Yeah sure, the world is a vampire, and has been since at least 1995, but it’s far more tolerable when attending music festivals. And especially when the headliner brings on a special guest to close the whole thing out with a classic cover that makes headlines.
That’s what happened over the weekend when Smashing Pumpkins kickstarted The World Is A Vampire festival in Mexico City, a one-day launch affair that featured Interpol, Turnstile, Chelsea Wolfe, Deafheaven, Peter Hook & The Light, and others. To end the day’s festivities, Hook joined Billy Corgan and Co. on stage — a “Co.” that includes The Light’s Jack Bates, Hooky’s son and the Pumpkins’ touring bassist — to cover Joy Division’s classic track “No Love Lost.” Watch fan-filmed video of the performance below, and check Bates’ own double-duty iron-man setlists.
After the weekend launch in Mexico, The World Is A Vampire now shifts to Australia for 10 dates, with the Pumpkins bringing out Jane’s Addition, Amyl & the Sniffers, and others. We’ll see if it eventually makes its way to North America.
In the meantime, Corgan is currently rolling out chapters to the new Pumpkins album, Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, with the next installment arriving April 21.
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