Live Review: Smashing Pumpkins, The - Monchengladbach 2024

Sparkassenpark, Mönchengladbach, Germany
19th June 2024
The Smashing Pumpkins - “The World Is A Vampire 2024” - Support: Interpol

After a few rainy days, the sun came out that day and made for pleasant temperatures - perfect for an open-air concert. That evening, the US Indie-Rock legends THE SMASHING PUMPKINS visited the Sparkassenpark in Mönchengladbach and brought along the band INTERPOL, also from the States.


Interpol

INTERPOL took to the stage quite punctually at around 7 o’clock in the evening. In their black suits and black sunglasses, the five guys from New York already looked very cool. Unfortunately, due to the bright spotlights behind the band and the still very strong daylight, you couldn’t see much of what was happening on stage from the seats in the back. Even though there was still more than enough space in front of the stage, the audience had fun and celebrated the band. In addition to waving hands, you could also see many people dancing. INTERPOL played for almost an hour and finished by wishing the audience a lot of fun with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos during INTERPOL’s performance. https://www.interpolnyc.com / https://www.facebook.com/interpol

Setlist
01. C’mere
02. Narc
03. My Desire
04. All the Rage Back Home
05. Obstacle 1
06. Into the Night
07. Evil
08. The Rover
09. Pioneer to the Falls
10. Not Even Jail
11. The New

Rating
Music: 8.5
Performance: 7
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 7.9 / 10


The Smashing Pumpkins

At 8.30 pm, the first sounds could be heard from the loudspeakers and a few people could be seen working on stage. When Billy Corgan entered the stage from behind, every fan in the Sparkassenpark cheered. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain and guitarist James Iha, besides Billy also founding members, bass player Jack Bates, guitarist Kiki Wong and backing vocalist Katie Cole spread out on stage. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS opened the evening with ‘The Everlasting Gaze’ and ‘Doomsday Clock’, before the band covered the song ‘Zoo Station’ by U2. No matter which song the Americans played, the fans cheered and sang along immediately. When ‘Tonight, Tonight’, ‘Ava Adore’ or the first lyric “The World Is A Vampire” from ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’ were played, you could even see the fans standing and dancing in their seats.



Although there wasn’t much talking between the songs, Billy Corgan still thanked his fans for coming to Sparkassenpark despite the nice weather and the football match taking place at the same time (European Championship preliminary round Germany-Hungary). The crowning finale was the song ‘Zero’ from 1996, and the fans all left this little journey back in time to the 90s visibly satisfied and with a smile on their faces. https://smashingpumpkins.com / https://www.facebook.com/smashingpumpkins

Setlist
01. The Everlasting Gaze
02. Doomsday Clock
03. Zoo Station (U2 cover)
04. Today
05. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
06. Spellbinding
07. Tonight, Tonight
08. That Which Animates the Spirit
09. Ava Adore
10. Disarm
11. Springtimes
12. Mayonaise
13. Bullet With Butterfly Wings
14. Empires
15. Beguiled
16. 1979
17. Birch Grove
18. Gossamer
19. Jellybelly
20. Cherub Rock (preceded with band introduction by James Iha)
21. Zero

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Total: 8.8 / 10

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All Pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg