Love's OK with Pumpkin Move - By BRUCE KIRKLAND - Toronto Sun


HOLLYWOOD -- Melissa Auf Der Maur's move from Hole to Smashing Pumpkins has 
Courtney Love's blessing -- but the tough Hole co-founder has a blunt warning 
for Pumpkin-head Billy Corgan not to mess with the girl. 

"It was time," Love said in an interview about the Montreal bassist Auf Der 
Maur's leaving her band this fall. "I knew it was going to happen, but it's 
okay. It was the happiest divorce in the history of rock music, I guarantee." 

Love, however, has no love lost for Corgan, with whom Hole worked on their 
Celebrity Skin album. Love is worried that Corgan will ruin the musician 
she helped create. 

"She gave me from 22 to 27," Love said of five years with Auf Der Maur. 
"She's having her Saturn return. 

'Some people die at 27' 

"At 27, I had a baby. Some people die at 27. People need to change at 27." 
Love's husband Kurt Cobain was 27 when he died in still-controversial 
circumstances, although Love doesn't mention him or his suicide by name. 

"My only fear about Melissa is -- here is somebody I really trained in 
some ways, you know. I have a lot of dirt on me, but she's clear and clean 
and incredibly talented. I do not want to see her, after five years gaining 
strength from our relationship, to be male-identified. I'm afraid. 

"When she's wearing shorts and high heels and we're on stage together, we're 
saying something completely different than when Billy's exploiting her as his 
'purse.' She's very smart,and I very much hope she empowers herself and makes 
her own solo record. This is my only concern. 

"It's not a bad thing (for Auf Der Maur to join the Pumpkins). I just want her 
to have the autonomy that I couldn't have. I have this male-identified crap 
thrown at me. Melissa can be above it. 

"I just want to see her do that and not become his handbag, that's all. And, 
if he does that to her, I'll go beat her up." 

Love smiles maliciously. "Oops, no, it's Hollywood now (Love is also an 
actress with a thriving career, including a role opposite Jim Carrey in the 
forthcoming Man On The Moon). I won't beat him up. I'll go talk to him!"