Velvet Hammer Management’s David Benveniste posted a new photo of Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin with System of a Down members Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan in Los Angeles at the Troubadour with the caption, “New @systemofadown x @smashingpumpkins x @velvethammermgmt super group. ⚡️@shavoodadjian @chamberdrums @johndolmayan_ #SystemOfADown #TheSmashingPumpkins #SmashingPumpkins #VelvetHammer.” It’s unclear how serious he was actually being with the post.
Interestingly enough in 2009, after Billy Corgan fired Jimmy Chamberlin from The Smashing Pumpkins, John Dolmayan auditioned to replace Chamberlin, but Mike Byrne got the job instead.
A message from Corgan on The Smashing Pumpkins’ website at the time said, “In total, 12 drummers were auditioned [in Los Angeles] on Tuesday. An additional tryout could potentially be held in May due to such overwhelming response to the audition process.”
“A very positive experience”
“Overall, the drumming auditions were considered a very positive experience,” Corgan continues. “The talent in all the drummers that tried out was incredible. Some of the candidates include John Dolmayan of System of a Down and Frank Lenz, a past bandmate of guitarist Jeff Schroeder from The Lassie Foundation.”
“The talent in all the drummers that tried out was incredible.”
Corgan later dismissed Mike Byrne from The Smashing Pumpkins in 2014, and he was replaced by Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee for Monuments to an Elegy, while Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk toured as drummer until Jimmy Chamberlin returned in summer 2015.
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