Two of the biggest names all-time in alternative music, The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction have teamed together for massive Australian tour, with their The World Is A Vampire Festival landing in Australia in April.
Set to take over seven cities – Brisbane, Sydney, Ballarat, Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle and Gold Coast – the tour will also welcome Aussie globetrotting punks Amyl And The Sniffers (who won two ARIA Awards in 2022: Best Group, Best Rock Album) as well as Sydney's alt rock, screamo-rap group RedHook, whose debut album 'Postcard From A Living Hell' is set for release in April.Sydney-based fantasy hard rockers Battlesnake (whose chugging riffs, melodic breakdowns and epic wailing vocals need to be heard live to be fully appreciated) will also join the tour at select shows.
To add to the craziness, Billy Corgan's NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) and the WAOA (Wrestling Alliance of Australia) will battle it out in-between sets. There'll also be local acts to open each city (to be announced closer to the tour dates).
Often cited by many bands/ musicians as one of the most influential acts in alternative rock, The Smashing Pumpkins owned the '90s and early '00s with a series of albums that changed the sonic landscape of the era.
1993's 'Siamese Dream' established Billy Corgan and Pumpkins as legitimate stars, with the singles 'Cherub Rock', 'Disarm', and 'Today' soundtracking the lives of youths everywhere.
When 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' landed in 1995 (with 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' singles) Smashing Pumpkins were arguably the biggest underground rock band in the world.
Pumpkins have remained relevant across the last two decades releasing albums regularly including 2018's 'Shiny And Oh So Bright' and 2021's 'Cyr' which featured the singles 'Solara', 'The Colour Of Love' and 'Wyttch'.
The group's 12th album and most ambitious studio project to date, 'Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts' has been released in three separate instalments: 'Atum: Act One' dropped in November; 'Atum: Act Two' has just been released; and 'Atum: Act Three ' arrives in May.
Led by Perry Farrell, Jane's Addiction were another mainstay of the alternative rock scene from the late '80s, becoming one of the first underground acts to crossover to the mainstream with their first two studio albums, 1988's 'Nothing's Shocking' and 1990's 'Ritual de lo Habitual'.
Active throughout almost the entirety of their nearly 40-year career, Jane's Addiction have released four studio albums in total – their most recent being 2011's 'The Great Escape Artist'.
Last August, original member bassist Eric Avery returned to the Addiction's line-up after a 12-year absence with the musician later posting to Instagram: "Today marks the end of our current sessions. Four promising new song ideas.
"Big thanks to you all for all the kind words of support. It leaves me feeling inspired. Honestly. It produces the best kind of pressure, your passion leaves me determined to do all I can for Jane's Addiction."
Perry's influence within the rock world extends far beyond the band and their side projects; he created the iconic Lollapalooza Festival which brought alternative music to the masses from 1991 onwards. This festival was instrumental in creating the culture we recognise and love today.
Jane's Addiction has recently addressed the continued absence of guitarist Dave Navarro, who continues to suffer from Long COVID. "We'd like to address the questions surrounding Dave and the upcoming Jane's shows," they wrote in a statement.
"As a band we are in a great place, writing new music, and the bond is tighter than ever. We all hope Dave can be out playing with us; when he feels healthy and ready.
"For the near future, our brother Josh Klinghoffer will jump in for the upcoming shows on the west coast, South America and some additional international shows to be announced soon.
"We want to thank you for being there with us over these 30 some odd odd years. You know, we're going to keep throwing down for you."
Tickets on sale from 12pm (local time) on 3 February.
Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction 2023 Tour Dates
Sat 15 Apr - Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane)* new showSun 16 Apr - Sandstone Point Hotel (Brisbane)* sold out
Tue 18 Apr - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)* sold out
Wed 19 Apr - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)* new show
Sat 22 Apr - PICA (Melbourne)* new show, moved from Hastings
Sun 23 Apr - Kryal Castle (Ballarat)
Wed 26 Apr - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Thu 27 Apr - PICA (Melbourne)* selling fast
Sat 29 Apr - Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Sun 30 Apr - Broadwater Parklands (Gold Coast)
