Billy Corgan outraged fans in New York this week when Smashing Pumpkins played two consecutive nights at the United Palace Theatre. Let's just say that the response from the crowd and the critics to his new direction was, er, far from complimentary.

The reaction to the first night was pretty scathing, to say the least. Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog wrote that "the few thousand bitter, heartbroken fans […] exited the United Palace as if on a death march. Really, how else were people supposed to feel about a two-and-a-half-hour show that mostly emphasised new material, generally avoided old classics, and included at least 40 minutes of formless prog-metal dirges and artless, atonal drones?"

Rolling Stone, meanwhile, said that "things quickly fell off a cliff, bogged down by tuneless dirges". And it didn't improve on the second night, even though Corgan gave the fans more of the songs they wanted, and with the crowd growing restless and heckling him, Corgan decided to invite a fan onstage to air his criticisms.

"Last night's show sucked!" the lad shouted at Corgan. "Would you like your money back?" the frontman asked, as they discussed the matter away from the microphones. Initially, Corgan looked like he was taking it all in his stride and accepting the complaints. But then he ruined it all. As the fan left the stage, Corgan said: "By the way, I liked that song you wrote. What was it called? Take Your Dick Out of My Ass and Stick It In My Mouth? That was a big hit in Europe."

Beyond the childish and homophobic nature of this retort, it begs a serious question. These days, with gigs being the lifeblood of the music industry, how are you supposed to complain if things are not to your liking? If even when you're face-to-face with the culprit you're still struggling to get your point across, what right of reply is there?

You can always walk out. You can always vow never to go and see that artist again. But by that point the band has taken your money and run. It seems a strange in a world where if you buy something in a shop and then regret your decision, you can take it back and get a refund. Why can't the same rule apply for gigs?