Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur is of two minds about
frontman Billy Corgan's decision to split up the Chicago alt-rock
band by the end of the year.
Don't forget she was a
fan of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning group first, before
she was ever a member.
The Montreal-born Auf Der Maur,
ex of Hole, only joined the Pumpkins -- formed by Corgan in the late
'80s -- last fall after original bass player D'arcy Wretzky left.
The group will play their local swansong on Friday at Molson Park in
Barrie when they front the Summersault tour with fest founders Our
Lady Peace and Foo Fighters.
"Maybe I am a little too
close," says the bass player down the line from a "mini-holiday" in
Honolulu earlier this week, where boyfriend-Foo frontman Dave Grohl
was playing a gig. "I mean, I know if I had been from afar, not
involved, it would have been sad. But at the same time I think that
they've survived a lot longer than anyone would have thought.
There's been a lot of opposition to not just the band itself, but
just music. The climate of music is weird. And I think they've sort
of nothing to fret about 'cause they've done so much. It's like a
perfect career if you ask me."
In fact, Corgan's
official break-up announcement -- which came in May during an
interview on L.A. radio station KROQ -- was just the latest drama in
the group's tumultuous history.
Original drummer Jimmy
Chamberlin was only just re-instated for the Pumpkins' latest album,
the hard-rocking, testosterone-fuelled MACHINA: The Machines Of God,
after being fired in 1996 for chronic drug use and involvement in
the fatal overdose of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin.
D'arcy, meanwhile, was arrested in Chicago in January
-- after she'd left the band -- on a crack cocaine bust.
For his part, Corgan told KROQ the Pumpkins were tired
of "fighting the good fight against the Britneys of the world," and
"at the end of our road emotionally, spiritually, and musically,"
after MACHINA's disappointing sales and ho-hum critical reaction.
The album debuted at No. 2 and 3, respectively, on the
album charts in Canada and the U.S., but quickly dropped off.
To make matters worse, MACHINA's commercial and
critical failure followed 1998's softer-sounding Adore, which
spawned the hit Perfect, was nominated for a best alternative album
Grammy and sold three million copies worldwide. It was still widely
seen as a disappointment.
"I think there's probably a
lot of reasons," says Auf Der Maur. "It's a pretty complex thing,
just like ending a marriage or ending a long-term relationship or
pursuit. I mean, in this day and age, bands don't usually last as
long as they have. And over a decade, they've accomplished so much
and I just see it as like a natural progression. I think that this
record (MACHINA) was like a celebration of having Jimmy Chamberlin
back and kind of celebrating all the qualities that they've honed in
on in the past decade. I know other people are saying that he's made
comments about Britney Spears. I assure you, it's much deeper than
that, I'm sure. Maybe he's just playing with people's minds with
that one. I don't know."
It wouldn't be the first
time.
Corgan has never been an easy one to pin down.
And certainly the band has always been his "baby" as
the main songwriter, producer and lead singer-guitarist.
Even as he announced the break-up, Corgan claimed that
there would be at least one more Pumpkins record, basically the
left-over material that didn't make it onto MACHINA.
"He's been fine-tuning some of the unfinished songs
from this past record, 'cause, as usual, they had 10 extra songs or
whatever it was, I don't know the exact number," says Auf Der Maur.
"And he's just been like still in the creative process of finishing
those up."
She says there has been a noticeable
difference in the fans the Pumpkins have been playing to since
Corgan announced he was pulling the plug.
Diehard
fans
"Oh, God yeah," says Auf Der Maur. "We just
toured Japan last month. That's another really, really diehard kind
of fanatical Pumpkins place -- and the tears, and the following to
the airport, and the girls begging for it not to end, it was pretty
intense. Yes, there's definitely an air of like, 'It's coming to an
end and goodbye and thank you for being there.' "
Auf
Der Maur also says she knew joining the group that the split was
imminent so the news wasn't a surprise.
"I knew it was
their last record, their last tour, so I had known from the
beginning," she says. "It wasn't clear -- the exact finishing dates
-- and it's still sort of not exactly clear, but I knew coming into
it that it was like a short commitment, which was ideal for me
'cause I wasn't ready to jump into a whole other multiple-year
contract, musical commitment to anybody."
In fact, Auf
Der Maur -- now a veteran of both Hole and the Pumpkins -- says the
thought of joining yet another band at this point is about the last
thing she wants to do.
"No, even though the Pumpkins
has been a short commitment, it's still like a full-on load, and
history and personalities to take on. It's as if I've been in two
marriages at this point and I don't plan on getting married again,
no. I will date people maybe but no thank-you. It takes a toll. It's
like having two other families or something. It's like, 'Argh!
In-laws!' "
Taking 2001 off
With
the Pumpkins on the road right until the end of this year --
including an extensive European arena tour that will include two
Wembley shows -- Auf Der Maur plans on taking 2001 off and figuring
out how to make music on her own on an eight-track player in her New
York apartment. She also wants to reconnect with her other love --
photography.
However, she does confide that she plays
bass and sings on the much-anticipated new album of friend and
fellow Montrealer Rufus Wainwright, due this winter.
"I've been involved in massive group projects for six
years," says Auf Der Maur. "I went straight from university to
intense group commitments and I've got to admit, I'm looking forward
to freedom and a little bit of my own time and ability to do my
projects. I've learned a lot about songwriting, a lot about playing
and connecting with other people musically and all that. And I think
I just need to turn into myself right now and learn a bit about me."
And, no, don't expect her to hook up with Grohl in any
professional way.
"No, our higher priority is the
relationship," says Auf Der Maur. "I mean we do fun, little things
musically, obviously. Like we've been sitting around learning Tears
For Fears songs on the acoustic guitar. It's fun."
Still, she's glad to be touring across Canada -- when
Hole headlined Edgefest last year the proud patroit Auf Der Maur put
a Canadian flag on her amp -- and with Grohl in particular.
"That's another bonus part of it," says Auf Der Maur
with a giggle. "That was kind of part of the fun plan, too. It's
like I can go across my own country, be on tour with my boyfriend,
not be apart. Yeah."
The Smashing Pumpkins File
Formed: 1989, Chicago.
Current
Members: Frontman Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, drummer
Jimmy Chamberlin and Montreal-born bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur
(replaced original member D'arcy Wretzky.)
Breakthrough albums: The 1993 major-label debut
album Siamese Dream, and the 1995 double opus Mellon Collie And The
Infinite Sadness.
Total Sales: 16.5 million
worldwide.
Upcoming date: Friday as part of
Summersault at Molson Park in Barrie. Others on the lineup are Our
Lady Peace, Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle, The Catherine Wheel,
Treble Charger, Eve 6, Finger Eleven, Sum 41, Hundred Milehouse,
Apex Theory, DJ Serious.
Big news: Corgan
announced plans to break up the band by the end of the year.
QUOTE: Auf Der Maur on the Smashing Pumpkins'
musical legacy: "I don't know, other than just great songs and one
day they'll be on the oldies station and classic rock, that sounds
great to me."
Friday, August 04, 2000
Melissa's Smashing success
Bassist's career completes cycle with
Pumpkins
By JOHN KENDLE
Winnipeg Sun
Melissa auf der Maur's life in music has come full circle.
Just five-and-a-half years after Billy Corgan
recommended that the Montreal bassist replace the deceased Kristen
Pfaff in Hole, auf der Maur is returning the favour by helping
Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins close out their touring career .
"Yeah, it's kinda funny," says auf der Maur from
Hawaii, where she's vacationing before hooking up with Corgan,
guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin in Vancouver for
the Summersault tour.
"It's a perfect way to complete
a cycle of life and to start a new one in 2001 -- and I've finally
fulfilled a musical dream from a long time ago," she adds, referring
to the fact she was initially inspired to form her first band,
Tinker, in part by the Pumpkins' 1991 album Gish.
Though it may have shocked some fans that auf der Maur
left Hole last fall, the 28-year-old says it was her plan all along.
"When I was approached (to join), I said yes thinking
that it would be an education like a college education -- a chance
to learn about a lifestyle, an opportunity to see the world and to
learn more about music -- and I said I would give it five years,"
she says.
"Well, the five years were coming up and by
the time Edgefest crossed Canada last year (Hole was the headliner
on that bill), I knew I would be leaving soon."
Auf
der Maur insists she left Hole without rancour, pointing out that
the band's core of Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson still has no
real agenda for the group's future.
She wasn't left
wanting for a gig for long. In fact, before her decision to leave
Hole had been made public, Corgan had called her -- out of the blue,
she says -- to replace D'Arcy Wretzky, who had been having drug
problems.
When the Pumpkins finally sign off late this
year, auf der Maur has no definite plans -- only a burning desire to
do and create something that is all her own.
"Musically, I've been writing a lot but I want to keep
it pure and minimalist for the moment. I've been working with the
notion of 'must have album' and 'must have hit' for so long that I
want to keep it fresh," she says.
Photography is also
a passion -- she likes to "document something every day" -- so a
photo book is also a possibility, as are gallery shows.
"To be honest, though, I'm in a touring mode right
now, so until I'm actually free of this commitment I'm not exactly
sure what direction I'll go in. All I know is I'm looking forward to
it."
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