Idolator

Smashing Pumpkins die-hards are in a tizzy—and some may even be in legal hot water—after allegedly stolen artwork from the band's forthcoming album, Zeitgeist, made its way to the Internet (UPDATE: the band has released a statement, which can be found below). According to a Pumpkins chronicler at rateyourmusic.com, this is how it went down:

Two fans snuck into the SP rehearsal space and took copies of some promotional photos that havent been released. They posted one on this forum, and someone got into their photobucket, and viola, they were leaking all over the net. '

Now, the person who unwillingly leaked the photos is being held in the 18th precinct in Chicago. The Pumpkins/Their Management/The Record Company, someone, is pressing FELONY charges on them. For petty theft of a few pictures.

The pictures have been wiped clean from the Internet, but Zeitgeist's Wikipedia entry has what it claims are details on their subjects:

* Two elderly men flanking the Grim Reaper at a presidential podium, with the Smashing Pumpkins flag as a backdrop.
* Paris Hilton standing in front of a photo of a mushroom cloud.
* Schoolchildren giving a Nazi-esque salute.
* The devil being crucified.

While those descriptions made us wonder if the fans had snuck into Satellite Party's studio mistakenly—Paris Hilton? Really?—apparently the pictures are legit; reports are now coming out that the people who swiped the photos were allegedly questioned by the Chicago police, a detail that smells a little bit like a European bathroom to us. Real-time polling of SP fans is currently ensuing in the band's MySpace comments section; so far, the consensus seems to be evenly split between letting the fans go with little more than a slap on the wrist, throwing them into Pumpkins Prison^*, skepticism about the whole story, and offers for some gel that would make our package "huge, pronostar [sic] huge."

In response, the band's management has released the following statement:

Management for The Smashing Pumpkins confirms that the band's rehearsal studio in Chicago was burglarized last week.

The two people who are now in jail illegally gained access to the band's private space and stole various items belonging to them over the course of several hours while the band had left for the evening.

The band's management says the group feels their rights have been violated by this crime and will always pursue their rights and the law to protect their property and the safety of themselves, their families and their fans."

^* A small padded cell where Fulflej's Wack-Ass Tuba Riff is played on eternal repeat.