Billy Corgan has officially put the kibosh on Smashing Pumpkins doing any shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the bands highly touted third album. While on paper that may be a giant disappointment to many of the bands fan base, the rationale Corgan has for not celebrating is certainly admirable.
It was recently reported that the Smashing Pumpkins would get together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by performing a series of concerts and shows across a wide swath of venues. In a recent interview, Billy Corgan argues otherwise, preferring instead that the group move on to the future rather than celebrate the past.
I’ve always wanted to drag Smashing Pumpkins forward. I’ve got absolutely no interest in looking back. That kind of nostalgia puts an albatross around artists’ necks. I don’t want that. It’s a trend that I think is really regressive.”
Corgan, in other words, isn’t too keen to revisit a whole albums worth of material two decades after the peak of its relevance and popularity. With several artists looking back and touring in celebration of a significant anniversary, Corgans desire to see the Pumpkins move forward feels refreshingly honest. While the Pumpkins could ride the waves of nostalgia with ease, it seems as though both Corgan and the group are more content to put all of their energy into new songs and records, and this seems okay for now.