Nine Inch Nails – the band that brought modern industrial rock music to mainstream radio – has just announced their first headlining tour since December of 2018.
Through no fault of their own, due to COVID and canceled festivals, NIN hasn’t set foot on a stage in over three years. They were scheduled to play a few smaller shows in Cleveland, but front-man and NIN brains, Trent Reznor called it off due to the ongoing pandemic. This means they haven’t had the chance to tour their newest two albums released in 2020, “Ghosts V: Together” and “Ghosts VI: Locusts.”
Trent Reznor and company started it all with the mega hit “Head Like a Hole” off their 1989 album, “Pretty Hate Machine.” They continued the success with their 1992 EP “Broken,” where the video for “Wish” was on MTV non-stop back (when MTV played music videos!). You may recall Reznor dangling upside down in a giant, post-apocalyptic jungle-gym with angry moshers. We couldn’t take our eyes off it and wanted more!
Just when you thought this couldn’t be topped, Nine Inch Nails came out with the groundbreaking album, “The Downward Spiral.” It had every kid reaching for the volume knob on their CD Walkman to crank it up and sing along to the chorus of the insanely popular hit, “Closer” (“…I want to f**k you like an animal…”).
The catchy tune kept every radio DJ on their toes wondering how many bleeps the FCC would actually allow in one song, but it was all worth it for this masterpiece.
The band had another hit video with “Hurt,” which gained attention for its simplicity; Reznor playing a keyboard on a black stage, during a live show, with one spotlight above him, but in the background, there was a time-lapsed video of a dead and decaying fox. Explaining it here makes it sound pretty disgusting, but somehow in the pure genius that is Nine Inch Nails, they made it work. An artistic expression of how fragile life is, and how we all turn to dirt once we are gone. Or something deep like that.
This video gave us our first look into what a NIN concert looked like if you hadn’t experienced one for yourself yet.
PRIMAVERA SOUND LOS ANGELES
September 15-18, 2022
It is true that the sonic vision that came to life as Nine Inch Nails is largely Reznor’s brain child. However, the contributions by Atticus Ross undoubtedly helped lead the band to the promised land. As a result, they are forever enshrined with a home in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve.”
TRENT REZNOR
Nine Inch Nails will be touring with Ministry and Nitzer Ebb starting the end of April, but they will stop in Los Angeles for the European-based festival Primavera Sound, September 16-18. NIN will headline the festival with Artic Monkeys and Lorde, and tons of bands are scheduled to appear.
Nine Inch Nails is also one of the featured bands in the 30th Anniversary of Interscope Records exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Titled “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined,” this exhibit ends on February 13, so be sure to check it out while you still can.
Nine Inch Nails proves they are a leader in their industry and will blow you away with their performance, leaving you wanting more. See this band, they are electricity personified.
