Watch: Billy Corgan joins Sammy Hagar & The Circle to perform Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love during surprise jam
At the end of the jam, bassist Michael Anthony declared, “This is for you, Eddie!”
Image credits: (Left) Tim Mosenfelder and (right) Jim Bennett / Getty Images
The Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan joined Sammy Hagar & The Circle on stage last Friday (20 October) for a surprise jam session.
The musician joined the group, which consists of Hagar alongside Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson, on stage to perform a rendition of VH’s ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.
- READ MORE: “They wanted to work 367 days a year”: Sammy Hagar on the Van Halen brothers’ intense work ethic
Footage of the performance, which took place in Hammond, Indiana, was later shared online by members of the band.
“What a surprise to meet/jam with Billy Corgan last night,” wrote Hagar on Instagram. “One talented dude brought even more fun than we were already having. Great night in Hammond, Indiana.”
Bonham also shared a video of their rehearsal with Corgan, and said: “What a great night we had last night! Jamming VH with Billy Corgan, Michael Anthony Sammy Hagar and Vic Johnson.”
Watch the footage from the surprise performance below, and catch Anthony dedicate the special rendition to Eddie Van Halen right at the end:
Back in November last year (2022), Corgan spoke of how it had become challenging for The Smashing Pumpkins to stand out when producing new music in an interview with The Guardian. The alt-rocker shared his belief that fans are mostly interested in their older songs: “I’m not competing against Kurt [Cobain] and Eddie [Van Halen],” he said at the time. “I’m competing against the biggest pop stars in the world with like 14 publicists and 30 writers.”
The band have put out a three-part rock opera album over the last year. The first instalment landed in November 2022, with part II in January 2023, with the third and final part releasing more recently in May.
The Smashing Pumpkins are also set to tour with Weezer in 2024. You can find out more via their website.