NINE INCH NAILS

LONDON BRIXTON ACADEMY 08/03/07

One thing that we have learnt in the past about Nine Inch Nail shows is not to get excited about the support bands. As much as I enjoyed Atari Teenage Riot’s noise set a few years ago, the pub seemed a much better option than Ladytron. The sold out Brixton Academy is not a favourite way to watch bands. Security made us feel more than welcome on the way in, with one startled punter proclaiming, “ooh he touched my cock!” as we were shown the way in. I am not sure what they were looking for down the trouser regions, something else nine inches perhaps.

But tonight was all about one band and one band only and let’s face it they weren’t going to disappoint. Stark white lighting suddenly went from blinding to pitch black. Industrial sledgehammer bombs were laid out to a much hyped up crowd and we were off with Pinion. Despite an early unfortunate cancellation of a show in Birmingham Trent Reznor’s voice was on top form here, whiny puppy dog croons exploded in all their very misery drenched glory on Love Is Not Enough. Now that’s what I call Emo! Like a robotic terminator killing machine Ministerial “hep hepping,” threw us headlong into Sin. Shrouded in dry ice the shadowy figures had most of the audience singing along here and down the front pits opened up for those wanting to immerse in this in a more physical manner.

The question that one has to ask is, is this all about Trent Reznor and a bunch of hired hands? Well he is the ego and the muse behind NiN, there is no denying that fact but they worked as a tightly honed and oiled unit here. Aaron North has gone from The Icarus Line to lead guitarist of one of the biggest bands in the world and flamboyantly exuded style and gravitas and there was no denying the heavy bass work of Jeordie White showed the bowel crunching finesse the former Twiggy Manson had always hinted at.

Despite a new album on way there were plenty of old school moments here, Terrible Lie, literally stomped straight into March Of The Pigs, one of the songs I had been waiting for. Flinging my remaining beer down my neck the pit was calling and it was good old fashioned punching time! Knowing that they had just whipped shit out their audience it was time to calm it all down. Purple lights bathed us and we knew some bruises would match that colour come the morning and the cry of “You make it all go away,” wept from the speakers as Something I Can Never Have drenched us in angst with its misery serenade. This was a real natural born killer of a number and then some.

Bringing to mind the classicism of Debussy, Alessandro Cortini tinkled The Frail ivories moving us into The Wretched by both name and nature. Whenever I go back to The Fragile I love it, but the lengthy running time of the album makes it a somewhat special treat. Not so for numbers like Closer, the ultimate sex song and one that’s either gonna get your date running to your bed or straight out the door (try it some time I dare you).

There were plenty of highlights in the show, which I believe was about 1 ¾ hours worth of pure entertainment. The aggressive edge was constantly honed down by beautiful frailty. A new song was finally unveiled, Survivalism has hit written all over it with a bouncy techno edge building up into a pompous pogotastic frenzy. As usual with new NiN songs I didn’t like it on first airing but by the time I heard it here, it was like an old friend.

One thing I would have been wounded by is if they hadn’t played Hurt, but they did and I was happy in the misery of one of my favourite songs ever. This is an essential funeral number and if I had a will would be written into it as being the last dance of my mortal soul. Sublime and wonderful this was a moment of purity and beauty.

But it was party mood at the end and The Hand That Feeds and Head Like A Hole pretty much spanned the group’s career as the new and the old saw us out into the Brixton night, to go our separate ways with smiles on our faces.

I would strongly suspect that Nine Inch Nails will be back on these shores in August to play a set with more material of forthcoming album Year Zero. The Birmingham gig is rescheduled to then and they won’t be coming here for just the one show. Tonight they were both brutal and majestic and as always one of the best bands in the world!

Sorry for the lack of photos, I was for once a member of the audience.

Pete Woods