News 001114-1

The Smashing Pumpkins closed their last-ever world tour in Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday (Nov. 14) night in a venue resembling a massive circus tent.

Not any old tent, but one that is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest movable entertainment venue in the world. "Welcome to this beautiful tent," Billy Corgan told an adoring crowd, still high on a blistering opening set. "The elephants will be out later."

"This is our third last show," he added referring to the Pumpkins' upcoming hometown farewell concerts in Chicago on Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 (allstar, Oct. 17). They will fulfill a promise Corgan made on Los Angeles radio station KROQ in May (allstar, May 23) that the Pumpkins would split for good after their Sacred and Profane world tour.

"After the band breaks up, there'll be a lot of great music to listen to... Britney Spears ... Christina Aguilera," Corgan quipped at the show. "This is the future of rock and roll," he continued once the booing died down. "Don't you forget it. We're lucky to have an audience that wants to rock and dance."

And rock they did as the Pumpkins launched into a take-no-prisoners cover of David Essex's "Rock On" that was welded to "Heavy Metal Machine" with a T-Rex riff that ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur briefly lost track of.

Eight songs and several encores later, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin swapped his kit for an acoustic guitar and joined James Iha, Auf der Maur, and Corgan for a poignant unplugged take of "1979." Then, in an emotional final farewell that included throwing drumsticks, plectrums, and kisses to an ecstatic mosh pit, the Pumpkins were gone for good.