Latest news with #TheSmashingPumpkins
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I was overjoyed' - Colchester musician to support The Smashing Pumpkins
A RISING Colchester musician 'cried a few happy tears' after finding out she's going to support one of her favourite bands. Songwriter Bridget Clegg, 22, writes rock and punk songs under the moniker, Bridget. Bridget will be supporting beloved 1990s rock band, The Smashing Pumpkins, in Lower Castle Park on August 14 as part of the Colchester Castle Summer Series. Thousands of people will flock to the area for the festival across eight dates. Headline act - The Smashing Pumpkins - (left to right) James Iha, Billy Corgan, and Jimmy Chamberlin (Image: PR) Speaking to The Gazette, Bridget says the organisers of the festival put her forward to The Smashing Pumpkins' management as a possible support act, and they approved it. She is the first Colchester act to be supporting any of the concert. Bridget said: 'I was at work, saw the message, cried a few happy tears, nothing crazy… 'I was overjoyed and instantly called my parents. 'Let's just say I was the right amount of excited and cool about it. Support act - Bridget (Image: Amy S @esshuttr on Instagram) 'It means so much to me, as an independent artist, when you're doing everything for yourself and you get a win like this out of the blue. "It makes everything seem very worthwhile because sometimes you do lose your confidence and it's so easy to forget how far you've come and what you've achieved. 'I am particularly emotional about it because I really did dream of doing this since I was a child; so, it's amazing to comprehend.' Last year, the emerging artist released her debut EP, Damage Reversal and played Glastonbury Festival's Bimble Inn. Performance - Bridget live with her band (Image: C Wilkinson @ on Instagram) Other headline acts for the string of concerts include Busted on August 15, Craig David on August 16, Tom Jones on August 18, Texas on August 21, and Madness on August 23. Two festivals are also happening, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell will headline the reggae day festival, Roots East, on August 17. Manchester group James will headline the Out of Time Festival on August 22 which also features Lighting Seeds, Happy Mondays and cinematic British folk-rock back The Waeve which features Blur's Graham Coxon and songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall. Bridget thinks the summer series concerts "are brilliant" and they offer 'something for everyone', and is looking forward to catching The Smashing Pumpkins and Skunk Anansie as 'they are heroes' of hers. Excited - Bridget (Image: Amy S @esshuttr on Instagram) As a big fan of The Smashing Pumpkins, who used to get her dad to play Bullet With Butterfly Wings every morning on the way to secondary school, Bridget is practicing 'over and over' for the slot. She said: 'I'm also flittering between being very excited, giddy and adrenalised and then calming it down and being serious, professional and normal about the prospect of what is happening. For more information and live touring dates, visit
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rock Icon Says This 90s Band Is 'Bigger Than the Ramones'
When you think of punk, you think of the Ramones, right? The New York City quartet ushered in the sound we now know as punk in the 1970s. But to of The Smashing Pumpkins, one band has eclipsed the Ramones: Green Day. 'I think it had something to do with the fact that they just got their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,' Billy told Rolling Stone. 'I'm watching them get their star and…I had this moment where I was reminiscing and I was like, 'Wow, I've known these guys for over 30 years, and we just did this tour. Oh my God, they're bigger than the Ramones.'" The 58-year-old alternative icon explained his reasoning in putting his fellow '90s rockers ahead of the band many consider invented punk. 'In the world I grew up in, the Ramones were number one,' he said. 'In a way, they always will be number one because they were first.' "But then I realized, 'Oh my God, Green Day has actually done it. They are bigger than the Ramones. Their influence is greater, their reach is greater, and certainly their success is greater,'' said Corgan. Both Green Day and The Smashing Pumpkins formed in the late 1980s but experienced massive success in the early '90s. The Pumpkins became synonymous with alternative rock with Siamese Dream, released in 1993, and 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Green Day ushered in the punk explosion with 1994's Dookie. A decade later, they experienced a career renaissance with the release of American Idiot and remain one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. The Pumpkins toured with Green Day in 2024. 'It was awesome,' Billy told Rolling Stone. 'Green Day was so gracious. We couldn't have had a better summer. It was one of my favorite tours of all time.' 'They were so gracious in being hosts, not only to us, but to Rancid and the Linda Lindas,' said Corgan. 'It was just the spirit of what it's supposed to be when you put bands together. It was one of the best experiences we've ever had, and we're forever grateful to them.'
CairoScene
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
The Smashing Pumpkins to Play First-Ever UAE Show at Etihad Arena
The legendary alt-rock band is bringing its 'Rock Invasion' tour to Abu Dhabi on October 9th with a career-spanning setlist. May 23, 2025 The Smashing Pumpkins are heading to Abu Dhabi for the very first time, bringing decades of alt-rock anthems to Etihad Arena on Thursday, October 9th, as part of their globe-spanning Rock Invasion tour. The Chicago-born icons, led by frontman Billy Corgan alongside original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, are set to ignite the capital with a career-spanning set that blends grunge-era nostalgia with their latest sonic experiments. Fans can expect to be swept up in the emotional swell of classics like 'Tonight, Tonight', scream along to the angst-fuelled chorus of 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings', and drift back to teenage memories with the shimmering dream-pop of '1979'. But this won't be just a greatest hits show—the band's newer material, including tracks like 'Empires' and 'Beguiled' from their recent albums, will keep things fresh and furious. With over 30 million albums sold, Grammy wins, and a legacy that helped shape the alt-rock movement of the '90s, The Smashing Pumpkins remain one of rock's most dynamic acts—balancing poetry, distortion, and the occasional existential scream. Tickets go live this Friday, May 23rd, at 10 AM via Live Nation Middle East's official website. Set your alarms—because in the words of Billy Corgan, the world is a vampire, and this show will sell fast.
FACT
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
The Smashing Pumpkins to rock Etihad Arena this October
Catch the Indie superstars belting out their biggest hits. The Smashing Pumpkins are finally coming to Abu Dhabi. The popular alternative rock band will bring their Rock Invasion tour to Abu Dhabi. Set to take place on 9 October 2025 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, this concert promises a night of unforgettable anthems and a performance that spans over 30 years of sonic innovation. Brought to the capital by Live Nation Middle East, the event will be a landmark moment for rock fans across the region. The tour kicks off in Japan this September and will blaze through Asia before The Smashing Pumpkins arrive in Abu Dhabi, with stops including Seoul, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, and Bahrain. From the searing riffs of Bullet With Butterfly Wings and the nostalgia-drenched 1979, to new crowd favourites like Sighommi and Beguiled, the setlist will showcase the band's extensive catalogue. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, two GRAMMY Awards, and a discography that includes Siamese Dream and the diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Smashing Pumpkins have remained at the forefront of the global rock scene for more than three decades. Frontman Billy Corgan, alongside founding members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, continue to defy genre boundaries, fusing elements of goth, metal, and shoegaze into a sound that's unmistakably theirs. Their most recent projects include ATUM, a sprawling rock opera released in three acts, and the critically praised Aghori Mhori Mei, their 13th studio album, released in late 2024. If you're after cool concerts, big stars are coming to the UAE. Other concerts include Kygo at Coca-Cola Arena on 30 May, Mary J. Blige at Coca-Cola Arena on 24 June, Jennifer Lopez at Etihad Arena on 29 July, Lil Baby at Coca-Cola Arena on 18 October, Enrique Iglesias at Etihad Arena on 1 November and Katy Perry at Etihad Park on 7 December. Tickets to see The Smashing Pumpkins in Abu Dhabi will be available via Live Nation presale from Thursday, 22 May at 10am, with general on-sale beginning Friday, 23 May at 12pm. Prepare for a night of noise, nostalgia, and pure Pumpkins power. GO: Visit via for tickets and more information.
What's On
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
The Smashing Pumpkins are coming to Abu Dhabi this October
Way to dive in to Q4… Live music fans will want to brace themselves for a real rock invasion when Chicago natives, The Smashing Pumpkins take to the stage at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 9 as part of their Rock Invasion 2025 World Tour . With Abu Dhabi's never-ending, electrifying events calendar serving up one superstar performance after another, these guys are a unit you'll definitely want to catch live, so you get the last quarter of the year underway to the sounds of timeless riffs and alternative rock. Media: Instagram, Getty The near-40 year-strong band grew in fame in the '90s, with albums such as Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness , which spawned hit singles including 1979 and Tonight Tonight. One look at those videos on YouTube and you'll know they're from a nostalgia-inducing time i.e. the good ol'days i.e. the '90s, when your summer break often meant lounging around and watching music videos on MTV. While their sounds are defined by memorable riffs and lively beats that frame Billy Corgan's voice distinctly, it's not often you find a hit band that can produce real rock energy while incorporating dreamy, almost soothing sounds. Well, The Smashing Pumpkins can, and they're coming to town this Ocotber. Tickets Ticket presales begin May 22 at 10am, while general sales begin on May 23 at 10am. Register here. The Smashing Pumpkins, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, October 2025. > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
