THE SMASHING PUMPKINS RETURN HOME FOR FINAL SHOWS

October 17, 2000 Angers, France

While in the midst of a tremendously successful arena and stadium tour of Europe and South Africa, The Smashing Pumpkins are thinking of home.

Ending months of speculation after their announcement in May that the band would break up by the end of this year, The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they will return to their hometown of Chicago to say goodbye to their U.S. fans.

With two final shows the band celebrate a thirteen year career in which they have released seven albums, the last "MACHINA II/the friends and enemies of modern music" of which only 25 vinyl copies were produced, and made available for free on the internet; a first for a band of this stature. With the addition of one box set and numerous b-sides, the smashing pumpkins have released 160 songs in total, selling over 25 million records world wide. Since their first show with the lineup of Billy Corgan, James Iha, D'arcy and Jimmy Chamberlin at Metro in Chicago on October 5, 1988 the band has played over 900 concerts in 30 countries worldwide. The Smashing Pumpkins are recognized by Billboard Monitor/BDS as the most played alternative band of the 90's.

The Smashing Pumpkins announce:

Wednesday November 29, 2000
United Center Arena
Chicago, IL

and the show to end where it all began

Saturday december 2, 2000
Metro
Chicago, IL

Tickets for the final appearances of The Smashing Pumpkins go on sale this Saturday October 21 at 12:00 PM noon.

To'net To'net

Vocalist BILLY CORGAN has revealed that, following the imminent split of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, he will release music via the Internet as MP3 files.

As revealed on nme.com in August this year, The Smashing Pumpkins prepared and released a new album, 'MACHINA/The Friends And Enemies Of Modern Music', only via the Internet. They encouraged fans to bootleg the limited edition 25-track record and spread it around the globe in MP3 format.

The album is made up of tracks recorded during the sessions for their last album proper 'MACHINA/The Machines Of God' over the last couple of years.

Only 25 copies of the album were pressed, on a double LP with three 10" EPs, on hand-cut, hand-numbered, non-lacquered vinyl. These were sent to friends and established Smashing Pumpkins fan websites.

Now speaking to the Radio 1 website www.bbc.co.uk/radio1, Pumpkins vocalist Billy Corgan has said that, following the imminent break-up of the Pumpkins, this is how he will continue to release music. He said: "So far it's been a great, amazing and exciting thing. I intend on continuing to release music this way. I'm an alternative artist who straddles the pop mainstream.

"I'm often faced with conflicting issues. In this case, there's no compromise. I do exactly what I want, the way I want. And I don't have to pay anybody and they don't have to pay me."