Act IV is not a band itself, but the project organizers have elicited demos and performances by bands/artists from all over the world like...
-The currently featured Zeitgeist contest artists: The Change, with their cover of "Death From Above" and their original song, "Friends" from their 2nd EP, Middle of Now-it features some Jimmy Chamberlin M-Audio drum loops (They are from Massachusetts)
-Alan Falsetti, with his acoustic cover of "Tarantula", he is from Brazil
-This Week in History (AKA The Saints Collapse) who cover "Daphne Descends" on Ghost Children 2 (they are from Vancouver, BC, Canada). They are our featured artists from the Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies compilation.
-Kill Hannah, with their cover of "Snail" live at Act IV 2001. They are from Chicago and headlined the show. We apologize that this recording has a couple of mini-disc skips in it, hence why it says "cut" in the title on the player.
-Analogue, a band from San Francisco, California, with their original song, "Alone". It is off the short-lived Act IV originals compilation, "There is More to Life...".
Influences
The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan, Zwan, James Iha, The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, Auf Der Maur, Starchildren, Audio Vanguard Association.
Please help us spread the word about Ghost Children/friends and enemies by posting this image on your myspace, perhaps with a short explanation. In order to help the charity out, we need everyone's help, as we are not a label with a big marketing machine.
Sounds Like
Click the picture link above to learn more about and purchase the Ghost Children 2/friends and Enemies compilation.
This CD includes covers of classic Pumpkins tunes by 13 different original artists from around the world. All profits from the sale of this CD go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.
If you like what you hear, you can also purchase the Ghost Children/Friends and enemies compilation by clicking on the 'add to cart' button below. It is only $10 USD! You can pay by credit card or in some cases, E-check (through a bank account). If you have to pay by money order instead, contact us. Ghost Children 2 Music Video Contest Winner: James Hori. The video is for The iO's cover of "Set the Ray To Jerry". The video is an edited montage of images from the film, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", made to go along with the music. This video is meant for entertainment, not commercial release.
To find out more info about the contest, and see all the other videos that were submitted, please go to ThePumpkins.net. To pick up a copy of Ghost Children 2/friends and enemies, please go to the Act IV site.
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Below is a sampling of some of the live performances from the second Act IV concert on July 5, 2002 at Metro. There are both covers and originals, from all 7 bands. More to come. Some are from our Youtube, and some are from this Myspace (more in the vids section).
The organizers of Act IV also run a fan site called Landslide on that fan site, we have an internet radio station through Live365. But now internet radio is in jeopardy. Click the image below to see how you can help:
"Very Cool"-Mike Garson, former touring keybordist for The Smashing Pumpkins
"These songs are blowing me away.......When I hear these songs I almost feel like I'm hearing them for the first time, and I'm getting that deep emotional connection to the songs again"-Will (Waterloo, ON)
What Billy Corgan has said about the Act IV concerts: "This concert is in the true spirit of why we started The Smashing Pumpkins"-Billy Corgan at the first Act IV (July 7, 2001)
"..I can't say enough good things about this last week...I always
felt we had the greatest fans in the world, but now I am convinced...hopefully july 7 can always be a day where we celebrate the history of the band and take time to reach out and help others..."-Billy Corgan on SP's official message board (July 15, 2001)
Below is a playlist of 30-45 second samples of each track on the Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies charity compilation that we put together with the help of other SP fans. To buy the entire compilation, please go to the Act IV site or use the add to cart button on lower left hand side of this myspace page :). All profits from the sale of Ghost Children 2 go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
To people wishing to add us as friends:
We appreciate all the friend requests but please only add us if you have some actual interest in SP. We are looking to meet: fans of The Smashing Pumpkins, bands/artists influenced by SP, and related artists to the band. Now if you don't have a personal myspace but like SP and the projects that we have done/are doing that were inspired by SP, then by all means add us. Why the restrictions? Well it is mutually beneficial for all of us to have a starting point or common bond, rather than simply adding to eachother's friends count ;) Also, if its unclear what Act IV is all about, please read the short FAQ below before posting a comment. Also, if you are already on our friends list, and know some real Pumpkins fans that would like what Act IV is all about, send them in droves please!
****Act IV Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)****:
Is Act IV a band/musicians?
No Act IV is not a band or set of musicians itself. There are several instances on this myspace alone that illustrate that we are not a band: the photo gallery that includes bands like Alluvion from Kentucky who recorded a cover for our Ghost Children 2 compilation, or a somewhat more well-known band, Kill Hannah, from Chicago, who headlined the first Act IV show; a video playlist from 7 different artists/bands from across the world that performed at the Act IV 2002 charity concert in Chicago, and there is a playlist of 30-45 seconds samples from the Ghost Children 2 compilaton on this page, listing both the track name and the band/artist who performs that cover.
Think of it this way. The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, and Hooverphonic were a few of the several bands that appeared on the For The Masses Depeche Mode tribute compilation. We all know they are distinctly different bands from across the globe. The bands involved in all the Act IV projects are similarly distinct and from across the globe, and the 2 Ghost Children compilations would be akin to For the Masses, but for SP and for charity.
If Act IV is NOT a band, then what is it?
Act IV is the name of a project started back in December 2000 after the original break up of the Pumpkins. The original aim of this project was to have a 'for the fans, by the fans' tribute charity concert at Metro in Chicago. To achieve this, the organizers invited fans to submit demos, and 7 bands/artists were ultimately selected for the concert on July 7th, 2001. The Chicago mayor's office declared it Pumpkins day in honor of SP's achievements (just like they did in 1998 for SP's hometown stop on their charity tour). A follow-up concert was also organized, which took place on July 5th, 2002 at Metro.
So, are these bands/artists cover bands?
With very few exceptions, the vast majority of the bands/artists are NOT cover bands. The aim of the Act IV organizers was to not only to pay tribute to SP, but to promote new music. To this end, they encouraged artists to perform their own original songs, in addition to cover songs. This is why this Myspace page and the Act IV site don't just have SP covers on them
The Act IV concerts are on the same kind of wavelength as the First Waltz or Bridge School Benefit shows. Many different bands coming together for a good cause to play cover songs and/or original music.
Has Act IV done anything other than concerts?
Yes, there have been a few CD projects in Act IV history. In 2001, a UK fan, Neil Main got Act IV's blessing to produce a tribute charity compilation called Ghost Children, which was sold originally at the first Act IV concert. In 2002, Act IV released a best of live CD, Still Coming Together, which included the best tracks from the original Act IV show in 2001.
More recently, Act IV self-released a DVD set of the Act IV 2002 show in 2005. And finally, they released Ghost Children 2/friends and enemies, another charity tribute compilation on November 17th, 2006. The last two releases are currently on sale at the Act IV site, while the first two are sold out but available for free download.
Also, way back in 2002, we released a compilation entitled, "There is More to Life". This was only available through mp3.com, and was short-lived. It included originals songs by a variety of artists, including artists who appeared at Act IV, on other CD projects, + some who simply had submitted demos to us previously. For the next little while, we will be offering tracks from that CD as free downloads at our myspace.
Ok, so can I buy Ghost Children 2 and the Act IV 2002 DVD on eBay, iTunes, Amazon, or at my local CD shop?
Unfortunately you cannot buy either item at any of those places. For example, in order to sell the Ghost Children 2 CD at most of those places, we would have to pay additional royalties for each country we sold the CD in. Also, each country has different royalty guidelines, so it is much too complicated for a limited edition release made by a small group of SP fans. Meanwhile, each copy of the Act IV 2002 DVD set is made by special order, making releases through other shops impossible.
The only place you can get either item is at the Act IV site. We have set up Paypal buttons to purchase each item but if you don't have Paypal, you can also arrange with us to pay for either item with a money order/bank draft (usually you can get these at banks/post offices). Of course, all profits will be donated to charity
Will their be another Act IV concert or CD project in the future?
During 2003 and 2004 attempts were made to put together a third and final show, but without a major headliner, the show was unable to go forward. The chances of any sort of Act IV concert are slim due to the official return of The Smashing Pumpkins. As for another Ghost Children CD, the chances of that happening anytime soon is unlikely.
Do you or have you ever toured?
Well since it is so difficult to put together one show, never mind a touring festival, we have never 'toured'. Also since Act IV is not a band, we can never tour ourselves technically.
If you want to know if a particular artist or band who have performed at an Act IV show or appeared on one of the CDs is having a show near you, that's a different story. Some of these bands are still around, so feel free to check out their myspaces or websites for tour info. If you need help with that, just ask :).
Where can I find information about a musician(s) that has appeared at an Act IV show or on one of the CDs?
Many artists involved in Act IV projects, especially the recently released Ghost Children 2 CD are on our Top 32 on this myspace page. Click on their profiles, and they usually have original music on there or on their websites. You can also check out the Act IV site for bios, music and/or videos from artists who performed at the two Act IV concerts, as well as artists who made the shortlist for the canceled Act IV 2003 show, as well as links, podcasts, and feature articles for the artists on the Ghost Children 2 charity compilation.
I really like that track, who performed/recorded it?
When a particular track is playing on the music player, below the artwork on the left-hand side, you will see 'by [insert band name]'. For example, the cover of "Today" up this week says 'by Death Rawk Boy', and indicates that it is from the Ghost Children 2 compilation. If you want to check out original music by Death Rawk Boy (listed under his new moniker, John Nels), you can click on his image on our Top 32. If you want to check out more of Ghost Children 2, you can check out the Act IV site.
You will also note that on occasion we will listed each band/artist up this week under the inappropriately labeled heading 'band members'. Among other things, we also list where these bands/artists are from. This week there are artists/bands from Owensboro, Kentucky; Paris, France; Toronto, Ontario and Berkeley, California.
Where can I find videos from the Act IV concerts?
For the first Act IV concert, there are a few short clips taken by a regular digital camera available on our website (and a couple mirrored here). Long story short, the source tapes of the entire concert were evidently lost in the mail on their way to us a few years ago.
As for the 2nd concert, we have mentioned there is an Act IV 2002 DVD. But if you want to watch some of the videos, you can look at them on our Youtube, as well as here on our myspace (different videos of course). For many of the live performances from that show, we have also compiled them from those various sources into a playlist embedded here on the Act IV myspace. These include originals and covers by all 7 bands that performed at the show. For example, we have Rob Paterson's (from NY) original "Let Go" (which includes a tease of "Ugly"), and Ketamine's (from South Africa) cover of "Disarm" from the show among many others. So hopefully seeing these videos will lay to rest any rumors or misconceptions that Act IV is some sort of 1000 piece supergroup that spans the globe lol
Has Act IV or any of the musicians involved in the projects made money off this?
No, none of the Act IV organizers, volunteers, or musicians involved in any of Act IV's projects have ever made money directly from any of these projects. Inspired by the Pumpkins 1998 charity tour, the organizers have and continued to donate all profits (if any) from their projects to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois
Are any of The Smashing Pumpkins, past or present, affiliated with Act IV?
No, none of the current or ex-members of The Smashing Pumpkins are directly affiliated with Act IV or helped organize it. The only connection the band has to the concert is Billy's attendance at Act IV 2001; he was also asked to choose the charity for the show by Metro owner, Joe Shanahan, in order to represent the band's interests. Billy Corgan chose Make-A-Wish Foundation, which he supported with the Pumpkins during the Chicago stop of the 1998 Adore Tour. The charity was on our shortlist of options due to the band's prior support of Make-A-Wish.
Are you guys from Chicago?
No, the main organizers of Act IV, Steven and David Pukin are not from Chicago. We originally organized the Act IV concerts long distance from Hamilton, ON, and traveled to Chicago for the shows. Steven is currently in Toronto, and David only recently moved temporarily to Chicago to pursue a Masters degree. Some of the volunteers and musicians that have helped with our projects have been from around the Chicago area though.
Disclaimer: All music and pictures on this site have been cleared with the owners/artists involved in creating them. Currently most of the music featured on this page are original songs from bands involved with Act IV, and the occasional Smashing Pumpkins cover by these artists and bands. Again, these are not 'tribute bands', but original artists who were inspired by the Pumpkins and we encourage you to check out their original songs. Act IV is not officially affiliated with The Smashing Pumpkins, their former or current members. If you wish to verify any of this information, feel free to contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois, or Metro Nightclub in Chicago.
If you find any content on this page questionable, please contact us first, and we will try and remedy the situation as soon as possible.
oh ok. I heard of it. Yeah....I was disappointed.
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<br />Smashing Pumpkins is my favourite band and I am a huge fan but after the Corgan-D'Arcy-Iha-Chamberlain era, their performances started to suck, especially at Bridge School Benefit.
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<br />-Joe
Billy Corgan's performance at the concert was short, he played a bunch of acoustic songs that I have never heard of. And ended the performance with a disappointed duet song of "Disarm" with Josh Groban.
I think I told you that I have seen Smashing Pumpkins back in October, but it was a disappointing performance. I am looking forward to go seeing good and better performances at concerts. Glad that I saw them, but it was a downer.
Hello Act IV, what up?!!? Guess what mate?! I'm gonna go see the Smashing Pumpkins at the end of the month, but they will perform acoustically though. Still good yeah.
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