Ssssh... Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins, or what's passing for them these days, played a secret gig last night in Berlin. It was so secret, of course, to stop James Iha from turning up and spoiling things.

Billy Corgan then held a question and answer session - which, on one hand, is a lovely way of interacting with your fans, but on the other, does have an air of pompousness doing it after the gig - "I expect some of my songs have left you wanting to ask questions. After all, what better way to round off the night than me telling you how I suffer for my art?"

Corgan told the audience that making Zeitgeist, the new album, was "a long, laborious process to perfection", and we fully believe him. Except the bit about perfection, of course. Somebody asked him about the band sort-of-coming back together:

"When the band broke up in 2000 a lot of people were saying it was a bad idea. But I felt we had to do it. Now we had to come back. We believe in the power of intention and prophecy."

We prophesise the new album will be overblown and have a couple of good ideas stretched to breaking point.

Nothing happens anywhere in the world without someone capturing it for YouTube, of course: