Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha’s new Aussie obsession

A famous musician has shocked fans at a recent Sydney concert by sharing his new found love for an iconic Australian food item.

It is not hard to fall in love with Australia.

The diverse wildlife, beautiful beaches, endless sunshine and laid-back locals are just some of the drawcards that keeps tourists from all over the globe coming back for more.

Even our favourite celebrities are not immune to our country’s charm, with many flocking here at different times of year to get away from it all.

It can feel like musicians from around the world who come down under to perform have an air of contentment and elation just from being in Australia.

Beloved Chicago-bred band The Smashing Pumpkins are currently back on our shores after eight years to play 10 jam-packed shows around the country.

The Smashing Pumpkins current members include (L-R) James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder. Picture: Paul Elledge

The group’s current members include Billy Corgan, 56, on lead vocals and guitar, James Iha, 55, on guitar, Jimmy Chamberlain, 58, on the drums, and Jeff Schroeder, 49, on bass guitar.

For this tour, the band are accompanied by bassist Jack Bates, 33, who is the son of iconic Joy Division and New Order musician, Peter Hook.

Their original bassist, D’Arcy Wretzky, 54, left the band in 1999.

I was lucky enough to bag tickets to their sold out show at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Tuesday night, and was captivated by their stellar performance.

It was my first time seeing The Pumpkins, but I’ve always been intrigued by their unique personas and zany tunes, despite being too young to appreciate them in their 90s era.

In addition to their musical talent, I was enamoured by their playful interactions with the crowd and they each gave off a warm vibe.

From my perspective, as just another body down in the pit, it felt like they were truly happy to be there and share the moment with us.

The Smashing Pumpkins
1992 #90s

📸 Martyn Goodacre pic.twitter.com/qUa8TUSLUK

— Like '90s Rock (@like90srock) June 13, 2021

Corgan graciously thanked us for coming more than once, while Iha left the crowd in stitches after revealing his new-found affection for a certain Aussie food item.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been to Australia,” he began.

“It’s awesome here. I had french fries with chicken salt, and I was like, god dammit, what is on these french fries?

“Or chips. And they said ‘chicken salt’ I said, ‘I gotta get some of that, bring it back to America and make a million dollars’.

“So, for all those who enjoy chicken salt, this next new song is for you.”

The rocker’s love for the Aussie item continued the next night, when he even made a song dedicated to his love for chicken salt, that was shared on the Smashing Pumpkins’ Instagram page.

“In Sydney, I get crazy, with chicken salt,” he sang to the crowd.

“It makes me crazy, chicken salt, chicken salt, yeah. I’d never heard of chicken salt.”

I am bringing the 90s back with this terrible video quality from my potato phone, but hearing James Iha talk about his love for chicken salt was so wholesome 😭🖤🎃🇦🇺 @SmashingPumpkin@James_Iha@Billy@HordernPavilion#smashingpumpkins#billycorgan#jamesiha#Sydneypic.twitter.com/APD6lKXuga

— Jasmine Kazlauskas (@J_Kazlauskas) April 19, 2023

Chicken salt can be found all across Australia and is a staple in most of our pantries and at all of the local fish and chip shops.

It was first invented back in the 1970s by Adelaide local Peter Brinkworth, who made it to season the roast chickens he sold in his chicken shop.

He was then approached by the Mitani family who bought the chicken shop, and in turn, the chicken salt recipe.

In 1979, the Mitani family began selling chicken salt to fellow takeaway joints, and the rest is history.

Surprisingly, the Australian staple does not actually contain any traces of chicken and is suitable for vegetarians, as it is just sea salt blended with garlic and onion, along with some other secret natural herbs and spices.

The guitarist has fallen in love with chicken salt. Picture: news.com.au / Jasmine Kazlauskas

Mitani’s website says that although they “take the necessary steps to produce a vegan suitable product” they cannot state that the product is vegan due to “strict regulations”.

It was truly heart warming to see someone so famous enjoy a simple Australian delicacy such as chicken salt.

I just hope Iha has enough space in his suitcase to take a few pumpkin-sized bags full of chicken salt home to America.

The Smashing Pumpkins are joined by legendary L.A. rock band Jane’s Addiction, who have made their long awaited return to Australia after 12 years.

Frontman Perry Farrell, 64, drummer Stephen Perkins, 55, and bassist Eric Avery, 57, are joined by the talented Josh Klinghoffer, 43, who played in the Red Hot Chili Peppers for 10 years.

This move was made after the band’s original guitarist, Dave Navarro, 55 – who also played in the Red Hot Chili Peppers for five years – announced he would not join this tour due to health complications relating to long COVID.

Jane’s Addiction amped up the crowd, with frontman Farrell keeping the audience entertained with his charm and witty humour.

Prior to this, local bands Battlesnake and Amyl and the Sniffers got things rolling before the main acts took the stage.

Concertgoers were also treated to wrestling matches thanks to Corgan being the owner and promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

James Iha's life may never be the same after discovering chicken salt. Picture: Instagram / James Iha

The Smashing Pumpkins’ highly anticipated The World Is A Vampire tour kicked off in Queensland on Saturday, with shows in Brisbane and Bribie Island.

This was followed by sold out performances in Sydney over two nights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The tour will continue in Victoria, with two Melbourne shows and one in Ballarat, before they move on to Adelaide, South Australia.

They will then come back to New South Wales to play in Newcastle, before finishing the tour back in Queensland on the Gold Coast.

[e-mail]