An Evening With The Smashing Pumpkins – filmed for MTV who had hired the Shepherds Bush Empire out for five nights with different bands playing on each evening. It was an odd gig, as we had camera’s floatin around overhead (which atleast one or two energetic crowdsurfers tried to grab to pull down into the crowd), and their presence certainly distracted a little from the show itself. Although thankfully the Smashing Pumpkins were so good it really didn’t matter in the end.

One of the odd things about the gig is that MTV wanted to get a bunch of crowd shots in that they could use throughout their footage. They did this by trying to get the crowd to “rock out”, “cheer”, or whatever, before the Smashing Pumpkins actually took to the stage. With the film cameras being operated from both the stage as well as those above the crowd. I can’t say that the crowd was really all that receptive to this, but I guess they managed to get some shots in the end. I think it did annoy a few people though.

I’d seen the Smashing Pumpkins at Glastonbury the year before (GIG 337) and they’d been excellent. They brought the same energy they had at the festival to Shepherds Bush Empire and put on a great show. Simon Le Bon (from Duran Duran) even came on for one of the encores!

SETLIST

1. To Sheila
2. Tear
3. Once Upon a Time
4. Crestfallen
5. Ava Adore
6. Daphne Descends
7. Shame
8. Perfect
9. Tonight, Tonight
10. Stumbleine
11. Percussion Solo
12. Bullet With Butterfly Wings
13. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
14. 1979
15. For Martha
16. Night Boat (Duran Duran cover with Simon Le Bon) (Encore)
17. Transmission (Encore)