What is lost can never be found.

Ryan EAU CLAIRE, US

I lost my innocence while listening to Gish. Well the first two songs at least ❤️ 

Thanks Lol Bro

Bethany Kehoe Saratoga Springs, NY, US

It was 1993 actually. I was 12 years old and I remember coming into my parents house and hearing “Crush” blasting on my 11 year old brother’s stereo. A friend at school had given him Gish by this kick ass ‘new’ band LOL. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He told me it was the Smashing Pumpkins. Long story short, I stole the CD and 28 years later, here I am. He went on to discover Oasis ❤️

“Planned a show, trees and balloons..” A three hour rock marathon at The Forum

Marissa Chicago, US

“Planned a show, trees and balloons..” A three hour rock marathon at The Forum

My very best memory of a Gish song by SP was during the Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour, August 2018. My sister and I flew out to California to see them at the Forum, after seeing SP perform in Chicago, we decided one show wasn’t enough, this was such a special tour and had to experience it again! When SP began performing Rhinoceros, with the visual backdrop behind them showing a timeline series of video clips throughout their musical journey, it was then I became so overwhelmed with excitement knowing at that moment what we were about to experience, a performance of a lifetime! No other concert or performance will ever come close to those nights of the Shiny tour! It was pure magic, memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime and hold on to forever! Now when I hear Rhinoceros I’m brought back to those fantastic nights during the Shiny tour, and relive that magical feeling all over again. 💜

First Pumpkins show 1991

John Davis San Diego, CA, US

Summer of ‘91, the night before Lollapalooza in Denver, my friends called me to go to a club called 23 Parrish to see some band called Smashing Pumpkins ( dumb name, I thought) didn’t want to go as I wanted to get a good nights rest for Lola, but ended up going anyway. Searing Gish set, and got to see Siouxie Sioux, Perry Farrell, and Dave Navarro in the crowd. SP melted my face and I’ve loved them ever since.

Memories

Michael Milk Alamo, TX, US

I remember being 18 in 1994 and my parents sending me to Joliet for the summer. I was so heart broken because I had to leave my first real GF behind. I ended up at the mall and bought gish then Siamese dream on cassette. I heard it 1000 times. I used to go on long sad walks and listen to it over and over. When I got back to Texas, we both became huge SP fans.  It will always have a special place on my heart as do all SP albums. It still takes me back to times when everything was so simple.

College missed opportunity

Scott Rickerson Lockport, il, US

High school in 90/91, listened w/ my Walkman while on my track & cross country runs & meets. All tracks R good, but snail is fav. I saw them play at a chiropractic college gym & my college. I nicknamed my roomie Gish since I got him to like it. Gish met the band. I’m still waiting for my chance.

stuck to the ceiling

Daniel US

I was underage at The Unicorn in Milwaukee. The bar was an overcrowded basement fire-trap with a ceiling so low I could reach up and touch it. I had Gish on CD and was eager to see the band perform the songs live. James Iha came out before the rest of the band and played Bad Moon Rising while the
crowd sang along. When the rest of the band took the stage, the energy blasting
from the speakers turned the crowd into a hot and sweaty mass of lurching bodies. Being
an obnoxious kid, I tried to jump up on people’s backs to crowd surf, but there
wasn’t enough room. So I would end up getting pressed against the ceiling and
held there by the audience. From that vantage point, I had an excellent view of
the stage. Every now and again Billy Corgan would make a comment between songs
about being safe and not wanting anybody to get hurt. I think he may have been
referring to me. Sorry! I didn’t get hurt and I had an unforgettable time!

High school

Andrew Franklin , US

I learned to play guitar from Siamese Dream. MCIS was my soundtrack through high school. I use to eat lunch by myself and listen to this album in the hallway on my Walkman wishing I had a group of friends who would sit with me too. This album became my bible through high school and helped me get through some darker times. I’m now 40+ with a beautiful child and still a huge fan. 

Religion

Jowalt Madimin Rotterdam, NL

Gish. First time. Slightly faster On a ‘ worn out’ tape recorder which caused the higher speed rate. A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 

My story of love

Stefan Bartlome Bern, CH

A beautiful memory…

From dismissing the band based on its name, to becoming a fan for life

Brian Bloomington, IN, US

In 1991 my older brother came home with the Gish cassette. I
looked at the case and saw the band name and remember thinking what a dumb band
name it was, and at 15, I foolishly dismissed them for that reason. My brother
then went up to his room and started playing it. From downstairs, I could
vaguely hear the music, and it sounded so different.  After what seemed
like a few songs, I decided to go to his room and hear more. As I went
upstairs and walked toward his door, I could hear this incredible sound, and
when I opened the door, a song was playing that I would later learn was Bury
Me. I walked in at about 3 minutes in, and I was stunned by what I was
hearing. This guitar solo started (3.26 mark) and I was simply blown away,
and had to sit down. In that short span of 45 seconds it was the most
amazing music I had ever heard and I can honestly say at that moment I became a
fan for life. We listened to the rest of the album and I wanted to stay
and listen to it again, but my brother kicked me out of his room. But from that
point on, anytime my brother wasn’t home, I would go listen to it in his
room. SP instantly became my favorite band and have since seen them 100+
times in concert. I started buying everything I could from them (records,
CDs, posters, & bootlegs). I used to go to the Hillside Holiday Inn Record
Swap and buy as much stuff as I could find. After all this time, that memory of
hearing the band for the first time is so vivid for me, and forever changed my
world.

Rock Werchter 1992 – Belgium

Benjamin Djahanbani Hasselt, BE

Rock Werchter 1992 Smashing Pumpkins were asked to replace Pearl Jam, the 2nd band on the bill that festival day.

I was absolutely thrilled to see PJ and was disappointed to hear they had cancelled.  When I found out the Smashing Pumpkins would play instead I just couldn’t believe it as they were absolutely not known in Europe yet.  I got the Gish cd from my brother who gave it me as a present when he visited 6 months before: “I think you will dig this” and I became a fan from day one.

So all these PJ fans started yelling and booing at the Pumpkins because they were upset until Billy stopped playing and said: “Hey, we could be at home right now, watching tv, so be nice.”

I was 17 at the time and been a fan for 30 years now.

Thank you SP & thank you Billy for making the soundtrack of my life!

X

I love you true.

Pam New Orleans, US

Friday, August 23, 1991. I was 17 and it was my first week at LSU. My friend Jim picked me up from my dorm and when I got into his car “Tristessa” was playing. The guitars, those drums, THAT VOICE. It was the most glorious sound I’d ever heard. I felt like my heart was going to burst. I immediately wanted to change my name to Tristessa. I asked him “who is this?” The Smashing Pumpkins. To this spooky little goth girl who had been obsessed with Halloween since birth (I was even due on 10/31 but was born a few days later) — coolest band name ever. The next morning I walked to Paradise Records and bought Gish and immediately fell in deep, true love. About a month later I found this poster and hung it in my dorm room. I’d light a candle and listen to Gish and stare at this poster and I’m pretty sure it gave me super powers. As I sit here listening to Gish, 30 years later, I still get that heart-bursty feeling. Happy birthday, Gish. You changed my life.

Pink Cadillac

Justin Honolulu, HI, US

The memory i have is so old there is no Youtube clip, or digital memory.  The memory is in ingrained in my mind for history.  This memory is from my first experience with Smashing Pumpkins.  I attended 2 live shows back to back at the Pink Cadillac in Honolulu, HI. After the first show I hung out after the show with the entire band.  Walking the streets of Honolulu with the band.  The concerts burned Gish into my brain and I have never stopped listening.  Now this love of Smashing Pumpkins has been passed to my children.

Leaving College, the rise and fall of me…

Todd Freeland,MI, US

June 1991 I was finishing up my last bullshit classes at Ferris State University and had accepted a systems analyst position at a formidable company.  I had purchased Gish upon release and kept it with me always right alongside Soundgarden’s Louder Than Love and Nirvana’s Bleach CD’s.  Specifically remember playing them while test driving different cars I was going to purchase upon graduation with “The one that got away”.  Long story short, bought a new Camaro, drove it to said formidable job, failed miserably and yes, she got away…  I still listen to Gish and I cannot begin to tell you how many stages of life the songs on that album were there for me and still are.  Thank you Pumpkins, you arrived at just the right time and remain a standard in my life!

Cool

Zakk Mansfield, US

I remember trading my Astro Creep 2000 cd for it.  It was about the same time I got my first electric guitar and I was also reading Billy Corgan’s Guitar World column which had some lessons for “I Am One” and “Siva” in it and I wanted to learn those songs.  Hearing “I Am One” the first time gave me such a rush, particularly the way the drums and bass built up for the guitars to come in.  Over the years Gish became my favorite SP album because it is just so raw and different from the rest of the albums. And to this day I still get the same rush as I did the first time when I hear I Am One.  Very few albums in my collection have stood that test of time.

Trippin’ on Siva

Danny Springdale, US

I was partying with friends, we all had taken acid. I don’t remember alot of that night, but what I do remember is MTV premiered a new video from a new band, the Smashing  Pumpkins. It was the greatest thing I have ever seen. I went and bought the album and after one listen, I knew I had found my new favorite band.

Pisces Pumpkin Head

Cynthia Nashville Tennessee , US

Summer of 93, Gish is playing. Not a care in this world and I’m tripping on acid in a cave with my best friends and high school love. It touched our souls and would stay there forever. The lyrics are etched in my soul and make so sense at the time and years later until now. I had the white t shirt with the red heart on the front. My best friend stole it and took it to college. Pumpkins music and lyrics are mathematical magic to my ears and will always be here for me when I need them. I’m 45 now and I still listen. Every day. I get nostalgic for my teenage years. Your music is what we all really needed at that time in our lives. Rock on!

The first time

Kourtney Arlington, VA, US

Jacksonville, FL. 1997.  hearing/seeing rhinoceros live for the first time. my heart could not contain the emotion this song carried for me. i still swoon every time I hear the opening notes.

daydream in Brussels

Drew Canterbury, GB

A few years back before I was fully into SP, I stumbled into a record shop somewhere in Brussels and walked away with my copy of Gish. I was so excited to spin it, and when I finally was able to- absolutely blown away. Definitely made me a believer in the Pumpkins magic.

Completely Mesmerizing and Utterly Beautiful

Aidan Mangan FARMINGVILLE, US

My first time hearing this album was a few hours ago and I’m still hypnotized by it. There is so few musical projects that have made me feel the way this album does. It is such a beautiful work and this first listen was an incredible experience I will never forget.

My first real concert

Lakisha Green Livermore Falls, US

I went to my first ever concert and it was the Infinite Sadness tour in 1994 in Portland Maine. I have been going to shows since I was little watching my dad and his band play punk rock but the Smashing Pumpkins was my first real concert and I just fell in LOVE. Well his bassist always had this autographed pumpkins license plate and I was always admiring it because that has always been my most favorite band of all time. Years ago a good friend of ours passed away and I went to his funeral, sad and crying. Well my dads bassist walked up to me to give me a hug and he said “I have something for you”. Right then and there I knew what it was! He pulled out this license plate out of his inside jacket pocket and said “I want you to have this because I know how much it means to you”. I was floored. I have lost so much stuff in my life but I managed to hold on to this prized possession! I will always cherish it and proudly have it on display at my house infinitely! 💜

Thank you, Mom

Amelie Little Place, North Carolina, US

My mom has been a Smashing Pumpkins fan since high school (she has actually been to multiple Smashing Pumpkins concerts.) So naturally, I grew up with a great taste in music. I still remember watching the music video for Tonight, Tonight when I was just three years old and being so entranced in the song and the artistry of the video. I am still in love with it today, and it is my favorite music video of all time. Thank you for bringing me so much light in the world. Thank you, mom.

Time Encapsulated

Tyler Modesto, CA, US

This album was the first I ever owned, and bought with my own money. I heard “Bullet” on MTV enough times to cause something in my 13-year-old heart to awaken.

Initially I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t really owned any music up until that point, and had listened mostly to pop music. After about 30 listens later, it became inexorably woven into my adolescent and teen life.

A few months later I would lose my same-aged cousin to a one-in-a-million disease. This album offered me comfort that I wasn’t alone in this world with the feelings that overwhelmed me. I feel fortunate to have been the right age at the right time to allow this music to become part of my life experience.

Happiness

Miguel PT

One sunny day when I was 13, at school the teacher didn’t show up. So me and some of my fellow classmates decided to go to the house of a girl mate who I had a crush that lived close to school to listen to music. She played one of the CD’s first song Tonight tonight and man… the mood became magic. That was the first time I listen to The Smashing pumpkins. Happy days!!!

The road to being my fave band

Luis Valencia, ES

I was 13, and I was playing videogames at my room when I heard a melody on the living room. My brother was watching 1979’s videoclip on the TV. I sat down and listened to it. Next week I watched Tonight tonight’s clip. Three months later I had all SP albums. A few months later I started playing guitar and I’ve never stopped. To this day, a big part of who I am is because of MCIS. Thanks, SP!