The Smashing Pumpkins at the O2 Arena

Billy Corgan, frontman of alt-rock icons The Smashing Pumpkins, opens with an invocation: “You creatures scream.” The crowd eagerly obliges. The Everlasting Gaze from the album Machina/The Machines of God falls roughly halfway between the band’s 36-year lifespan, a fitting first track to signify the vast scope of their career.

Corgan commands the stage with an assured presence, his theatrical black cloak swishing as he patrols his territory. A dramatic outro rises in energy to blend seamlessly with Doomsday Clock’s ferocious initial chords. The Pumpkins follow with a cover of U2’s Zoo Station, technically flawless yet falling awkwardly early in the setlist, eliciting a lacklustre audience response.

This stumbling block is soon forgotten as Today raises everyone to their feet, the first true crowd-pleaser. Corgan could have relinquished his obligations as lead vocalist, allowing the crowd to carry the lyrics in their deafening multitudes.

There’s a distinctly apathetic response to their more recent material, which they wisely spread throughout their sprawling set. The audience is rewarded for their patience with hits like the cinematic Tonight, Tonight and a thunderous rendition of 1979. Such bittersweet moments of melancholy are where the band come into their own.

Original Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain steals the show when it comes to technical prowess. He grounds the band with metronomic precision, yet when cutting loose in Jellybelly, exhibits a delightfully soulful finesse.

With a 90s revival now burgeoning among London’s small venues, there’s a curious disconnect between what’s happening on the ground and the epic spectacle of this arena gig. The crowd is carried on the energy of past hits, lacking the appetite to fully invest in experiencing something new. The only person to display unerring passion for every song is a mohawk-bedecked fan standing front and centre before the stage; a genuinely affecting sight to behold.

Despite a false start to Cherub Rock, Corgan’s tastefully arranged guitar solo quashes all traces of hesitation. A roaring performance of Zero concludes the set, leaving no time for an encore. Such a straightforward ending mirrors the overall feeling that what you see is what you get with The Smashing Pumpkins, take it or leave it.