Opportunities for a break on stage are few and far between for a frontman, especially when you’re singing and playing guitar at the same time like Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan apparently thought so too – and used a drum solo by his bandmate Jimmy Chamberlin to strengthen himself with a few chips.
A video of the moment made the rounds on social media. “Chips & dip? Or what is that?” wrote the fan who uploaded the video to YouTube. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a singer munch on stage.” The video is said to be from the Pumpkins’ Oct. 30 concert in Milwaukee.
Other YouTube users celebrated the snacking singer. “This is my favorite Billy Corgan era,” wrote one user. “He dresses like the leader of a cult and just snacks on stage. He doesn’t give a shit.” “Remember when rock stars would take a breather to snort a line of coke?” commented another. “Now they eat tortilla chips for some quick carbs.”
The Pumpkins released their last album to date in 2020 with “Cyr”. In September, they announced their next project, Atum, an ambitious “rock opera in three acts” to follow up on concept albums Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) and Machina/The Machines of God (2000). . The album will contain a total of 33 songs in three acts. Act 1 is scheduled to be released on November 15th, the other acts will follow in January and April 2023. The first single “Beguiled” was released in September.