September 20th 1995, David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails at Skydome

There's something magical in the pairing of like-minded artists, a special chemistry that happens when two exceptional talents are able to come together, and David Bowie's Outside Tour in 1995 was a perfect example of that magic, that special chemistry. On the road to support the release of his latest album "Outside", Bowie toured with Nine Inch Nails and it was just as awesome as you would expect it to be.

My friend Robin and I went to the Toronto show at Skydome which was early in the tour, maybe the fourth or fifth stop across North America, and the night began with a set from Prick. Their first album was produced by Trent Reznor so it made sense in terms of them getting the opening spot, and they did an excellent job of warming up the crowd. They played an especially impressive version of their single Animal that night, sparse lighting and shadows complimenting the tension of the song. I would expect that opening for David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails would be a pretty nerve-wracking experience, but to their credit they met and surpassed all expectations.

Nine Inch Nails were up next and their set was epic, a fiery rage filled blend of anxiety, self-loathing, and anger. Reznor and company gave it their all that night, not willing to pull any punches on a journey deep into the heart of darkness. Their set drew widely from the early NIN catalog, blending singles with more obscure album tracks in a skillful way that clearly showed Reznor was interested in flow and artistry more than promotion. I really respect that kind of thinking, it shows a commitment to the work and a respect for the songs. Related to that, in hindsight I kind of feel like this tour was a turning point for Reznor where he began to develop a greater focus for the direction of what he was doing, where he gained a greater clarity and understanding of his work that would inform later more substantial releases like "The Fragile" and other albums. I may be completely off base with that kind of speculation, but there's no denying that his recorded output shifted following this tour, a next level change in sound and a greater complexity to his work that he's still exploring even now over twenty five years later.

After an intense run through Down in It, Nine Inch Nails slowed things down a bit and eased into a slower instrumental jam, drifting through spaces and creating some beautiful musical textures. As it continued the jam gained more shape and form and then David Bowie walked out on stage, quietly reciting some lyrics as NIN started playing Subterraneans from Bowie's "Low" album. It was a moment, unexpected and awesome, the idea of Reznor and Bowie actually sharing the stage something that nobody in the audience had anticipated, and just as it settled in what was happening, NIN launched into a manic and heavy run through Scary Monsters with Bowie that was absolutely brilliant, all the energy and swagger and intensity you'd expect it to be. They played a handful more songs together including Hurt and Hello Spaceboy, with members of Nine Inch Nails slowly leaving the stage after each song to be replaced by Bowie's band, until Reznor himself finally left the stage and Bowie began his own set. 

Having retired a lot of his back catalog during the Sound+Vision tour, Bowie played mostly songs from the "Outside" album, along with a few choice album cuts and a couple of singles. As a fan I thought it was brilliant, the new material was really strong and sounded great live, and the opportunity to see rarely played tracks like Andy Warhol and The Man Who Sold the World was amazing. There was a monstrous run through Teenage Wildlife that filled my heart with all the feels, and even Jump They Say was pretty excellent. And in the same way that this tour heralded a shift in terms of Trent Reznor's work, the same could also be said for Bowie who found himself entering a career renaissance where he would produce engaging and creative work that stands with some of his best. 

Was it something in the water? What was it about the Outside Tour that led to such successful artistic  shifts for both Bowie and Reznor? I don't think that we'll ever know for sure, but I'm inclined to think that they were probably inspired by each other, Bowie finding a connection to a new sound and energy in Reznor, and Reznor challenged to push his talents further by one of his biggest influences. Definitely a positive outcome for both of them, and as a fan of each I'm more than happy with the music and shows that they both made in the years following...

January 2nd 1995, Pop Will Eat Itselt at the Phoenix Concert Theatre

Recent events have inspired me to return to one of my earlier blogs and start writing about concerts again. In a year where there haven't been many opportunities to see live music I've found myself exceedingly nostalgic for those days when there were, and I've taken some comfort in thinking about the great music that I've been lucky enough to see, the shows that I was at, and the moments that I was part of.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd re-launch A Pile of Concert Tickets, to look back at some of the shows I've gone to over the years and to reflect on what they mean to me. I don't have any illusions that I'm going to make any great observations or grand statements about the nature of life in these posts, but I look forward to taking a trip down memory lane and to connect with some moments that I haven't thought about in a while. Maybe in reading these posts you'll find some connection as well, and who knows, maybe that'll trigger your own recollections, your own reflections. I hope that it does, and I hope that you benefit from that experience...

On January 2nd, 1995, I went to see Pop Will Eat Itself at the Phoenix Concert Theatre with my buddy Robin. It was a cold winter's day, the sky had already taken on that frigid gray look that it has in the long stretch between the holidays and spring, and I seem to remember that everybody, myself included, was all still kind of hungover and exhausted from the revelries of the last few days. It wasn't really the ideal time to see a show, but we were there and I guess we were all hoping to make the best of it.

You'll notice from the ticket stub above that it says the show happened at the Opera House, but it was actually moved to the Phoenix Concert Theatre at the last minute. I'm a fan of the Phoenix, it's a good place to see a show, a long room east of Yonge Street that holds a good sized audience, maybe about 1500? Something like that. It's a good space, good sightlines and high ceilings, and generally pretty good sound. I've seen dozens of shows there, countless bands, it's one of those venues that feels like home to me, and I've always been of the belief that a good venue, a place where you feel at home, that's the start of a good show.

In 1995 Pop Will Eat Itself were pretty much at the peak of their career, having moved away from their Grebo roots and embracing a more Industrial sound after signing with Nothing, and their current single at the time "Ich Bin Ein Auslander" was doing well at clubs. I'd already seen them a couple of times by that point, but 1995 was a particularly good period to see them, that sweet spot in the band's career where they were experienced enough to put on a good show, and their back catalog of songs was strong enough to make for a solid set of music. 

They opened the show with "Auslander" and right from the start the band were in full manic energy mode, literally jumping throughout it's entire length. Clint Mansell was still with the band then, and he was wearing wrap around sunglasses and a turtleneck with short bleached blonde hair, which combined with all the jumping made him look a lot like Frank Gorshin's Riddler. This was not a bad thing. In later years Mansell would become one of the best soundtrack artists in the business, crafting unforgettable music for "Requiem for a Dream", "Moon", and countless other films, and I admire his work greatly, but in my mind's eye whenever I hear his name associated with a soundtrack I can't help but think of The Riddler.

PWEI were always about energy, always about being on, and the show that night was no different, they gave it their all, and pretty soon they had the entire room giving back that same energy, holiday hangovers forgotten amid that feeling of connection and synergy between artist and audience that comes with a good show. That feeling can take a number of different shapes, sometimes it happens on a cerebral or emotional level, but that night it was entirely physical and had the audience all stomping and dancing and singing along with the band.

Over the next hour and a half they played club hits, singles, new songs from their latest album, and everybody in the room was totally into it. "Wise Up Sucker" rocked hard with a million pop culture references, and they played "Def Con One" as an encore, resplendent in beats and scratches and Siouxsie and Stooges samples, and even though I've been vegetarian for most of my life I was more than happy to get Big Mac Fries to go at the time. 

It was a pretty amazing night, and I can't help but smile thinking of what an incredible experience it is to be able to share that experience with a group of strangers, that carefree abandon that comes from the shared enjoyment of live music. PWEI in 1995 wasn't the best show I ever saw, to be honest it was just one of dozens of shows I saw that year, one of hundreds or thousands of shows I've seen in my life, and I haven't really thought about it very much in the years since then, but as I reflect on it now in a time where live music seems so far away from all of us I'm struck not only by my memories of this particular show, but also by what an amazing experience concerts are and the magical way that an artist can connect so easily with an audience to build an energy and an excitement together, an incredible shared moment that can last through the night and in some cases through the years.

I miss that energy so badly. I miss those connections, I miss those moments. But I know that we'll get back to seeing live shows eventually, and I know that we'll find new energy, make new connections, and share new moments again in the future. 

I can hardly wait for it...