THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - Sydney
Written by: Jimmy Wah - Sense Music Media | Wednesday 19th April 2023
Photos by: RA >> VIEW GALLERY
The World Is A Vampire Festival 2023 takes The Hordern in it’s grip
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS quashed any uncertainties surrounding their live performance by putting on a flawless show at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Wednesday night. Complete with a brilliant setlist, tasteful interludes, incredible audio and phenomenal lighting… this show had it all. The passion of the crowd was palpable and the supporting acts - JANE’S ADDICTION, AMYL & THE SNIFFERS, BATTLESNAKE and NWA/WAWO created a energy that laid the perfect palette for the Pumpkins to paint with.
Arriving a little late meant missing the opening band and instead we were greeted by an empty floor… which felt weird for The Hordern. The unmistakable sound of American wrestling commentators calling a fight had magnetised the crowd from the centre of the floor to the right front corner behind the edge of the tiered seating. Combining the usual obnoxious theatrics with strength and athleticism to back it up, this is a show that gripped those who watched. When out of nowhere the opening band, BATTLESNAKE appeared to join the foray I instantly knew that I had probably missed the most bizarre act of the night. Ready to take a body-slam dressed in their bedazzled Priest’s robes told me that Tom wasn’t lying when he used the word ‘insanity’ to describe their show.
After seeing the spotlight fall on Amy Taylor in the midst of the wrestling, it was pretty clear that her band, AMYL & THE SNIFFERS, was going to match the energy of the ring… and boy was I not wrong. After the lights went down and the crowd spilled back toward the stage, AMYL & THE SNIFFERS lit up the room with their signature ‘fuck you’ punk rock attitude. After the first few songs the lights took on a new dimension along with the music. Amy’s sassy energy flooded the stage and spilled over into the audience as she encouraged the crowd to get involved in the tunes and had a chat between songs. Like a slinky on the run, AMYL & THE SNIFFERS seemed to get more energy as their set wore on.
An abrupt end to the AMYL set was quickly met with the sound of commentators once again. This time Australian voices booming across the pavilion with an Aussie focused round of fights. The audience were once again treated to next level theatrics and sweaty mayhem as the intensity of the fighting seemed to increase. With moves and matchups that clearly impressed those watching, the roar of the crowd grew louder and louder before the ending revealed a sea of heads across the pavilion floor.
The muttering crowd seemed to double in size while I wasn’t watching and the sound of tribal drums began, gradually increasing in speed and volume to fill the dimly lit room during the interlude. The atmosphere of tense anticipation was thick in the air and the crowd shifted focus. The definitive roar of the crowd as the lights went down was met with the epic opening of Up The Beach with magical lights that splayed through its resonance in the arena. The soft opening drew the audience into the palm of Perry Farrell’s hand for the seamless killer punch of Stop which turned the sea of heads turned into a choppy mess that matched the raspy vocals and energetic drive of the music. An explosion of colour was met with scantily clad backup dancers with feathers and tassels, adding sexiness to the explosive beats and seductive rock ‘n’ roll vocals of Farrell. He lost the cowboy hat and kept the audience rocking out at his whim as the night instantly turned up a notch and satiated die hard fans.
You know you’re at a good show at The Hordern when the floor is packed and the seating is full. Billy Corgan entered the stage and the crowd erupted before being immediately satiated with a staple opener Empires before Bullet With Buttefly Wings brought a roar across the Pavilion. The blue lighting shifted to a phenomenal array of colours for Today and the audience turned from a sea of heads to a sea of phones to capture the experience… but this was only the beginning. The sound was spot on and THE SMASHING PUMPKINS re-created each of their iconic songs to a T… Mixing it up with evocative interludes creating an atmosphere of pure indulgence. As the songs rolled on, the lights glittered and illuminated the space as the sound rounded out and reminded me of the resonance inside a bat cave, or maybe that was just Billy’s crafty persona. At one point he mentioned a disappointing review that labelled him as “a vampire from outer space”, which he felt was a misrepresentation as he declared himself “a vampire from hell!”.
As the stage took on a poisonous green glow Billy was joined by 2 females who shared an iconic gothic look picking up microphones and adding a new dimension to the sound. After a while I realised it was THE VERONICAS! The music locked into that legendary PUMPKINS groove and Corgan pumped up the crowd by throwing his mic out to the audience to join in. When he did this for big moments during songs like 1979 and Tonight, Tonight the crowd was actually louder than the music. The Zero riff hit with a massive cheer and the crowd coloured in the first line of the song before Billy started singing. I stood by the Front Of House where I was bewildered by the lighting which was absolutely on point. Even better was seeing the guys behind the lighting desk dancing along and having as much fun as the crowd. I could have sworn the volume increased throughout the show and the killer catalogue wrapped me into a cosy little blanket of endorphins.
The Verdict
I’ve heard more than one person call this gig of the year so far… and I have to agree.
9/10
All photos by: RA
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