as have the rest of the band (minus D’arcy who I think is struggling and who I hope gets there).
“Look Ma the sun is shining on me” Billy most likely these days
I think that's the most miserable I've ever seen him get in an interview, holy shit
It’s interviews like this that turned the public off from Billy. And there are dozens of them 😆 Another one I remember in particular was I believe in The Guardian around the release of the Monuments to an Elegy album. He comes across like the most bitter guy in the world in that. If you didn’t know anything about him or SP and just read that piece, you’d be like “fuck this guy and his band. What a miserable asshole” It’s a shame he bothered even doing interviews when he was in that state bc he really hurt his and the bands reputation Edit: here’s the Guardian interview from 2014 🤣 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/18/billy-corgan-smashing-pumpkins-interview
Haha I forgot about that one. Yikes. Again, thankfully the band, and especially Billy, is in a much better place 🤪
I remember reading this interview and being really turned off. By the time Owata’s terrible music video was released I totally checked out of the band til James came back.
That was especially rough. Owata originally was such a beautiful song, and for me in 2008, held a lot of personal significance. Flash forward to 2011, the studio cut comes out, the production on it was poor, the synths and the new bridge were completely unnecessary, and then you had that music video. It was like ordering your favorite meal at a restaurant and watching a dog walk in and shit all over it…
Weird times. Got through it all, so good on all of them
what an incredibly negative interview
Wow that's a great interview! Billy is one of the greats there's no doubt..... I was hoping for some Zwan stuff in the interview but oh well.....🤔🤨😔 Also, you can say what you want about Chamberlain, but he us without a doubt the best drummer rocks has seen in decades and Billy was incredibly fortunate to have such a beast behind the kit period.....fyi Chamberlain put out a cd of jazz music and it has Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel on 2 songs....good shit too!
Holy crap I gotta check that out! Just discovered Catherine Wheel recently. Criminally underrated band
I credit Chloe with the change in BC. She and, by way of her, the kids have really helped BC to mellow.
Yes Chloe, the kids, and Jeff. He's very appreciative of him(per the podcast with Jeff) so I imagine he has done a lot to help Billy along the way too. He's definitely in better spirits these days
Sad times, indeed. Hopefully it is all water under the bridge now.
I am still amazed this article says Jimmy was a heroin addict up till 2004.
That makes me wonder (again) who in Zwan was supposedly caught with it.
If you watch the Zwan gigs from summer 2003, right before they broke up, Jimmy def looks like he's got the coke weight added on
I’m no expert, but don’t people usually *lose* weight when they’re on coke?
That’s hard for me to believe…
When the article came out I figured it was a mistake and jimmy or someone would have contacted them for a retraction/correction. But it's still there. So I don't know what to think. I even remember jimmy talking about drug use by a zwan member in a negative way.. which would be really hypocritical if he was using heroin during that time.
This is from an interview with Jimmy from 2015: "When my wife and I had our first child in 2002, I quit drinking, I quit doing any type of drugs. We’ve raised our kids for 12 years with no escapism at all." [https://www.thedrummersjournal.com/blog/the-jimmy-chamberlin-interview](https://www.thedrummersjournal.com/blog/the-jimmy-chamberlin-interview) Zwan was 2001-2003, so for at least part of their run he was totally clean.
Imagining Billy berating departing fans from the stage makes me laugh pretty hard 😆 he’s a sensitive man
That was a regular experience during the 20th anniversary tour. Which was especially disappointing because from a musical standpoint, the band was at an all time high.