Video: Guitarist JAMES IHA Rejoins SMASHING PUMPKINS On Stage In Los Angeles

Ex-SMASHING PUMPKINS guitarist James Iha rejoined his former bandmates on stage last night (Saturday, March 26) at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Iha, who celebrated his 48th birthday Saturday, surprised the audience by walking out on stage with guitar in hand and sitting in with the group for alongside PUMPKINS leader Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who is touring with the band for the second time in less than a year. Chamberlin also played on a summer co-headlining run with MARILYN MANSON in 2015.

Iha joined Corgan, Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder and touring members Katie Cole and Sierra Swan in performing songs off SMASHING PUMPKINS‘ landmark 1993 LP “Siamese Dream”, including “Mayonaise”, “Soma”, “Rocket”, “Today”, “Disarm” and “Spaceboy”.

Prior to last night’s concert, Iha last played with SMASHING PUMPKINS on December 2, 2000 in Chicago.

Back in 2008, Corgan posted a lengthy message online at his blog in which he wrote that the original lineup of the SMASHING PUMPKINS will never play together again. When Corgan reformed the PUMPKINS in 2007, it was without Iha and bassist D’Arcy Wretzky. Although fans had speculated about whether the pair would ever return, Corgan wrote: “I can now say definitively that they aren’t ever coming back. Period. There is no maybe. If the door was once open to at least have the conversation and consider the possibility, it is now closed. For good. We have moved on. We love them, and we wish them well. The SMASHING PUMPKINS are now whoever is standing on that stage, on any given day, with a willingness to play those songs.”

Source: Blabbermouth