Billy Corgan’s behavior on 1994 Lollapalooza tour was legendary (not in a good way)

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Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins is known for being quite opinionated about other musicians. While he may not always be correct in his statements, his strong and clear-cut views tend to make him stand out amidst the noise. Just like any artist, he takes pride in his work. However, it’s also essential to consider how one interacts with others, as that too plays a crucial role.

It seems that during the 1994 Lollapalooza, where Corgan and his band were headlining, the singer/guitarist was difficult to get along with, as suggested in the book “Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival” by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour. Many people, not just a few, had issues with Corgan.

Billy Corgan himself admitted that he purposely showed aggression towards fans who reminded him of school bullies. He had pent-up anger and responded in kind to what at times seemed an angry crowd. However, it wasn’t just the paying concert attendees who felt the brunt of his anger.

New book reveals Billy Corgan was extremely disliked on the 1994 Lollapalooza tour

In a candid manner characteristic of him, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, known for expressing frank opinions about fellow musicians, was direct in his recollection of Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Corgan’s behavior during the tour, which wasn’t always pleasant to those involved.

In the book, Coyne expressed that Billy Corgan was incredibly difficult and unpleasant, especially in those days. It was not enjoyable to stay around and witness them. We appreciated some of their music, but eventually found ourselves disliking him. As a result, we would depart immediately following the Beastie Boys’ performance to dodge traffic congestion, as the crowd was also beginning to thin out…Even today, we continue to steer clear of him.

Thirty-one years is a significant amount of time to carry grudges towards someone, yet it seems that’s the lasting impact that Corgan allegedly left.

Originally, The Smashing Pumpkins weren’t intended to be the main act in the tour. Instead, they were part of a lineup that included Green Day and others, with Nirvana headlining. However, just before Kurt Cobain’s death, Nirvana withdrew from the tour, making The Smashing Pumpkins the primary band. Yet, considering Billy Corgan’s behavior, it seems a wiser decision might have been made to select another act as the main headliner.

Kevin Lyman, who eventually established the Warped Tour, remembered Billy Corgan exhibiting harsh behavior towards his guitar technician, Billy Howerdel. According to Lyman, Corgan was downright abusive, frequently hurling guitars at Howerdel and generally behaving in a dreadful manner.

Howerdel explained further by saying, “I was let go during the tour with Billy and bassist D’arcy Wretzky – the sole instance where I’ve been dismissed from a job. I don’t recall any guitars being hurled at me, but there were numerous actions that appeared unhealthy, ones you wouldn’t want to be part of under any circumstances.

It’s possible that Billy Corgan might behave differently now if The Smashing Pumpkins were leading acts on a large-scale tour, but the reality is their fan base has diminished, and they wouldn’t be headliners. Hopefully, this situation has fostered some humility in him.

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2025-04-09 22:30