LA Times music critic Charlie Amter seems to have more to say about the Smashing Pumpkins' decision to back Guitar Hero than the band did. In his write up of Saturday night's private Guitar Hero World Tour launch party, Amter alludes several times to the band's seeming distaste for both the game and the promotional gig, but never backs it up with any sort of hard evidence that Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has a problem with the rhythm game.
Billy Corgan's message Saturday night to partygoers at a private Guitar Hero World Tour launch party? He is no corporate shill. Sure, the Smashing Pumpkins ringleader cashed the $100,000+ check his band surely received for performing at the bash, which was co-sponsored by Best Buy and took place just blocks away from the Minneapolis-based big box retailer's La Brea Avenue store in a massive sound studio — but that doesn't mean he played nicely.
And then there's this:
Was this the 41-year-old's way of rebelling against "fake" guitar heroes playing the video game on one of the multiple screens set up just steps away from the stage?
And this:
The imposing guitarist played with vitriolic fury during the latter half of the set, as if to show wannabes what a real guitar hero looked like.
OK we get it Amter, you don't like Guitar Hero, but that doesn't mean Corgan has a problem with the game. Smashing Pumpkins play Guitar Hero event, debut new song [LA Times]