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Smashing Pumpkins took over the Jimmy Kimmel Live outdoor stage for a live performance of their latest single, “Sighommi.” The band delivered the song in front of an audience packed into the performance area in the parking lot behind the studio where the late-night show is filmed.

“Sighommi” is a guitar-heavy selection from Smashing Pumpkins’ recently released thirteenth studio album, Aghori Mhori Mei, which arrived in August. Billy Corgan led the set with James Iha and Kiki Wong on guitar, Jimmy Chamberlin on drums, Jack Bates on bass, and Katie Cole on backing vocals.

In the waning days of the Nineties’ alt-rock revolution, just before major record labels turned forever away from left-of-center acts and toward more mainstream fare (coughBushcough) that forever made the world a duller place, Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins were two of the hottest young rock bands on the planet. And even though Green Day appealed more to punky skater types, and the Pumpkins fit in better with their sullen classmates on the other side of the detention hall, it wasn’t uncommon for teenagers in 1994 to have both Dookie...

After receiving over 10,000 applications in their nationwide search for a new guitarist, the Smashing Pumpkins revealed Friday the newest member of their band: Social media-famous guitarist Kiki Wong.

In January, the Pumpkins announced an open audition to fill the vacancy left by departing guitarist Jeff Schroeder, who had a 16-year tenure with Billy Corgan and company. Just two weeks later, the band said they received so many applications that it required “eight people working full-time to review each and every one.”

“Reviewing the work of these incredible musicians was a herculean,...

Smashing Pumpkins have named Kiki Wong as their new touring guitarist.

Following the departure of longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder last October, frontman Billy Corgan put out an open call for his replacement. The band received more than 10,000 applicants, which Corgan then whittled down to a group of finalists who auditioned in-person in Los Angeles last month. He settled on Wong, a veteran guitarist who has performed with the likes of Taylor Swift, Usher, and Bret Michaels, as well as with rock bands Nylon Pink, Hellfire Heart, and currently, Vigil of War.

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“Reviewing the work of these incredible musicians was a herculean, albeit worthy effort,” Corgan said in a statement. “First off, I really want to thank everyone who submitted materials for consideration. It wasn’t an easy decision with how much great guitar playing we were lucky enough to hear and see over the past few months.

The Smashing Pumpkins’ open call for a new guitarist has been a… smashing success. In a social media statement, the current trio of Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin announced they’ve received upwards of 10,000 applications for the gig.

“The band has received over 10,000 submissions for the position of additional guitarist,” Smashing Pumpkins wrote. “Currently, there are 8 people working full-time to review each and every one.”

This past October, the Pumpkins’ longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder announced he was leaving the group after over 15 years. “I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path,” he wrote at the time.

Smashing Pumpkins’ current lineup features Corgan on vocals/guitar, Iha on guitar, and Chamberlin on drums, along with touring bassist Jack Bates and multi-instrumentalist Katie Cole.

Whoever the Pumpkins pick will have to be a quick learner. This summer, the band will co-headline...

Do you play guitar? Do you know every tiny intricacy of “Cherub Rock,” “Hummer,” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings?” Are you looking for work? Will your schedule allow you to spend the summer and early fall playing arenas and stadiums across Europe and North America? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you might want to apply for a new job posting by the Smashing Pumpkins.

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— The Smashing Pumpkins (@SmashingPumpkin) January 5, 2024

“The Smashing Pumpkins are in search of an additional guitarist,” they wrote on Twitter.

The Smashing Pumpkins have put out an open call for a new guitarist.

According to a post on the band’s social media pages, “the application process is open to anyone who might be interested. Applications may submit a resume and any related material to SPGuitar@redlightmanagement.com.”

The band also specified that they’re looking for a guitarist and not a bassist.

Back in October, the Pumpkins’ longtime guitarist Jeff Scroeder announced his departure from the band after more than 15 years. “Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path,” Scroeder said in a statement.

Smashing Pumpkins’ current lineup features frontman Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, as well as touring bassist Jack Bates and multi-instrumentalist Katie Cole.

Whoever ends up landing the gig can anticipate a busy year on the road,...

He’s just an alternative rock frontman in an amusement park: Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins performed on The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, which aired on ABC on Sunday night.

The Pumpkins filmed their appearance at Walt Disney World earlier this month, performing an unreleased Billy Corgan Christmas song called “Evergreen” along with a cover of Bing Crosby’s “Silver Bells.”

In a corresponding interview, Corgan described himself as, “a Disney mark… I collect old DisneyLand items. I have items as far back as opening day, 1955. ”

“When they called me to come play Disney, I was like, ‘Whatever you need,'” Corgan continued. “I am very happy to be here, we come here all the time with our family.”

For the Disney World performance, Corgan, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was joined by Sierra Swan, who filled in for bassist Jack Bates. Longtime guitarist Jeff...

The Smashing Pumpkins headlined Saturday night at their own The World Is a Vampire fest in Mexico City, a festival that also featured Peter Hook and the Light on the lineup. Both of those bands share the same bassist — Jack Bates, Hook’s son — so it was only natural that “Hooky” join Billy Corgan and company for a set-ending performance of Joy Division’s “No Love Lost.”

Hook and the Pumpkins previously partially collaborated in 2021 when Hook, Bates and guitarist Jeff Schroeder re-recorded Joy Division’s “Ceremony” to raise funds for Sweet Relief.

Less than a year after Mark Lanegan released his 2019 LP, Something’s Knocking, the singer-songwriter returns with a new album he was inspired to record while writing his upcoming memoir.

Straight Songs of Sorrow arrives May 8th, just over a week after Lanegan’s memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep, hits shelves on April 28th. On Wednesday, Lanegan shared the companion album’s first song, “Skeleton Key,” a seven-minute track that recalls Lanegan’s bluesy Nineties solo output.

“Writing the book, I didn’t get catharsis,” Lanegan said of the memoir...

Smashing Pumpkins will livestream their upcoming Seattle, Washington concert via Twitter on Friday, August 24th starting at 11:15 p.m. Et. The broadcast, part of the Live Nation Concert series, will document the band’s ongoing reunion tour featuring three-fourths of their classic line-up: singer-guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

The stream is accessible via dedicated pages for fans in the U.S. and outside the country.

The band’s current North American reunion tour is their first in nearly two decades to feature Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin,...