The Smashing Pumpkins 2023-04-18

April 18, 2023 – Sydney, NSW, AU
Poster by Ben Brown
Live performance by The Smashing Pumpkins
The World Is A Vampire tour
Date	April 18, 2023
Festival	The World Is A Vampire festival
Venue	Hordern Pavilion
Coordinates	33°53′38″S 151°13′27″E
Location	Sydney, NSW, AU
Venue type	Exhibition center
Capacity	5,500
Personnel	Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jeff Schroeder, Jimmy Chamberlin, Jack Bates, Katie Cole
Order of bands	Battlesnake, RedHook, Amyl and The Sniffers, Jane's Addiction, The Smashing Pumpkins
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Setlist

1. "Atum" (prerecorded) 
2. "Empires" 
3. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" 
4. "Today" 
5. "We Only Come Out at Night" (acoustic) 
6. "Once in a Lifetime" [Talking Heads] 
7. "Solara" 
   1. (drum solo)
8. "Eye" 
9. "Ava Adore" 
   1. (drum solo)
10. "Spellbinding" 
11. "Under the Milky Way" [The Church] (acoustic) 
12. "Geek U.S.A." (tease) (acoustic) 
13. "Tonight, Tonight" (acoustic) 
14. "Space Age" 
15. "You're the Voice" [John Farnham] (tease) 
16. "Thunderstruck" [AC/DC] (tease) 
17. "Whole Lotta Rosie" [AC/DC] (tease) 
18. "Cherub Rock" 
19. "Zero" 
    1. "Love Gun" [Kiss] (tease) 
20. "1979" 
21. "Beguiled" 
22. "Silverfuck" 

Notes

• NWA wrestlers Mercurio and May Valentine perform a short routine during "Beguiled"

Banter

Atum Intro
Empires
(BC after lyrics, before Jeff outro solo: Sydney!!)
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Iha: G’day, Sydney. How are you guys doing? Thank you so much for coming out, we are the Smashing Pumpkins and uh, we’re so happy to be here in Australia, thank you so much. We’re gonna play another hit song, right after this.
Today
We Only Come Out at Night (acoustic)
Once in a Lifetime
(Iha plays a few chords with a delay pedal on)
Iha: You guys ever heard delay on guitar? (one more chord) That’s what it’s like.
Solara
Eye
(BC after 2nd chorus: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the rock show! The world is a vampire, Sydney. We can only say thank you, thank you for being with us tonight, thank you, thank you, thank you.)
(BC during outro singalong: Sing it with us! Come on, Sydney. Owoo!)
Ava Adore
(BC after Jimmy solo: Ow! Mr. Jimmy Chamberlin!! Sure is hot in he-ah. He-ah, he-ah! He-ah!)
Iha: How you all doin’? Thank you so much. It’s been a while since we’ve been to Australia and uh...it’s awesome here. I had, uh, french fries with chicken salt. (crowd cheers) I was like, goddammit, what’s on these french fries -– or chips? And they said, (Australian accent) “Chicken salt.” (normal voice) I said, “I gotta get some of that and bring it back to America and make a million dollars.” So for all those who enjoy chicken salt, this next new song is for you. Heh. Or not, you know.
Spellbinding
BC: Thank you very much, thank you. James, how you feelin’ tonight?
Iha: I’m feelin’ great, how are you feelin’?
BC: Me?
Iha: Yes.
BC: I’m like walking death.
Iha: Alright, well...I’m sure they’re appreciative, you being up here. Trying your best.
BC: Thank you this evening for such a warm reception, we really do appreciate it. James...
Iha: Yes.
BC: ...would you like to give these beautiful people a tasty treat? And whatever the hell you were talking about, chicken and...?
Iha: Chicken salt.
BC: Chicken sauce.
Iha: I never knew there was such a thing.
BC: James, I’m a vegan. Don’t offend me with your chicken sauce.
Iha: I’m from the Midwest, uh...middle class background and I’ve never encountered such a thing.
BC: You’re, you’re, you’re among the people, you’re one of the people?
Iha: Yes.
BC: You’re with the people?
Iha: Yes.
BC: He’s going into the crowd. ‘Cause he wants to be among the people. (laughing) James, James, let’s, let’s play these beautiful people a little tasty treat. Ready? Are you ready, you sure?
Iha: What song?
Under the Milky Way (Billy/Iha acoustic)
Iha: [cuts in] ...instead of just fuckin’ around.
BC: What song?
Iha: A –- a song. Any song.
BC: Oh, any song, heh heh.
Iha: Heh heh heh. Okay, that’s pretty good.
BC: ‘Cause, we haven’t played any songs to this point. Listen, this is my favorite part of the show because we get a chance to -– okay, see, here we go with the Geek U.S.A. phone thing. If I wanted to play a song, right, I would hold up my phone and it would say “Fuck you”.
Geek U.S.A. (tease, acoustic - a second or two)
BC: You wanna do that?
Geek U.S.A. (tease, acoustic - another couple seconds)
BC: Yeah, whatever. I love this song. I wrote this song in 1994. Before all of you were born. You were just a twinkle in your father’s eye...and your mother’s womb. That too...too graphic? You havin’ a good time? I feel like, uh, Peter from Midnight Oil’s just gonna come and knock me off the stage. “Just get on with it, mate, just get on with it.” Heh heh. I don’t speak English, um.... So we like to dedicate this song to you, if you know the words, please sing along, it’s a little song we like to call Tonight, Tonight.
Tonight, Tonight (Billy/Iha acoustic)
Space Age
Iha: Thank you so much, uh...I’d like to introduce the band. One of your own, all the way from Melbourne, Australia, Miss Katie Cole. Katie Cole. Anything you’d like to say...?
Katie: Wow.
Iha: ...to Sydney?
Katie: Well, I am an Aussie and you guys are Aussies, so why don’t we actually show the Pumpkins what the real national anthem really is, by John Farnham? You guys gonna sing it with me though? You ready?
Iha: Heh.
Katie: Let’s go for the –- let’s go for the chorus, alright?
You’re the Voice (tease - 1x through chorus acapella)
Katie: You guys are killin’ it.
Iha: What was that song?
Katie: Farnsy, come on, get with it.
Iha: All the way from Manchester, England, on the bass guitar, Mr. Jack Bates. Jack Bates! You’re gonna be movin’ here soon, right, Jack? He’s done with England. Alright, from Hollywood, California, Mr. Jeff Schroeder. Jeff, do you wanna rock out some Australian classic iconic riff?
Thunderstruck (tease - Jeff)
Iha: (laughing) Oh man! (sings along with the riff for a moment; Jeff finishes and Iha speaks) Thunder, Thunder, thank you, Jeff. All the way from the Midwest, where I’m from, Joliet, Illinois, Mr. Jimmy Chamberlin! Kicking ass on drums every night.
Whole Lotta Rosie (tease - Billy quietly goes through the riff twice while Iha introduces him)
Iha: On lead vocals and hot guitar, Mr. Billy Corgan! Thank you so much, Sydney, one of two nights, this is called Cherub Rock.
Cherub Rock
> Zero
> Love Gun (tease)
1979
Beguiled
Silverfuck
(BC immediately after final lyrics: Sydney, thank you, thank you, thank you, Sydney!!)
Iha: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Have a great night. Get home safe.