VIRGIN HOTEL — Fans brought questions, and Billy Corgan and Marilyn Manson had all the answers.
The two titans of 1990s rock — who both recently released new albums — held a fan/news conference Monday at the Virgin Hotel, 203 N. Wabash Ave., in promotion of their upcoming tour together this summer.
Armed with microphones and a squeaking cat toy Corgan brought along, the duo delivered insights on what they might do at their Northerly Island show in August. Each show between Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins will end with songs performed together, and Manson already has one closer in mind: a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
Guests were allowed to ask Corgan and Manson anything, affording the rockers the opportunity to impart lessons they've learned living under the bright lights of the recorded music industry. It's a role they apparently know well:
A fan just thanked Manson for giving him heartfelt breakup advice at a prior meet n greet. Said it helped + he's better off now.
— Emo Night Shyamalan (@jaimeblack) May 19, 2015Here's some more wisdom from Corgan and Manson. The discussion was moderated by Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club:
On their friendship
• Manson: "We hadn't seen each other in 15 years and we were so close all the memories came rushing back."
• Corgan: "The relationship we had as friends we still have today, which is strange. I don't have that with a lot of people."
On nostalgia
• Corgan: "These days everyone expects a Greatest Hits concert. The key is to find a balance between the stuff you should play ... your most famous songs and new work that's really strong ... I reject the generational malaise that believes people like [Manson and I] still can't make great music."
On preshow rituals
• Corgan: "I warm up for 40 minutes singing."
• Manson: "I listen to music for three hours," — including Justin Timberlake.
"I like 'Only When I Walk Away.' It's very sassy and bluesy," Manson said
On connecting with fans at shows
• Manson: "Sometimes I just have lights in my eyes so I don't see the audience. I'm not good at parties, not good at talking to people, so I made music."
• Corgan: "It feels very orderly and safe at times. You're objectified. Our job is to pierce that objectification ... People like us aren't supposed to be defeated by your phone, but we are."
On Imagine Dragons
• Manson: "I put on Imagine Dragons when something p****s me off. I like it, but I hate liking it so I put it on to p*** off everyone else in the room."
On hipsters
• Corgan: "I've hated hipsters since the '80s. I hate any group that's parochial, that decides what's cool and what's not. That's antithetical to what I believe in."
On success
• Corgan: "Success to me is about singularity and whether you can do something about it in a consistent way ... the greatest power any artist can have in the world is your voice and the singularity of it."
On their legacies
• Manson: "I won't care when I'm dead."
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