Nine Inch Nails, 2014

 

Nine Inch Nails, live at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, July 2014

Nine Inch Nails, 2014

 

Nine Inch Nails, live at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, July 2014

Nine Inch Nails, 2014

 

Nine Inch Nails, live at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, July 2014

 

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...

August 6th 1994, Nine Inch Nails at Molson Park in Barrie

 

I've made a few posts about Nine Inch Nails recently, but at the risk of repeating myself I think that it would be an oversight not to mention their show at Molson Park in Barrie on August 6th 1994. Sharing the bill with Soundgarden, this was the Toronto stop on the first leg of the tour to support "The Downward Spiral", and it was spectacular. Where earlier performances I had seen showed an incredible potential in the band, this show saw all of that potential realized in an outstanding set that was mind-blowing from start to finish. 

I don't think I can really do this show justice in terms of a description, I don't really have the vocabulary to fully put into words the immensity of what was happening on stage, but I can tell you that this tour was a significant turning point in Trent Reznor's career in terms of his reputation and recognition as a performer, as an artist, and as a visionary. Over the course of an hour and a half he channeled equal parts rage and alienation, anger and isolation, desperation and maybe even a little bit of hope too, all of it delivered from the edge of a deep, dark, nearly bottomless abyss. In the years to come, Reznor would be able to tame that side of himself and channel those feelings into his work more effectively, more succinctly, and more artistically but there's no question that this era in his career he was delivering raw, intense, and emotional performances that stand as some of the best he would ever do.

A week after the show in Barrie, Nine Inch Nails would perform pretty much the same set at the Woodstock '94 event and that performance gained them a lot of well-deserved recognition and praise. You can find video from the Woodstock show quite readily on YouTube and I really encourage you to check it out if you haven't already seen it. With the exception of all the mud, Nine Inch Nails' set at Woodstock pretty much perfectly captures all of the same energy and intensity of the show they played in Barrie, and I'm sure you'll agree that it's an especially spectacular moment in the history of an especially spectacular artist...