Billy Corgan remains uncertain about whether the footage from the Smashing Pumpkins’ supposed final performance in 2000 will ever see public release.
In a recent dialogue for The New York Times’ Popcast podcast, the frontman was asked whether he might ever share the recording of the 4.5-hour-long farewell show staged at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois on December 2, 2000.
Although some devoted fans speculated that the clip could appear alongside a fully remastered edition of Machina/The Machines of God in August 2025, the concert remains concealed from view.
“We did a 38-song set. The concert was over four hours. It was recorded. It got worldwide play that we were breaking up and I’ve never released the show. It’s in the archives… It just hasn’t felt timely,” he admitted. “There’s a lot of (holy) grails. That’s one of them… I mean, it’s funny ’cause it’s like since the band’s reformed and had eight years of success with the three of us (Corgan, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin), I mean, it feels weird to put out a last show, but it is a legendary show.”
Elsewhere in the discussion, Corgan revealed that he continues to stay connected with a number of fellow musicians, including Chino Moreno of the Deftones, Mikey Way of My Chemical Romance, and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.
“I still think Jerry Cantrell is one of the great songwriters of our generation. I still venerate Jerry. I think he’s amazing,” the 59-year-old shared, adding that his friendship with former collaborator Courtney Love has “been in a good place now for about six years”.
Corgan and The Hole frontwoman briefly dated in 1991.
