The set-up was unorthodox: the “venue” was a bit too intimate, and everyone was forced to sit on the floor. The crowd seemed not to mind, however, and their faces lit up as the band, with new bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, kicked into a cover of David Essex’s “Rock On” to begin the evening.

Fronted by lead singer Billy Corgan, who was clad in a black leather dress, the band followed with “Heavy Metal Machine,” from the new record. At first Corgan’s gritty vocals seemed to drown out the quiet acoustic guitars; eventually, however, thanks to some intense drumming by Jimmy Chamberlain, the song recreated the aural assault of the recorded version.

Billy then told the audience they were going to play “an old song called ‘Crush,”” taken from their 1991 debut, Gish. Singing without a guitar, Corgan led the band through this classic Pumpkins track which is rarely played live. “I Of The Mourning,” another track from their new record, was played next. Here Corgan sings about childhood days spent listening to the radio, longing to hear one’s favorite song.

The ten minute opus “Glass And The Ghost Children” followed, with Corgan singing into his acoustic guitar for vocal effects. After a slew of experimental guitar solos in the epic “Glass...,” the band launched into a modified version of “Today,” whose opening riff is still easily recognizable to anyone who lived through the early nineties.

“Stand Inside Your Love,” the band’s most recent single, came to a grinding halt after about ten seconds, apparently due to an error made by Auf Der Maur. “I just told Melissa she’s fired after the show,” joked Corgan, as the band restarted the song.

Finishing with “1979,” from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Chamberlain picked up an acoustic guitar to accompany Corgan and rhythm guitarist James Iha; the percussion was provided by a drum machine. Corgan roused the audience as he sang “Justine never knew the rules / hung out with you freaks and ghouls,” but the energetic reaction was met with threats from HMV security, who promised to eject anyone who stood up. As a result, the audience left in an orderly fashion when the show concluded, afraid to stick around and shout for an encore.

The crowd dispersed, enriched by an eclectic demonstration of Corgan’s musical brilliance, the band’s flawless chemistry, and the raw energy that has made the Smashing Pumpkins the musical and cultural icons that they are.