I realize this has already been posted on the frontpage for ThePumpkins.net but I figured I'd post about it here for good measure.

" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

5 years ago, at the legendary Metro nightclub in Chicago, 'Act IV- A Tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins' hit the stage to a sold out crowd. The show, organized by fans, brought together original bands from all over the world to celebrate the Pumpkin's 13 year legacy.

Inspired by The Smashing Pumpkins' 1998 Charity tour, the organizers gave all profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Smashing Pumpkins frontman, Billy Corgan made a surprise appearance at the show, stating that the concert was "in the true spirit of why we started The Smashing Pumpkins".

Along side the concert, a tribute CD was produced, known as 'Ghost Children', that pulled together demos from the Smashing Pumpkins online community. The initial pressing of the CD was sold at Act IV, and quickly sold out. After Billy Corgan posted an endorsement of the CD on the Pumpkins official messageboard, demand soared, and a second pressing was released to fulfill the demand.

In the years following the first Act IV, the organizers would hold another concert in 2002, release a live CD, and a DVD set of the 2nd show. All the projects held in common the same commitment to community and charity. Over the past five years, Act IV and Ghost Children raised over $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.

Now, a followup to the 2001 fan tribute has been released, and with all the profits going again to Make-A-Wish. 'Ghost Children/friends and enemies' features 13 new tracks selected from 70 fan produced demos from Brazil to Switzerland. A limited edition of 200 copies which was released on November 17th, 2006, is available for purchase exclusively through the Act IV Official Website www.act4.net

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. zleep- "Bodies" (Germany)
2. Alluvion- "Ava Adore" (Kentucky)
3 . Frequency Fall-"Saturnine" (Canada)
4 . Mike K- "Home" (New Jersey)
5 . Joćo Miguel- "Crush" (Brazil)
6 . The iO's- "Set the Ray to Jerry" (New York)
7 . This Week in History- "Daphne Descends" (Canada)
8 . Defined Mercury- "Geek U.S.A." (France)
9 . Digital Noise Addiction- "Not Worth Asking" (Virginia)
10. Pennyred- "Tonight, Tonight" (Massachussetts)
11. Mike Hamilton feat. Shane Devon- "To Sheila" (Kentucky)
12. Death Rawk Boy- "Today" (Maine)
13. karatedog- "1979" (Hungary)

For More Information, Contact Steven Pukin (Organizer) at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or check out the Official Act IV Website at www.act4.net"

As you may or may not know, we are organizing a Ghost Children 2 music video contest to celebrate the release of the charity compilation. We are collaborating the good people (or person I should say) here at ThePumpkins.net on this contest, and we are asking SP fans to submit their own music videos of selected covers on the CD. While these videos will not be broadcast, they will be downloadable at ThePumpkins.net and viewable on Act IV's Youtube page. There also some interesting prizes lined up for the winners.

To check out more info on the music video contest, you can go to www.thepumpkins.net/contest/rules__prizes.html

Even Netphoria has been gracious enough to post about the release of the cd on their front page, which is saying something since I don't think they had put up anything related to Act IV since the shortlist for the ill-fated Act IV 2003 had been posted a few years ago. But not everyone visits their news page, some only browse their boards. So if someone would be gracious enough to post about this project on their boards, it would be greatly appreciated. If you just copy and paste it, please only copy the press release and about the video contest collaboration.

I would post it there myself on Netphoria except I haven't posted there in years, and I don't want to re-register just to post about this. Some people over there would not take kindly to that . So if you can post the info above, again, very much appreciated. It might be helpful if you are a semi-frequent poster on there, to allow the news to go over easier there.

I just want to cover all our bases here, because after all, it's as close to an official release as we have ever had (We have paid the CMRRA here in Canada to arrange to get licenses for these tracks and so SP gets royalties). We don't have a label behind us, and this is a limited edition, low key release, so all help is appreciated.

Murder and I would be interested to know what people think of the music video contest, as we are collaborating on this. Let us know if you intend to submit something over the next few months, or if you know others that might be interested in submitting something if they knew about it. Also, any promotional ideas that you have to spread the word about the contest and Ghost Children 2 cd in general are welcomed.

So it's recently been brought to my attention that some people may be hesistant to submit something for the contest because they may have not found a song that they think they can work with, that they need more options. Well, while it's not really a good to make the entire album available, we were thinking of putting up a few more tracks for people to choose. Based on the clips from the Act IV site, do you have any suggestions on what those 3 additional tracks should be?

Also, there has been not a lot of feedback on this contest from members of this board. What are your thoughts on it?

We had added 3 new tracks after all, so hopefully this should give you guys some ideas, if you didn't have any before or give you new ones :P. The three tracks are "Geek USA" by Defined Mercury, "1979" by karatedog, and "Crush" by Joao Miguel.

Check out the GC2 contest page, we just got our first submission for the video contest. It is a music video for Alluvion's cover of "Ava Adore" by a gentleman named Rufus Ho. It's hard to describe, I guess the best way would be to say that it is abstract animation. You'll see what I mean. Feel free to leave comments and ratings. It's available for download here on ThePumpkins.net and mirrored at the Act IV Youtube www.youtube.com/user/act4

We hope to see more submissions, so please read up on the contest, and if you're interested in submitting something let Murder or myself know.

Only one week left in the contest. Get your entries in soon.

Well the contest is over now, so get voting! The results will be announced on Billy's birthday, so if you want a particular video to win, please vote for it and leave a comment.

The amount of submissions received was a bit underwhelming, but we want to be overwhelmed with the amount of voting! After all it's a lot easier to vote .

David

Does anyone recall that Chicago named July 7th "Smashing Pumpkins Day" in honor of all the money raised for charity one the day of the first ACT IV concert?

7/7/07 Zeitgeist
7/7/01 Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins Day

Just an interesting connection I haven't heard too much talk about... Although being that I'm new around these parts I may have simply missed it.

I certaintly brought it up every chance I could get. I even brought it up on these boards, but most people seem to be leaning towards an explaination that involves the significance of the number 7 in world history and religion, numerology, etc.

But I still think it's no coincidence, not that Act IV was in their minds when they chose the day specifically. Our idea to hold the first Act IV on July 7th was because it was the same day that SP day was originally declared in Chicago in 1998 during their charity tour. Then Metro was able to arrange with the Mayor's office to have July 7th re-declared SP day on July 7th, 2001. We had intended to hold the 2nd Act IV on July 7, 2002, but had to move it back to July 5 at Metro's request.

If you recall, Chicago also declared it SP day on December 2nd, 2000, and it was announced SP day in other cities on other days during the 1998 charity tour. But many people celebrate July 7th as international SP day, as it was the first day that was delcared SP day in their hometown. I don't recall whether people started calling it that before or after the first Act IV, perhaps it being re-announced SP day in 2001 just reinforced people's belief that it was international SP day.

At the same time that I know of plenty of people who celebrate July 7th as international SP day, a lot of others don't seem to know what I am talking about on these boards and others.

Right, right. I've still got my fingers crossed on some sort of a Chicago debut for the revived Pumpkins that day, whether it be a Metro show or similar.

They should play a concert on the roof of a building, like the beatles.


except not have it be their last show.

Or like the Be Sharps?

i will be kind of sad if they don't something in chicago first it's such a special place to them specially the metro it's only right festivals are cool but early gigs in chicago are a must to get the material ready and to honour the city who helped them break in. Even if it's a surprise gig under a false name.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lollapalooza is scheduled August 3-5th this year, I believe. Judging from their current tour dates, they should be in the states at that time, so I'm hoping we'll get to see the Pumpkins headlining at Lollapalooza this year.

I'll be off to Iowa City for school next year, so I'm hoping the Pumpkins will do something Chicago-based before I have to part ways with the city.

Kent, where are you from? I'm at UNO (nebraska) right now.

I'm in Chicago.

For the month of May, we are going to be setting up a special promotion where people who review this CD (either formally or informally) through our Act IV myspace (www.myspace.com/act4music) or our message boards (www.act4.net/forums) will be entered to win their choice of either a copy of Ghost Children/friends and enemies (