Anthems or ambiance, these are the tones that rattle your bones.
#82392
I try to allow myself at least one big outing during October, as a Halloween treat to myself. Often it's been a concert. In 2010 I saw Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie. In 2012 I saw Rob Zombie and Marilyn Mason. This year I saw Nine Inch Nails, for the first time. I had center floor seats, 11th row.

Boy, they know how to put on a show. I've seen some bands that want it to be just about the music, but I can listen to the music at home. When I go to a concert (especially a big arena show) I want my eyeballs melted with a visual spectacle. And NIN doesn't disappoint.

Clearly a lot of time, money and thought went into the stage production. With grids of moving lights and layers of transparent projection screens, the stage was constantly morphing into something entirely new. The still photos I took don't really convey how seizure-inducing the effects were. I'll have to edit together my video footage when I have time after Halloween.

Here are a few of my favorite photos I took at show:

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My favorite photo of the night, a lucky shot I got during the first song:

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This was when the mother ship landed and we all bowed to our new Martian overlords:

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You can see more of my NIN concert photos in this gallery.
#82463
amandap80 wrote:What are your thoughts on the new album? Do you dig some of Trent's new sound?
Once I knew I was going to the concert, I made sure I listened to the new album "Hesitation Marks" a lot so I would know the new songs. On first listen, I wasn't blown away. I liked it, but I wasn't sure if the songs felt distinguished enough from each other. But with more listens, I started to pick out songs I really liked. And while there are some new ideas here, I found moments that made me say, "Ah yes, there's that NIN style that I love."

One thing I appreciate about NIN music is that Trent isn't afraid to experiment with new styles and run with whatever is inspiring him at the moment. That's how a good artist works. Gotta stay engaged with your work by evolving and following what you're passionate about. I may not love every NIN album to the same degree, but I respect the work.

I'd say all this music has a familiar feeling that runs down the backbone of the discography. But they definitely differ from each other. And I sort of like that because there's a NIN for any mood. When I want some hard aggressive music, there's a NIN record for that. If I want some more ambient sound for background music, there's a NIN record for that too.
zombombie wrote:I've never really listened to much NIN - where should I start?
staticfurball is right, "Pretty Hate Machine" is the first album and a classic. The one that got me into NIN orignally. It's got a heavier and more raw sound that more modern NIN. But if it's what you like, it's a good place to start.

"The Downward Spiral" is a big classic too. That's when NIN seem to get more mainstream. Everyone knows the single "Closer." Also from that album are "Piggy," "March of the Pigs," and "Hurt." Gotta love that electronic, industrial sound.

If you want to try something from a more modern time, maybe try the album "With Teeth." I really like that record. Catchy songs like "Only" and "The Hand that Feeds" which I think are really accessible if you're just getting into NIN.
#82747
Awesome!! Great shots Ryan, that second pic is epic!!

Is it weird that viewing this makes me feel old? My teenage memories of NIN is obviously way different than NIN today. When I think of them I still see them as much younger..so viewing these pics sort of shocked me. Perhaps because that means I am getting older too!! :shock:
#84676
This article features quotes from Trent Reznor and the band’s art director, Rob Sherida. It helps shine some light on the process that is involved in such an elaborate stage production, from conceptualizing to financing. Whatever they are doing, it's working because the stage display was amazing.

Why Nine Inch Nails’ Tension Tour Is At Least A Decade Ahead Of Its Time
Trent Reznor opens up about his band’s most elaborate and technologically advanced live production ever.
“I want to make you hold your pee because you don’t want to miss something.”


I still need to edit the video that I took at this concert, but the article includes some animated gifs that show some of the effects they can get out of the massive transparent screens.

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