NINE INCH NAILS: WITH TEETH 2005-2006
GREENVILLE, SC [BI LO CENTER]
3.16.06
By Karey Huitt
Being a long-time Jeordie fan and an even longer-time Nine Inch Nails fan, missing this concert was out of the question.
My girlfriend and I arrived shortly before the doors opened, and took our place in the lines amongst the 15,000-something people that came to this show from five-states around.
Seeing how this was more a date-type event, I got seats instead of being on the floor, but let me go ahead and say that I was closer than most people down on the floor, and had the option of a chair if I wanted it. We were about fifty feet away from the stage, close enough to see the sweat dripping from their brow without even squinting. The perfect seats.
As soon as we walked in and found our seats, I glanced to my left and something caught my eye that seemed almost surreal. There, about twenty feet away, was a rack holding all of Jeordie’s basses. Being both a bassist and an admirer of Jeordie, this was a pretty big deal to me.
Anyway, that was just to give you an idea of how close I was.
I’m a pretty hardcore Industrial fan, so I didn’t really expect much from Saul Williams, the opening act (and apparently, neither did the rest of the audience, judging by the boos and banter that they let out when he took the stage). I was, however, surprised by the amount of talent that he had as both a poet (and saying this doesn’t really do him justice, because he is a phenomenal poet) and an MC. His performance was short, but I thoroughly enjoyed him as an artist. It may not have been my favorite type of talent, but it was talent enough to make me buy the album they had for sale and a book by him.
It seemed like it took for-fucking-ever for NIN to finally take the stage, but after a while of them running fog machines and sound checks, the lights dimmed, and I glanced back to my left (where Jeordie’s basses were), to see them start filing onto the stage. First was Alessandro, then Josh, then Aaron and Jeordie (it was hard to tell in which order because the lights were low and they look a little alike), and finally, Trent.
It was about as close to a holy experience as I will ever get (considering me being Atheist) to see two of my heroes--Jeordie White and Trent Reznor-- about 75 feet away from me.
It was a very high-energy performance from every band member (especially Aaron--who came out dawning a black ‘X’ painted across his face, which reminded me of something from one of the Manson show’s I’ve been to--but that‘s not uncommon), and Trent seemed to be in a very good mood, tossing uncapped water bottles into the crowd, as well as a tambourine that he used in ‘Everyday is Exactly the Same,’ and even coming off the stage and leaning over the barricades into the crowd with the mic while doing ‘Piggy’ (Oddly enough, it appeared that he had to re-zip his fly after this, but I’m not sure on all the details surrounding that incident).
The set list is as follows:
1. Pinion
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. Mr. Self Destruct
4. Sin
5. Terrible Lie
6. The Line Begins To Blur
7. March Of The Pigs
8. Closer
9. Burn
10. Gave Up
11. Eraser
12. Right Where It Belongs
13. Beside You In Time
14. Piggy
15. Wish
16. Only
17. Every Day Is Exactly The Same
18. Reptile
19. Dead Souls
20. Suck
21. Hurt
22. The Hand That Feeds
23. Head Like A Hole
As you see, not a single song off of ‘The Fragile,’ which was unexpected, but I can’t really complain since a bad NIN song doesn’t exist. Also, during ‘Mr. Self Destruct,’ Alessandro took to guitar, as well as Jeordie, Trent, and of course Aaron, making four guitarists and a drummer of the song, and a very impressive performance of the song.
Jeordie also seemed to be in high spirits (though I have never seen him overly-energetic), doing things such as walking his fingers up and down the neck of his bass during times when he wasn’t playing, tossing picks out into the crowd, and even once accidentally knocking his mic-stand over and having to bend over to sing his back-up vocal parts (which was humorous).
Trent also mentioned writing and working on new material with the band and Saul Williams. Perhaps a bit of reference to things to come.
The band closed with ‘Head Like A Hole,’ and Trent slammed the head of his guitar off on one of the displays on the stage while Aaron tore up and amp and amp head, a perfect, energetic ending, to a perfect, energetic show.
Needless to say, I slept well that night.
The band has recently announced new tour dates, two of which within driving distance of where I live, and you bet your asses I plan on seeing them again, so look for more concert reviews from me in the future.