To say Nine Inch Nails has helped shape me over the years would be an understatement. I was beside myself when they announced their tour dates for Australia and made sure I had tickets to see them when they played at Festival Hall. Gordon and I rocked up to the screeching banshee that was ‘Jaguar Love’. I still don’t know if the lead ‘singer’ was male or female but they certainly knew how to scream their lungs out for every word of the set. I think I need an ear transplant. Sorry to any fans and the band but they were just abysmal. Needless to say the biggest cheer they received was when they announced NIN would be on soon. YAY!

I left Gordon to his dancing insanity out on the wing and dived head first into the pit in front of Trent and was caught up in the brilliance of the band, the heaving, ebbing and flowing of the crowd and the heat and sweat that emanated from every NIN loyalist.  Trent even made the sarcastic comment of how cool we all were! Ha, I know he was feeling what we were feeling. I think I became absolutely drenched after about ten minutes in the pit, but it just added to the experience. I am so glad I did not miss this opportunity to see NIN live as this could be the first and last time I see them as there are rumours the band will go their separate ways after this tour. I just missed out on getting the tambourine Trent sent into the crowd – it went a little too far to my left – but that would have been an awesome score!

I caught up with Kon and Kieran through out the night but Gordon was lost to me despite him saying he had not moved from his dancing spot all night when I did finally find him after the the final encore.

The Wretched, Survivalism, Suck, Head Like a Hole, Reptile, Dead Souls and of course one of my favourite all-time songs, Hurt were standouts. I don’t think there was a bad song in the set list – the ones I mentioned are just some of favourites and were awesome live. The full set list is below. I am glad Trent stuck to his guns and played the songs they the band wanted to play rather than pandering to the masses by playing Closer and Star Fucker. It made it a truly memorable night with his words and insight.

Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia – 25th February 2009

Nine Inch Nails – Set List

Courtesy of danhelmet187 on the nin.com forums and KarbonKid on last.fm.

Intro – lots of drum programming actually had the main Discipline beat in there
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March of Pigs
The Frail
The Wretched
Head Down
Burn
Survivalism
Gave Up

Trent Speaks – Talks about how these shows are so precious now that these
will be the last for a while. He explained it’s not a greatest hits tour but they are playing
whatever feels right at the time, also mentions how they are enjoying
playing venues the size of Festival Hall and the like and that it feels just
right.

La Mer
The Fragile
Non Entity
Good Solider
Wish

Trent Speaks – Talks about the hot temperature and the sweaty crowd, ugly USA crowds and trying to get his Mac to play Pac Man!

Suck
The Hand that Feeds
Head Like a Hole

ENCORE

Reptile
The Downward Spiral
The Beginning of the End

Trent introduces the Band

Dead Souls
Hurt

Tour Poster