Music Banter - View Single Post - Billy Corgan slams Soundgarden and Pavement

Halen · 08-17-2012, 01:41 PM

Billy Corgan: 'Soundgarden and Pavement are only back together to make money' | News | NME.COM

Quote:

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan slammed reformed rock bands Soundgarden and Pavement, accusing them of only reforming so they can "make money".

The singer, whose band released their new studio album 'Oceania' in June, has said that he "condemned" anyone who didn't acknowledge that they were simply touring to make money and described the reunions of the Chris Cornell and Stephen Malkmus-fronted bands as "one more round at the till".

Speaking at a press conference to Philstar.com , Corgan said: "There are those bands that are essentially coming back only to make money – playing their old albums, and maybe somewhere in the back of their minds they're thinking there might be a future."

He continued: "I am not in that business, obviously. I condemn anybody who’s in that business but doesn’t admit he’s in that business. When Soundgarden came back and they just played their old songs, great. I was a fan of Soundgarden, but call it for what it is. They’re just out there to have one more round at the till; same with Pavement and these other bands."

Corgan added that he believed that the Smashing Pumpkins had a growing fanbase amongst younger people and that this was essential to their survival.

He added: "Without the young fans there is no future for Smashing Pumpkins. We can’t run an oldies business. Not only is it boring, it’s actually not a very good business."

Corgan also hit out at the changing landscape of music, describing it as one where people prefer fame to the music itself.

He said of this: "They have no respect for the people that came before them," he said. "They have no respect for the tradition of music, they have no respect for the blood and tears that have been spilled by great musicians all over the world – many of whom will never even know their name."

'Oceania' is the seventh of the Smashing Pumpkins career and was released on June 18.