Original Smashing Pumpkins line up say they ‘will sue’ over leaked old demos

Grunge pioneers threaten action against source of leaked demo tapes

Smashing Pumpkins have released a statement threatening to ‘sue’ whoever is behind the leak of their old demos, it was announced today (March 10).

The band’s original line up – consisting of Billy Corgan, James Iha, D’arcy Wretzky and Jimmy Chamberlin – have claimed that a mystery source has obtained and ‘leaked’ demos from the band’s ‘Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness’ sessions around 1995, which went on to be one of the group’s biggest albums. The tracks in question are ‘One and Two’ (Penned by Iha) and ‘The Tracer’ taken from the band’s ‘Zero’ EP.

NMEPress

According to Alternative Nation (who still have a copy of the original statement even though the original post was deleted from the band’s Facebook), which read:

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A NOTE REGARDING LEAKS FROM THE PUMPKINS ARCHIVES: Recently, some “fresh” tracks, albeit outtakes and work product from 20+ years ago, surfaced on the internet. And though such releases are celebrated by fans and media alike, they are the product of theft and should not be applauded as such. Remember, whoever the culprit is, they do not reveal themselves for fear of prosecution. This, ladies and gentlemen, is not some Robin Hood helping out the impoverished. And when they are found out, we, the Smashing Pumpkins (and yes, the original 4 are unified on such issues) will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law as well as bring a civil suit; for undoubtedly this person is a former employee. And in that, we will reward whoever helps bring this matter to its just result. But that does not mean we don’t have our suspicions and leads. It’s only a matter of time.

Read more: Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan hits out at the creators of Twitter and Facebook

Meanwhile Smashing Pumpkins have confirmed details of an acoustic tour this spring.

The band fronted by Billy Corgan will head out on the road in the US this March and April, where they’ll be joined by Liz Phair, who will open on all dates. The shows will mark Phair’s first US tour in six years.

Also joining the group on the road will be original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who was reunited with his former bandmates last year.

The tour is titled the ‘In Plainsong’ tour and will feature the ’90s band playing a stripped-down set, creating “an evening of acoustic based music and electronic soundscapes”.

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Pitchfork reports that once the tour is finished, Smashing Pumpkins will return to the studio to record the follow up to 2014 album ‘Monuments To An Elegy’.

The singer quit Twitter last year and in an interview with Chicago TV personality Jennifer Weigel, he claims the only people who benefit from it are celebrities such as Kim Kardashian.

“What a Kim Kardashian brings to a Twitter is worth more than four hundred people with the same amount of followers,” he explained. “So they take what a Kim Kardashian brings to a Twitter. Now in Kim Kardashian’s case, she can turn that and sell cosmetics or a clothing branding or whatever.

“But for people in the middle, I would put people like us, like you and me, in the middle, we don’t get that same exchange. We can’t turn around and get a shoe deal because we are tweeting something. So in essence, Twitter and other social media platforms take and take from something that I build.”

Smashing Pumpkins will play:

Schnitzer Hall, Portland, OR (22)
The Paramount, Seattle, WA (23)
The Masonic, San Francisco, CA (25)
The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA (26/27)
Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, UT (29)
Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver, CO (30)
The Fillmore, Detroit, MI (1)
Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH (2)
Beacon Theatre, New York, NY (4)
Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA (8)
Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA (9)
Lincoln Theatre, Washington, D. C. (10)
Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario (12)
Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL (14)
Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY (15)
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN (16)
Majestic Theatre, Dallas, TX (18)
Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX (19)
Cullen Performance Hall, Houston, TX (20)

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