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Firstly, apologies to the support act, Ringo Deathstarr. I arrived one hour later than planned after being held up in traffic following a nasty accident on the approach to Birmingham town centre. Missed their set, so no pictures, but arrived at the gig safe and sound and in one piece. Please go and check them out here:
http://www.facebook.com/ringodeathstarr?sk=app_123966167614127
An unusual aspect to tonight’s gig was that there was no photo pit. ‘Aarrgh !!’ I hear the togs amongst you cry ‘how did you cope???’ Well the golden photo pass entitled you to snap away all night long from anywhere out front. So a number of vantage points were found in order to indulge. Nothing stops a good tog from getting their fill!!
 
 The current Pumpkins line-up consisting of Billy Corgan (Guitars, Vocals), Mike Byrne (Drums), Nicole Fiorentino (Bass) and Jeff Schroeder (Guitar) hit Birmingham with the ‘Otherside of the Kaleidyscope’ tour to showcase both new and classic material, most notably ‘Geek USA’, ‘Tonight, Tonight’, ‘Cherub Rock’ and a superb encore involving ‘Zero’.
 A very packed, hot and sweaty Academy audience were thoroughly appreciative of Billy and Co taking the night through a twenty song set that constantly drifted between the atmospheric, melancholic and all out rock that is The Smashing Pumpkins. A humorous note was Billy’s short banter with the audience describing the bands adventure around the annual German market now open in Birmingham city centre. How many people caught the merry making and scarf shopping that was undertaken I wonder?
The three year, 44 track concept project that is ‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope’ began in 2009 with each track being released free over the internet. Once completed, the entirety of ‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope ‘will be released as an EP box-set. However, ‘Oceania’ is also due to be released sometime in 2012 and is described as an ‘an album within an album’.
Smashing Pumpkins
http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/home
Words and pictures by Stephen Turner
Full picture set here.
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