Billy Corgan has announced a run of UK & European dates for ‘A Night Of Mellon Collie And Infinite Sadness’, an “orchestral & operatic rendering” of The Smashing Pumpkins’ iconic 1995 album.
Following a seven date run at the Lyric Opera of Chicago last year, the iconic frontman will be bringing the show overseas for the first time.
Taking place in September, the show has been composed by Billy himself, and will feature him performing alongside world class soloists and orchestras.
Paying homage to the era-defining album with re-imagined versions of the classic songs, the run will include two evenings at London’s Royal Festival Hall before shows in Antwerp, Paris and Madrid.
Take a look at the full list of dates below.
SEPTEMBER
1: LONDON Royal Festival Hall 2: LONDON Royal Festival Hall 6: ANTWERP Queen Elisabeth Hall (2 Shows) 8: PARIS Salle Pleyel 9: PARIS Salle Pleyel 11: MADRID Palacio Vistalegre
Speaking on the shows, Billy has said:
“The success of translating Mellon Collie into operatic and classical form has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. Where on each of the 7 sold out nights in Chicago we’d finish within the raucous wave of a standing ovation. So to now take it on the road, and to Europe, too says this magical dream doesn’t have to end.”
Conductor James Lowe has added:
“It has been so gratifying to discover how the nuances and layers of Mellon Collie reveal themselves in fresh new ways in these symphonic, choral and operatic settings. To now have the opportunity to perform this work in Europe with world class musicians in such important venues is nothing short of thrilling.”
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Anyone who tells you that a new Social Distortion album isn’t a big deal has no idea what they are talking about. Mike Ness is one of the genre’s longest-lasting figures. It’s been fifteen years since the last Social Distortion album, and a lot has changed in the world. It, in fact, feels like a completely different place, but one thing you can count on is that the sounds of Social Distortion haven’t changed. Mike Ness’s new batch of songs on Born To Kill are reflective of his personal journey through it. While the album doesn’t necessarily progress Mike Ness’s songwriting, I think it can be debated if that matters with a Social Distortion record.
Physical copies of the record are sold as a double LP with three sides. This doesn’t make sense on paper given the record’s forty-five-minute runtime, but will make sense artistically as you make your way through. Like most musicians, Mike Ness has a history of widening the spectrum of genres he pulls influence from while composing his songs. Think of the jump from *Mommy’s Little Monster* to *Prison Bound*. *Mommy’s Little Monster* is a great punk album, while the band’s sound from *Prison Bound* forward is very influenced by Ness’s love for Johnny Cash. There are moments where “Born to Kill” feels like the missing link between “White Light, White Heat, White Trash” and what their music has been missing since original member Denis Danell’s passing in 2000.
The title track, “Born to Kill,” is a fantastic Social Distortion song and opening track. It’s explosive, channeling the 1990s era of this band, which is arguably their strongest. “No Way Out” feeds off that energy and Mike Ness’s ability to channel the rough times in his life with music and lyrics. Songs like “The Way Things Were” and “Tonight” are nostalgic in their lyrics. While Ness has been somewhat open about his struggles, whether health or addiction, the long gap between releases can leave it ambiguous as to what the songs are referring to. However, with “The Way Things Were,” it’s very clear that this song is reflective of his punk rock past.
The second side of this album leans heavily into Mike Ness’s non-punk influences. Fans of Ness’s punk rock songs may be turned off by the band’s cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” As usual, Mike Ness wears his honky-tonk heart on his sleeve with “Crazy Dreamer,” a duet between Mike Ness and Lucinda Williams. This far into his career, Ness is as adept at playing country as he is at playing punk rock. At one point, these songs would have fit on one of Mike Ness’s solo records. However, since the death of Dennis Danell, Social Distortion’s output and Mike Ness’s solo records are one and the same.
For as strong as this record is, the third side is definitely its weakest, with “Walk Away (Don’t Look Back)” being pretty bland, but it also features “Don’t Keep Me Hanging On,” a song leftover from the *White Light, White Heat, White Trash* sessions. As with most of Social Distortion’s songs, there is this throughline of redemption you’d get after getting clean and trying to make amends with those around you and your life. A couple of years back, Mike Ness was given the key to the city of Fullerton, California, where most of this debauchery took place in the 1980s. While the search for redemption continues through the last few songs, by the end of the record, it very much feels like he found it.
“Born to Kill” is a return to form in many ways for Social Distortion. While it doesn’t break new ground, it doesn’t need to. The last two Social Distortion albums felt very experimental for Mike after losing his longest-standing collaborator at the time. Since then, Mike Ness has carved a place in music that is undoubtedly his own. This record feels lived-in and reflective of the many lives this band has had throughout its decades-long career. The long wait between those periods of inactivity where Mike Ness opens the curtain and shows the world the results is meant to be special. This time, it was worth the wait.
