Photo: Waisman/FilmMagic
Has it been your lifelong wish to become a member of the Smashing Pumpkins? Billy Corgan is back in the business of making dreams come true, announcing the band will hold auditions to find a new bassist and keyboardist for his ever-changing lineup. Last year Corgan held auditions to replace drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and ultimately hired young musician Mike Byrne. Musicians interested in the two new open slots are being asked to e-mail a resume and performance clips to either pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com. A note to perspective keyboardists: Corgan says he’s looking for someone with a prog-rock background, a la Yes’ Rick Wakeman, so maybe familiarize yourself with Tales from Topographic Oceans.
Though Corgan and Chamberlain offer differing accounts of the latter’s exit — Corgan tells Rolling Stone he axed the drummer in our new issue — no drama led to this new round of lineup changes. Current bassist Ginger Pooley is a new mom and wants to raise her baby off the road, while Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin, who has been playing with Corgan since their Spirits in the Sky project, will stay onboard until a new permanent member is found. “We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process,” Corgan said in a press release, “so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position. As you can see from our past and present, age, race, or a person’s background is not an issue. Everyone is truly welcome to audition.”
In addition to the casting call, the Smashing Pumpkins promise to announce a brand new world tour in the near future. As evidenced by Rolling Stone’s new interview with Billy Corgan, the frontman will have no shortage of things to talk about on the road. Plus, with only th...
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily