Watch Willow join The Smashing Pumpkins on stage for ‘Cherub Rock’
Alternative rock masters The Smashing Pumpkins have teamed up with one of the most prominent young proponents of the genre, Willow, for a performance of 1993’s ‘Cherub Rock’.
The duet occurred during the final show of The Smashing Pumpkins’ lengthy ‘Spirits on Fire’ tour, which they co-headlined with Jane’s Addiction. The tour saw the groups perform on 32 dates across North America, starting in early October before ending on Saturday (November 19th) at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Towards the end of the show, Willow joined Billy Corgan and the rest of the band on tour to tear through ‘Cherub Rock’, taking on guitar duties. It was guitarist James Iha who introduced her appearance to the crowd, with Willow promptly emerging on stage with her axe at the ready, adding to a thunderous lineup that already featured Corgan, Iha and Jeff Schroeder.
Earlier this month, Corgan said he was surprised that Jane’s Addiction opted to release a live album as their debut instead of a studio effort. Appearing with Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell for a discussion on Live Nation’s 1:1 video series, it was revealed by Farrell that the band forced the deal to deliver 1987’s Jane’s Addiction as a live recording.
Corgan is a lifelong fan of Jane’s Addiction and remembered when Smashing Pumpkins opened for them in 1988, around the time that Nothing’s Shocking was released. “I think I saw you live even before I heard the record,” he explained, adding that it’s a “cool” experience few fans can claim.
“That’s why the first record I wanted people to ever hear from us was a live record,” Farrell replied, revealing that he told the label Warner that his band would only sign with them on the condition that their debut was a live album.
“I didn’t know that,” expressed Corgan. “I always thought – you know, typical musician brain – I thought you guys did it because it was a sort of quicker and easier way to make a record. You know, I didn’t know that you’d asked for that.”
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