Having never seen The Pumpkins live before with the old line up, and being someone who knows everything and nothing about this band, I don’t have much to compare or go on with from previous shows, however , it was one of the most energetic bands I’ve seen this year.
Smashing Pumpkins played to a packed out Wembley Arena crowd, a audience were either people old enough to remember the old era of the band and the young who just enjoy what the band is.  As I stood out among big fans in the second row, the buzz of the atmosphere began to grow as the previous bands built it up, the anticipation was let out as soon as those house lights went down and out came the Smashing Pumpkins.
The band opened with Tonight Reprise which was given a massive reaction and from where I was standing, everyone was going crazy and singing back to frontman Billy Corgan.  A few songs later, they did a cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity which kind of led me to sing louder than the people who were standing next to me, so sorry to them for hearing screechings in their ear.  Other songs that stood out were Disarm and Quasar where Corgan encouraged everyone to sing. In Disarm, he had some difficulties with his guitar , probably a broken lead, but he carried on without making a scene and was professional about it.
A lot of things I’ve noticed through out the gig, and this probably old news to those of who have already seen their previous shows, it seems that the rest of the band were overshadowed by Corgan, they were like background noises to what I could see.
Despite this, Pumpkins put on a brilliant show, and the stage came to life as the background digitalised in to shapes half way through the set. The show ended on a high note with the song, Porcelina of the vast oceans as the encore which is probably the best way to end a gig.

Sarah Tsang

3/5