Billy Corgan - Interview - 4/27/1994 - Fillmore Auditorium

Recorded 4/27/1994 - Fillmore Auditorium (San Francisco, CA)
Visit Wolfgang's www.wolfgangs.com/music/ to stream concerts from thousands of legendary artists. Start your free trial today.
Copyright Bill Graham Archives

[@knifeduckandsleepahh]

I HAVE THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON HIM WHY IS HES SO HANDSOME AND CUUUUUUTEEEEE

[@STARRYXDHAJSODJBDB]

RIGHT OMG HES SUCH A CUTIEE

[@mothyclothy849]

Same girl 😭

[@TheHSIHP]

Gish and Siamese Dream are stone cold classics.

[@TyLer-ij2rf]

Best sp albums ever

[@theironshiek]

And Mellon collie isn't?

[@lakervoxx597]

I LOVE Billy Corgan interviews!!!

[@miss-ck3xf]

What a gorgeous man

[@markkennedy9767]

Man, Billy Corgan was a good-looking dude.

[@harryhondo1013]

definitely looks better with hair

[@JM-tm4dj]

He makes a great point about the “power of the 60s”. People moved onto disco fairly quickly.

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

Disco happened quite a few years after the sixties ended.

[@RunOfTheHind]

Disco was 75-83.

[@arlenem.6469]

He's so adorable 😘

[@johnbrinkman2172]

oh my gosh.....yes!!!

[@scottshingleton7659]

Hot then and still hot now!

[@claudiacherubini5302]

I LOVE BILLY CORGAN SO MUCH REALLY AWESOME INSIDE OUT

[@julichio6241]

Nice to know he loves Bauhaus too ❤️☺️

[@nderohan]

You didn't know this before this interview???

[@xviphoenix69]

Like you couldn't tell lol

[@MrOctober44]

Shocker

[@johnbrinkman2172]

can't believe how cute he is here.....for some reason reminds me of a young Leo Di Caprio.....he's very well spoken.....very smart. love his facial expressions in this. wish i had met him back then. Billy.....love you.

[@frenchfries2018]

I wrote a song about him and music video dedicated to him if your interested

[@Fearzero]

Already going bald tho lol. Can't have it all.

[@Fearzero]

@@frenchfries2018 your interested what?

[@saintjabroni]

@@Fearzero I can’t see indications of balding. It’s a hair part.

[@Fearzero]

@@saintjabroni he's definitely balding here

[@colestone14]

Really handsome young man

[@paigemarie5586]

Love him 💜💜

[@sumo8279]

Those eyes

[@christinelikeschrysanthemums]

I’ve always liked his teeth too.

[@milkcarton6654]

He was already saying "let's put it this way". Anyway i remember when they headlined, this was before i became a fan, i liked the siamese dreams singles but i was busy being into other bands then. I remember going to montreal with my mom in the summer and picking up an entertainment weekly and there was an interview with Corgan in it since lollapalooza stopped in mtl. , this was the first interview of him i ever read. I got into the band with MCIS and then for 6 or 7 years they were my favorite band. There's a lot of formative experiences of my life i owe to this band (first online community i ever was a part of, first show, first trip outside the country, first gf, first sexual experience...)

[@silverfck]

i dont know or care what hes saying hes just so adorable i cant stop looking at his pretty face

[@paranoizehfx]

😂😂

[@silverfck]

cutest boy!!

[@JoeJoe-wp1vv]

I saw the Smashing pumpkins last night here in San Antonio Texas on May 2nd at the new tech Port arena it was awesome

[@lakervoxx597]

I saw them last month in Melbourne Australia. They blew the roof off.

[@wallacelovecraft8942]

Good interview.

[@karinaf8326]

Interesting guy

[@coreygalletly723]

He’s still that same guy. That’s amazing

[@pineconewhisper]

bros enjoyin that gunm

[@4711shaun2]

the golden age

[@miniharez]

he looks great with hair, dammit I use to as well😭🤣

[@AndrewsOpinion15]

happy 57th birthday william patrick corgan jr. !!!!

[@eleanorrose1133]

Oh Billy

[@HumanHamCube]

Billy is such a humble musician

[@cle9146]

There’s nothing humble about Billy. He made great music and he’s not afraid to tell every single person on the planet about it

[@HumanHamCube]

@@cle9146100% I was being sarcastic.

[@cle9146]

@@HumanHamCube oh crap HAHA that went way over my head

[@aegisreflector1239]

​@@cle9146 Yeah exactly 😂

[@KjtheGreatPro]

Gerard ways dad

[@tylerthompson1842]

Totally

[@japan906]

Not even on the same level. MCR are not on the SP level and they know it.

[@playboigerard2549]

@@japan906 they ain’t on MCRs level 🥹💀

[@saintjabroni]

🤣🤣🤣

[@sammytheusername6818]

If Billy became a dad at 10, Billy was born in 1967, Gerard was born in 1977

[@silverfck]

1:36 he was adorable

[@Audfile]

GISH is one of the best albums of all time.

[@ballroom6]

No

[@deadlegs187]

Yes.

[@ballroom6]

@@deadlegs187 definitely isn't

[@Audfile]

@@ballroom6 checks. Yep, it's still there.

[@xviphoenix69]

My favorite pumpkins album but it's not close to one of the greatest albums of all time.

[@rolex3560]

I was at the 1994 Lollapalooza show at The Gorge in central Washington state. The most beautiful amphitheater in the world. I remember the Beastie Boys playing before SP did and the BB just trash talking SP on stage. I really like Billy, but I thought he performed a kinda Jim Morrison freak-out on stage that somehow didn't impress me. And I love Jim Morrison. Oh yeah, I was frying on shrooms at the time... Dang! Did I miss Green Day that day.

[@sianspherica]

I'm always surprised how quick he decided to cut off all his hair. Like this is 2 years before the 1979 video and dude seems like he has a solid head of hair.

[@grognakthog]

Hair was thinning so he cut it off, he’ll say it was a message but really his hair was thinning and falling off from stress and genes lol

[@slev901]

his speaking voice is so different than his singing! interesting

[@uneedtherapy42]

He used to be a little boy

[@deez1384]

So old in his shoes

[@JohnDoe-tm9wz]

What he chose was his choice

[@jamesgreenldn]

What’s a space boy supposed to do?

[@michelekurlan2580]

Chewing gum, maybe Billy is chewing Wrigley's, is as Chicago as deep dish pizza, no catsup on hotdogs,da bearsss and jagoffs. Heh,heh, that's our boy

[@michaelbogovich6201]

Love it - Jagoff is total South Side slang. Very underutilized in the current state of woke Chicago. He's definitely a hometown boy done good. :)

[@paranoizehfx]

😂

[@larrydanadavid2435]

Subsequently, Billy had an ongoing feud with this interviewer. Adding to the endless list of adversaries in his rat caged raged filled world.

[@NoYoutubeName1]

Well, that interviewer was only asking Billy about the venue, the opening acts and influences, no questions about his music… that’s kind of insulting don’t you think?

[@stardog2012]

No Billy was being obtuse, since it was in fact a great honor to re-open the Fillmore, which he didn't seem to really grasp here @@NoKZbinName1

[@Nothing-qq4hd]

Kurt had just died a few weeks before..

[@tylerphillips6523]

who cares

[@TlPSYDUB]

Thinking the same thing

[@303nitzubishi4]

Ok but please understand that is akin to mentioning that Sinatra just died in the comments section of an Elton John video. Completely unrelated artists

[@ernestt5703]

That’s pretty sad but has nothing to do with the Smashing Pumpkins.

[@TlPSYDUB]

@@ernestt5703 how does it not, they were all friends and it was a massive media spectacle I’m sure it effected the pumpkins on some level

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Du måtte til at Vi sammen har DOPET.

[@tbeat03]

What are Billy's musical influences that made the sound of Siamese Dream, Gish, Mellon Collie and Adore? I've read long time ago he was into Fleetwood Mac and other 70s acts that I don't remember

[@kranmaster]

Black Sabbath, Boston, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Cure among others.

[@palms159]

My Bloody Valentine is a cited influence on Siamese Dream (the jet/vacuum-cleaner wall of guitars), Mellon Collie is probably an amalgam of everything Billy ever loved about music up to that point, which is a lot of stuff, such an eclectic album.

[@sadmachinesaudio6462]

Also, Classic Rock like Led Zeppelin, Boston, Rush are a big influence.

[@usandusonly32]

New Order

[@AkathisiaWarrior]

Yeah, he did a cover of “Landslide”

[@robertauclair2278]

Saw them on this Lollapalooza tour at Quonset Point in Rhode Island. Wasn't their night apparently. Set just fell completely apart half way through. Billy doing a bunch of crazy rants and playing random Van Haken riffs. I remember Billy saying to the crowd, "we're not trying to suck..." Still love the Pumpkins and put Siamese Dream in my top 5 albums. Never bothered to try to see them live again after that however.

[@COLTRONNN]

that is wild as they usually nail their live performances and are actually incredible live today. saw them in 2007/2013/2023 and all three concerts were out of this world. if you get the chance this year... let them change your mind lol

[@marvinlear5848]

Interestingly, this show's page on Internet Archive has a review from one of the prominent TSP live archivist fans. He says, "this has the be one of the best Lollapalooza shows...I Am One and Silverfuck are just ridiculous." I would assume he meant "ridiculous" in a good way, but it could go either way, it would seem, depending on the person. I listened to the live I Am One recording, in particular. For the record, Billy played a single Van Halen riff that lasted no more than 7 seconds. There was some audience banter about sucking. It was after James had been goofing with the crowd and apparently started tap dancing. Billy says, "You know we're fucked when he starts resorting to cheap vaudeville tricks. Well, we're sorry we sucked. We're gonna try and make it up to you in one song," and then they play their show closer, Silverfuck. At one point during its breakdown when there's more audience banter, James says, "Boy, we really are sucking tonight. We're telling all our worst jokes all in one show. We're sorry." Then they end it with two minutes of rocking that almost immediately devolves into complete chaos. Billy spends about 2 minutes straight doing nothing but pure screamo! It gets a bit disturbing, tbh. I can only imagine how this would have come across to anyone in the crowd tripping on the wrong kind of drugs, lol.

[@MCConfuz]

2:01

[@klonkillee5615]

Really going at that gum 😂

[@paranoizehfx]

😂

[@8minecrafter8]

I got a fever- and the only prescription... is more GUM CHEWING

[@paranoizehfx]

😂

[@miss-ck3xf]

🤣🤣

[@credenceia3572]

hes cute

[@call6060842]

I'd ask him about his rotating door to Courtney Love before & after Kurt.

[@thegoonge]

Such a strange interview. You’ve got an emerging icon, on the forefront of his generation and you ask him almost exclusively to comment on a musical scene from thirty years ago. Unless this is an outtake from a documentary on San Francisco in the late ‘60’s, this interview was a wasted opportunity. Oh well. ✌🏻

[@saintjabroni]

👌🏼😂

[@timgibson3754]

It's like the same questions they would have asked him in the 60s

[@ropeswingify]

It's because the reopening of (that) venue (one where so many rock and roll bands played over history) was a historical event to many. Not to Billy apparently. I stopped to read your post because all other posts were simply gushing positively about how 'adorable' Billy is.. Nothing of substance. Yours actually had something to say other than how 'cute' he is. I personally think it was a bummer interview.. Especially to the people who booked him.. Hoping I'm sure that he felt the honor of the booking. I thought I was lucky to time my ticket purchase 'call' (path to tickets in those days) but in less than 5 minutes told by recording "this show is now sold out". Later finding out more than half the tickets were set aside for "special vip people".The night of the show I stood in the streets to get a ticket. Didn't happen. I don't know if questions towards more current events would have gotten a more 'emotive' Corigan. He seems like he has throughout his career. Jaded.. Arrogant. Contemptuous of the questioning. Almost like he's out to make sure he doesn't give what he knows is expected from him. An expectation killer. Which is what he's practiced throughout he's career. I saw him once when he headlined a show.. Following the beastie boys.. Who just blew up the place.. (shoreline amphitheater).. The place went bananas. Knowing he couldn't compete Corigan came out and just fucked off. Had people from the audience play guitar.. Refused to play any of the music the fans wanted to see. Did some accustic stuff. Had his band on stage only part of the time. It sucked. At the time siamese dream was the album out. (which I loved and was looking forward to hearing). Nope. He knew he couldn't match the performance the beasties put up so he tanked his own show. I'm still a fan of his music. But tanking expectations on a regular basis is a narcissistic trait that (to me) is very off putting. Grow up. The fact is that all rock and roll listeners (should) appreciate the venues and promoters who gave artists a place to show the fans who they are.. Live. As someone who "knows 'too' much about music" (his words) it would have been nice to hear just a word of genuine appreciation for the Filmore. The first place to host Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa and many others. But I guess that would have been giving the journalists what they wanted. I do see your point though.

[@AB.BABY.]

@@ropeswingify You summed up his narcissism perfectly. He has done this repeatedly and then played the victim card when it backfired on him with certain journalists (such as Everett True for example).

[@paranoizehfx]

😂

[@SpinningbacKFisT]

The world is a vampire

[@MrOctober44]

Despite all his rage he's still just a rat in a cage

[@corals4508]

So cute, like his daughter Francis.

[@paigemarie5586]

what?

[@corals4508]

@@paigemarie5586 IMO I think FBC is BC's daughter.

[@aegisreflector1239]

@@corals4508 uhh pretty sure thats not his daughter....

[@corals4508]

@@aegisreflector1239 What makes you so sure she isn't?!

[@arlenem.6469]

She's not his daughter. She looks just like both her parents.

[@veerchasm1]

Bauhaus ruled

[@davidoverstreet6900]

Right before he said "To hell with it" and shaved all his hair off. Lol. 1994 was the year everything changed for the better In every way.

[@kdub9918]

Kurt died 2 weeks before this interview and it is t even brought up and Nirvana was the band Lollapalooza wanted to headline

[@jamesriver3745]

Why did he shave his head anyways? He looks better with hair.

[@yrmthr]

he was going bald

[@grungetea]

@@yrmthr I can't understand how he did lose so much hair in about one year. Crazy...

[@missingno88]

@@grungetea diffuse thinning is like that. it can be that aggressive for some people were they will literally lose most of their hair within a few months

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

BILLY CORGAN 17 DE MARZO DE 1967 55 AÑOS VOCALISTA DE THE SMASHING PUMPKINS.

[@edthecatman6554]

When the mouth is moving, the coke is groovin

[@deadlegs187]

This must be shortly after meeting Homer Simpson

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

J reddet Henne. Det skulle bli deg. Nei.

[@AaAa-je5eo]

This interview was filmed the day before Kurt Cobain's death right? If I have that date right 🤔

[@ratsontherails]

About 20 days after.

[@AaAa-je5eo]

@@ratsontherails Urgh of course.....date format in the USA of 'month first' threw me on that

[@joshuayettou9032]

This was shortly after Kurt was murdered and also shortly before Billy Boy was spending a lot of time with the Witch who was behind Kurt's murder. Courtney Love. I bet CL told Billy all sorts of interesting things! Hope the spa vacation in Arizona was nice!

[@dollyparton1800]

I was just wondering why he was so happy....I know he wasn't happy about Kurt's death but he was always in competition with him and comparing...I see he's feeling free.

[@joshuayettou9032]

@@dollyparton1800 Hmm. That's an interesting point.

[@BigBoss1292]

Are you high?

[@julianvn2k]

she didnt murder him theres some really good videos out there that explain how the theory is bs

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

Oh look, it's the guy who solved a murder by "doing his own research". FBI, employ this man! Hurry, before Courtney strikes again!

[@amateurmusicresearch1972]

destined for greatness, wonder where the hair went...

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Kom'a.

[@semmcstevenson]

He had to lose the hair because sadly it as losing HIM. Young. Damn .

[@glengamble526]

Billy Corgan’s a legend…just ask him, he will tell you so 🙄

[@bradr3541]

When you play every instrument and sing the vocals on a breakthru record please let us know. Ty

[@glengamble526]

@@bradr3541 ok. But unlike him, I’ve never claimed to be ‘all that’. Your bald little Charlie Brown-looking friend HAS. Cheers!

[@glengamble526]

@@bradr3541 and for the record, he DIDNT do this-Jimmy Chamberlain is a huge part of his ‘sound’

[@miss-ck3xf]

🤣❤️

[@jakeytedesco3003]

My son who has an African mum looks like a tinged Billy.. no lie

[@timgibson3754]

Are you accusing him of being black?

[@kawaiitos]

need proof of that

[@stefankaiser3354]

He looked so much better before he went full Uncle Fester 🙈 😏👩🏻‍🦲

[@themoderndaykevincostnerle4653]

Am i being stupid but if this date is correct this is weeks after Kurt Cobain died? He looks drained of energy and emotion to me. His comments on drugs are maybe quite poiniant too. He's my absolute hero and I'm glad he's come to accept himself and find stability over the years. Sad though to think about the neuroses he was dealing with around this time.

[@AaAa-je5eo]

Just posted the same thing. The day before Kurt's death

[@RajHK8]

Is that Kurt Cobain’s jacket?

[@kimberlymisfit3544.]

I wouldn't doubt that bitch gave it to him

[@xtchotel5290]

maybe who knows

[@startervisions]

Your mom

[@tt-du6vc]

Yes it is! Go to the police!

[@RajHK8]

@@tt-du6vc I’ll get you, you little punk! ✊🏻

[@foreignwarren7361]

How the hell did this interviewer get a job?

[@spaceorbison]

Two weeks after Kurt was murdered

[@Garf2O]

The politically correct term is "Suicide'd", Lol

[@tt-du6vc]

I killed the motherfucker.

[@andrenewcomb3708]

The 60's music wrought a 150,000,000 population boom. "60's" music nurtured men and women to care about those newborns. And that's what they did. Took care of those kids that ear play conceived.

[@vincenzovalentino5005]

Your comment is very interesting to me. Could you point me to where I could read about that?

[@safetypatrol]

@@vincenzovalentino5005 👍🏼

[@matman8812]

Ok boomer

[@epicmage82]

Those babies turned out to be dog shit parents. So maybe the boomers didn't do as well as you think.

[@startervisions]

It was also 10 years into progression of rock n roll music...it's quite natural for new genres of music or forms of any art...it's one half of an era that represents the pop culture for young adults and even teenagers...

[@mattodude237]

Gerard way vibes

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Å æsj hilsen Bounce.

[@christopherpoucher483]

Cortney love

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Din Ondskap. Du må komma.

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Jeg skal se på Deg mens Du er der.

[@hegenikolaisen5594]

Han ble smurfsk. Ikke der.

[@kometakiller]

"I want the Pumpkins standing on the top of the heap of our generation," Corgan told in an interview. "If that means I got to write 800 songs to do it, I'll do it. I ain't shy about that." Nirvana, instead, wrote only 1 song and knocked out all those guys, put them all on the ground, without want it.

[@-solidsnake-]

Yeah I just don’t like my rockstars to act all serious and cool. But that’s just me

[@withinfrutiger]

girlypop, chewing on gum

[@zigzagwandra]

dude knows WAY too much about music lol

[@elidavidow3496]

Great gum chewing in this interview

[@paranoizehfx]

😂😂

[@AkathisiaWarrior]

Lose the gum. 😂

[@AkathisiaWarrior]

“I know too much about music” lol. Go teach some kids music history already.

[@190_beatz]

Dave franco

[@rossturcotte419]

He's chewing that gum like the biggest POS. Was his ego never not out of control?

[@MattKittredge2112]

I often chew gum whenever I’m doing something that puts me out of my comfort zone, just for the fact that it helps calm my nerves. Billy has always been a very shy / nervous type of person, so odds are, he’s going to town on that gum due to the fact that there’s a camera in his face.

[@saintjabroni]

I wish I could ignore insipid BC haters but you [people] tend to make no sense at all… What really came across as being a POS? Chewing gum? Is that it? lol Christ. He’s answering questions with most reasonable answers. Oh, how full of himself.

[@inconceivabledark]

Maybe he'd quit smoking for a bit(if was ever a smoker)?

[@xviphoenix69]

@@MattKittredge2112 THE DUDE'S A FUCKING NARCISSIST FFS!!! 😂 😆 😂

[@silverfck]

bro hes chewing gum 😭😭 calm down

[@mushroomleg]

Spit out the f’cking gum, person from many decades ago!!

[@stefankaiser3354]

Imagine if he spit that thing out now, the chewing gum would be almost 30 years old! 😧👉 🦠

[@Hooty436]

Cocain is a Hell of a drug

[@poppyvandekerckhove80]

You think he's on it here?

[@alexandereckert5939]

@@poppyvandekerckhove80 he is 1000% not on coke

[@poppyvandekerckhove80]

@@alexandereckert5939 then why did you make that comment?

[@alexandereckert5939]

@@poppyvandekerckhove80 I didn’t make it Jared Sutton did

[@appleturnover519]

How rude, chewing gum in our faces.

[@Augrills]

Billy looks wrong with hair to me

[@steverosten7101]

hes so lame

[@missingno88]

okay steve

[@delilaramos6717]

Ok that's just rude he's so pure and real

[@kristopherryanwatson]

let us know what you've achieved. and then we'll talk about lameness.

[@delilaramos6717]

@@kristopherryanwatson I totally agree with you

[@Haunteed]

Steve you so wacky

[@thomaswillingham4084]

Saw SP and Jane's couple months ago

[@drewhendrix502]

Obviously an intelligent bloke, no swearing. Watch lars Ulrich, every second word is a swear word

[@paranoizehfx]

😮😮

[@totalpartykill999]

i wonder if Billy knew just how huge the Pumpkins would become at this time of his life.

[@miss-ck3xf]

Still probably doesnt realize how actually huge... Freakin rock & roll legend ❤

[@jamesgreenldn]

He used to be a little boy