Spirits On Fire tour



The Spirits On Fire tour by The Smashing Pumpkins took place in autumn 2022 was co-headlined by fellow alternative rock legends Jane's Addiction. Prior to this tour, The Smashing Pumpkins had only shared the bill with Jane's Addiction twice – once as a surprise opening act on November 3, 1997, and the other being one of the Pumpkins' earliest shows on November 23, 1988 at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago. The two groups were also scheduled to appear at the Welcome to Rockville festival on May 22, 2022, but due to an illness within the band, Jane's Addiction was replaced by Perry Farrell's side project, Porno for Pyros.

The tour was announced on the The Howard Stern Show on May 11, 2022, and included supporting acts by Poppy and Meg Myers. In celebration of the tour and their career, the day following the announcement, Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and Jeff Schroeder added their hand prints to the cement outside the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. James Iha was not feeling well and was unable to make the ceremony.

Corgan has stated that the Spirits On Fire tour was the biggest tour The Smashing Pumpkins had since 1997, though it's unclear by which figures this is referring to. The tour is also notable as being among the band's first tours, if not the very first, to offer unique show posters for each date, usually designed by a local artist from the hosting city. The effort was in cooperation with Collectionzz. Each poster had its own trading card variant as well that could be purchased through The Smashing Pumpkins store or through the Collectionzz store.

The tour had a couple of notable personnel changes on the Jane's Addiction side. Guitarist Dave Navarro, who collaborated with Billy Corgan on the 2009 Spirits in the Sky tour, sat out the tour due to the effects of long COVID and was replaced by Troy Van Leeuwen. In addition, original Jane's bassist Eric Avery returned to the lineup for the first time in over 10 years.

At the October 19 show at New York's Madison Square Garden, Perry Farrell sustained an "injury that resulted in [his] inability to perform." As a result, Jane's Addiction was either replaced by extended Smashing Pumpkins, Poppy, and Meg Myers sets, and for a handful of shows Our Lady Peace filled in Jane's Addiction's time slot.

Further medical problems would soon come. Throughout the tour, Corgan's intense screaming was starting to take a tole on his voice, which became obvious at the Seattle show. On November 13, the Portland, Oregon show had to be cancelled after he was diagnosed with laryngitis. With two full days off, he seeks medical care and is given the go-ahead to perform at the San Francisco show.