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Billy Corgan: I’ll Piss On Pompous Radiohead

Billy Corgan: I’ll Piss On Pompous Radiohead

Yup, there’s a new Smashing Pumpkins record and Billy Corgan’s doing interviews blasting Radiohead and Jonny Greenwood.

Speaking to Antiquiet the Smashing Pumpkins frontman said he will piss on Radiohead: “I can’t think of any people outside of Weird Al Yankovic who have both embraced and pissed on rock more than I have. Obviously there’s a level of reverence, but there’s also a level of intelligence to even know what to piss on. Because I’m not pissing on Rainbow. I’m not pissing on Deep Purple. But I’ll piss on fucking Radiohead, because of all this pomposity. This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in.

“Is Ritchie Blackmore a better guitar player than me and Jonny Greenwood? Yes. Have we all made valuable contributions? Yes. I’m not attacking that. I’m attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I’m sick of that. I’m so fucking sick of that. I’m so fucking sick of it and nobody seems to tire of it.”


Radiohead news on this day..


  • Danfarrellydf

    One of the only gigs I ever walked out of funny enough because he was up his own swiss

  • gpeddino

    Gratuitous comment. Too bad his band ceased being actually relevant more than ten years ago, while Radiohead was simply releasing Kid A. I suppose he’s just jealous.

  • NC

    Comparing Thom Yorke´s voice vs Billy Corgan, its like comparing a Ferrari vs a wheel chair.

  • Koop112

    WHO CARES> smashing pumpkins are a shell of what they once were, and they haven’t done shit for over a decade. meanwhile, Radiohead continues to sell out the largest venues in the world, put on the best shows in the world night after night, and has the most cutting edge technology and lighting effects. corgan loses his reputation as a former rock star and renders himself a sideshow act with comments like this. sorry billy, your old news.

  • MattyDC

    what a loser. one of the most ridiculous comments i’ve ever heard. it doesn’t even make sense. the bottom line is no musician should ever talk shit about another one, whether they like them or not. its called class, and billy clearly has none.

  • Monsieur Croche II

    Who or what is this even aimed at? There’s no pomposity in making a value judgement, provided that whoever is making it knows what they’re talking about. Which Billy clearly doesn’t, or else he was pissed at the time.

  • http://twitter.com/djphillygnyc DJ Philly G

    When do we get to the part where Billy Corgan actually says “I’ll Piss On Pompous Radiohead”, because I can’t seem to find it.

  • Asdsa2

    Who is this person out there saying that Johnny Greenwood is ‘more valuable’ than Ritchie Blackmore? Tell them to stop so Billy Corgan can relax.

  • Vie Cooper

    Pfft, who made music a bitter pissing contest? Because of this attitude, they’ve already lost.

  • Loungefly123

    Somewhere around the part where he says, “But I’ll piss on fucking Radiohead, because of all this pomposity.” I’m sure it’s somewhere there.

  • Yours Truly

    Whatever he meant, it sounds like sour grapes when he’s releasing new music and complaining about the level of pomposity and reverence in relation to other bands. And what is Radiohead supposed to do about it? Make a statement that they’re not as valuable as Rainbow? They don’t control what is said about them any more than Billy does. Maybe he should put his head down and work on his music instead of giving everyone more proof that he’s a whiner.

  • CPO
  • flo-fighter

    Trying to get (much needed) attention by any means…….so sad. Now he’s pissing on his own heritage.

  • jonnyopinion

    Who the fck is Ritchie Blackmore?
    Notice how Radiohead never promote a new album by desperately slagging off somebody else to get attention from the press. This is because they have class whereas Billy Organ is a charlatan.

  • nsfw

    In the Radiohead news on this day.. Four years ago Gene Simmons said Radiohead live shows are boring.
    Whats really boring is Gene Simmons bass lines with shit blowing up around him.

  • http://twitter.com/reboho reboho

    You would think that a pompous ass like Billy Corgan would be able to recognize pomposity when he sees it. I’m guessing he looked in a mirror that had a Radiohead sticker on it and became confused…

  • Wouldn’tYouLiketoKnow

    Billy is bitter. Didn’t he used to like Kid A?

  • _john_

    Maybe Billy Corgan should urinate on this “value system” he speaks of, rather than Jonny. Radiohead isn’t pompous; Corgan’s statements are…perhaps he is just feeling under-valued because he hasn’t done anything of much interest in a long time.

  • Dcioffi1021

    He and Noel Gallagher should get smoothies one day.

  • Anonymous

    “Billy Corgan accused Radiohead of being pompous. Talk about the pot calling the kettle melon collie and the infinite sadness.”

    - @HeyItsLiam

  • Avindra Goolcharan

    He’s just mad because his voice is effeminate and Smashing Pumpkins lost any relevance they may have had.

  • Jonny Tessada

    maybe Jonny is better than Ritchie Blackmore… and what ? what happened to the free expression ? I think that Smashing Pumpinks is the gayest band on Earth!

  • Underhillfarmsde

    What sort of grown man whines like that?

  • Prachi Gauriar

    I think this article is misrepresenting things a little. Going back and reading the interview, he’s talking about how people “telling him who is,” which I think boils down to the attitude of “I’m some important musician” versus “you’re just some wanking guitar player.” We as fans are guilty of it, as is Radiohead — I’ll refer you to Thom’s comments about ’90s American alternative music sounding like a buzzing fridge (http://radiohead1.tripod.com/band/thomquotes.htm) or his episodes at the Grammy’s snubbing other artists that approached him. Billy is guilty of it too, of course.

    But the (admittedly convoluted) statement has little to do with Radiohead. I don’t even think the adjective “pompous” is modifying Radiohead. I think it’s describing people on the internet/media/etc. who say driven psychedelic rock/metal/guitar solos/whatever à la the Smashing Pumpkins is passé and dumb but Radiohead is great because it’s intelligent and important and pick-your-adjective. Billy’s response is, “Says who? How is that statement productive?”

    Anyway, you’d think Billy would have learned how to articulate these things better by now. He’s a smart guy, he knows what he’s talking about, and he actually says things that no one else is willing to say. Unfortunately, he tends to look like a jackass because he hasn’t figured how to say things without being totally abrasive.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=673038370 Noah Barker

    im a huge SP fan… and an even bigger radiohead fan… but i billy should just keep stuff like this to himself. I agree he may be a bit jealous. and they havent done squat worthwhile since meloncollie… so…. ya know.

    its like im falling out of bed from a long and weary dream.

  • Justyn

    Corgan, you need to focus more energy on your music than your opinions, cause Mellon Collie was the last record u made that we enjoyed, thanks

  • Andrejs Kuceruks

    Looks that Corgan adopts Gallaghers’ PR “strategy” for the new Pumpkins record promotion. Sadly..

  • Jmastorino

    Hold on. Before we all get butt-hurt here, Billy Corgan is not attacking Radiohead or Jonny Greenwood, he’s really just criticizing the critics, the fans, the music sites, and the overall sense of pomposity that they all have when it comes to music. Sure, his comments were a bit crude, but you have to agree with him to some extent about these certain perceptions of musicians. People are almost too afraid to criticize anyone anymore. Or maybe it’s just the opposite? Either way, I think Billy is a genius, Jonny is a genius, and mild comments that people take things too seriously is not the kind of “pissing” that warrants any controversy. Who’s with me? Go Radiohead! Go Smashing Pumpkins! Radiohead will always be my favorite, but I can’t forget about the genius that once was the Smashing Pumpkins.

  • Elliottsmith001

    Corgan = Bald Jealous Bastard.

  • Kabuto

    Well… I would say it’s like comparing a wheel chair vs another wheel chair.

  • Vince

    So Billy is upset because people like Jonny, and never heard of Ritchie Blackmore? That it? Did I get that right? FUCK off baldy.

  • fredfranz

    its all about the rock and roll baby!

  • obscuredkida

    100% agree, it seems like more of a commentary on the nature of people/critics to label one thing more valid than another… and yes, i can’t forget that genius either.

  • Bla

    i don’t see why this has made it on here. this is no newsworthy.

  • Reason

    I don’t understand why this matters. I doubt anyone in Radiohead are… delusional.. is delusional a good word to use… anyway -delusional- enough to think that there is some sort of value system. UNLESS of course Mr. Corgan is saying that there IS no value system just as there is no spoon. This quote sounds like an attack on Radiohead, but the last few sentences almost sound like an attack on a ‘value’ system. Who knows… guy didn’t explicate enough

  • Calin

    Radiohead will always be a few steps ahead of us… of the times we live in. So, to really apreciate what they are doing is not easy. Billy Corgan is a really good musician and he has the right to express his opinion.. just like any other person. But it is impossible for me to say that he is better than Johnny Greenwood. I just can’t.

  • surfling

    i had the displeasure of working on the first smashing pumpkins tour in germany and billy corgan was a spoilt sad wanker even then… way to go billy!

  • BillyCorganNeedsAFlanInTheFace

    Pomposity? Really?

    On the list of pompous rock stars, Jonny Greenwood is right near the bottom. Bill Corgan on the other hand…

  • http://corbucorbu.com/ gravvves

    Yes Billy, Jonny Greenwood is such a dick. I’ve never seen anybody talk shit in interviews more than him, blasting other musicians like a jealous brat and acting superior out of obvious (and justified) insecurity. And he hasn’t made anything relevant, critically or popularly, since the 90s and gets sadder with each attempt to recapture his former success.

    OH WAIT THAT’S YOU BILLY. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT YOU.

    *the smashing pumpkins were of my favorite bands of all-time. in the 90s. you’re either growing and evolving or you’re dying, and corgan has been dying and dying and dying for almost as long as any of us can remember. just fucking go away and let me listen to pisces iscariot in peace.*

  • http://corbucorbu.com/ gravvves

    nah, he said “i’ll piss on fucking radiohead.” fuck ‘em.

  • http://corbucorbu.com/ gravvves

    again, i say that as both a lifelong pumpkins fan and radiohead fan. i’d lose respect for anyone in radiohead under the same circumstances.

  • carson

    Blowing a bunch o’ hot air — shave yer head and go piss on yer shoes, Mr. Corgan

  • Anonymous

    Well, I never listened to Smashing Pumpkins much because their music seemed so uninteresting. Now it turns out I have a far better reason to ignore them. What a self centered loser. If Radiohead has done anything to piss him off, that’s all in his own bald head.

  • http://twitter.com/helly1080 Jordan Hansen

    Despite all his rage Billy Corgan is still just a relic in a cage.

  • Listener

    “Selway, you’re next”

    http://bit.ly/L1onJo

  • wonderdog

    ritchie blackmore was great. deep purple made in japan. blackmore’s rainbow rising on stage. listen to all that. I always dug smashng pumpkins, especially Gish, and all RH, but Corgan makes a good point, but really is the point about comparing everybody to Ritchie Blackmore? neither of them are really doing anything in the same ball park.

  • Shhh

    He says this while sounding pompous as hell. He joins the list of lames that bash Radiohead thinking it makes them cutting edge. When we look back thirty years from now Radiohead will be considered one of the greats, Smashing Pumpkins in their prime will be considered as a very good act, and no one will remember anything Corgan did after the original band split. And yes I do think Greenwood is better musician than Blackmore – though they are both good for different reasons. I guess someone having a musical opinion is a clear sign of pomposity.

  • Hedley

    Very sad, running around with a revival band and doesn’t have the talent to back up his aspirations.

  • rico paulson

    this is funny. ritchie blackmore is good yes, but this is the 21st fucking century..i am all for worshiping the greats..but you got to move on. that probably explains why corgan is stuck in 1995.

  • SIMON

    WHY DON’T YOU JUST FIND ANOTHER CAREER,MAYBE MCDONALDS,ALL RADIOHEAD FANS LOVE THEM,BECAUSE THEY WRITE AND MAKE BRILLIANT MUSIC-UNLIKE YOURSELF……

  • SoccerHoolie75

    Sorry sir. Although I’ve yet to go to a live Radiohead show, I’ve seen enough recent performances of the band online to know that they do not put on the ‘best live show in the world.’ That honor belongs to Sir Roger Waters with his recent world tours of ‘The Wall.’ The Wall Live is truly unrivaled in every conceivable way, and I’d be hard pressed to even speculate that there could be another performer or group of artists to put on quite the spectacle he has even 10 years from now. Believe me, I like Radiohead as much as the next person and even own a considerable amount of their albums on vinyl, but there is a degree of pretentiousness about the band that does seem to be a flaw however minor. Radiohead can be considered the most innovative band of the present generation, but better than Pink Floyd??? No Way.

  • john

    billy is right peoples that judge about musicians are not musicians and say all bullshit 99% of time. He is right to say that .Radio head is overated and thom yorke too this band who listen to them? depressives peoples? best band in the world radio head? no way

  • john

    Billy have a big ego like all musicians but 90% of time in what he say he is right .

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