One of the most extraordinary shows seen here in years.
Any fears that Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails wouldn’t be able to replicate the dense, complex structures of their music on stage are dispelled within seconds of opening song “The Frail/ The Wretched”. Percussion booms, guitars loop angrily over each other and keyboards drone doomily while Reznor spits out his anthemic angst. It’s a ferociously effective blueprint and one which they stick to for most of the night.
There are plenty of things to hate about NIN (their adolescent nihilism, their humourlessness, the dreadful Slipknot types they inspired), but their ceaselessly inventive music has never been one of them. Tonight’s apocalyptic performance is aided by a frantic light show strafing the audience with brutal neon. There will be no chances to catch our breath.
What makes Nine Inch Nails so exceptional is that they sound utterly unlike anyone else, and yet completely instinctive, as if this was the only way they could ever have sounded. Even those who most successfully attempt to steal their sound, such as Marilyn Manson, only manage to steal the surface shock value and the horror film atmospherics. What makes a song as astonishing as tonight’s “Wish” is not just its volume, but the density of the noise, and the deft, clever structures Reznor crams his anger into.
Not to underestimate the power of sheer noise. “March Of The Pigs” comes third and is greeted with a howl from the young, black uniformed crowd. It’s quite probably the nastiest, most extreme sounding song to have ever been released as a single, a few moments of space and atmosphere exploded by a shrieking, multi-layered guitar freak out which sees the band thrashing across the stage. Reznor is clever enough to keep it brief – this kind of sonic extremity is best deployed as a shock and awe tactic.
Reznor is no simple-minded noise hooligan however, and on three songs it becomes clear what a subtle songwriter he can be when he chooses. There’s a clattering, sinister “Piggy” – the closest this band come to a love song – and a rapturously received “Hurt”. Even better is a monolithic, doom-laden version of “Reptile” which uses guitars sparingly but to devastating effect.
It’s a generous set, mixing old classics with a few brilliant new tracks which suggest the forthcoming “With Teeth” may be their most direct, most straightforwardly heavy metal release yet. We leave, eyes dazzled and ears ringing, blown away by one of the last geniuses left in music.
