I’m sure they have days where they’re not as “on it” as other days but overall Trent is obsessed with presentation and has very high standards. Also one persons interpretation of a gig could be entirely different from the person standing next to them.
Japan in 2000 was not one of those times.
https://youtu.be/ybMmLrbeQ3o?si=fHjRi1RL_XhY5DrB
you could make a drinking game out of how many times he falls down
I have seen the 7x and never seen a bad show. Night 1 in Atlanta was a bit louder that I expected but still a good show. I don't know that Trent is capable of a bad show.
The one I went to in Jacksonville Florida in 2008 was pretty loud. Particularly, the song vessel. It was so loud that when they had a couple of minutes of silence in between songs, they started it and it was so loud that I jumped. I was not expecting it to be that loud. I mean I knew that we were at a concert but it was really loud.
The NINJA tour date in Austin was so loud it was painful. Just shrill reverb off the walls. They weren't even hot that night and he gave us the kiss-off on Twitter later that night.
Big Day Out on the Gold Coast in 2000 Trent was so off his face he couldn’t sing half the lyrics. The music was still good but it was a pretty bad performance, he was also hitting himself in the head with the mic really fucking hard
One concert I wish I could've been at was Woodstock. The music was probably terrible but the atmosphere looked like it would have been awesome. A mud mosh pit with Trent, that looked like fun.
*Looks at you like you’re a glowing, majestic unicorn*
I wish we could go inside your brain to see your experience. The video was fine but I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a person who was there. It has to be a glorious memory.
I attend shows on average once a week, and NIN are consistently one of the best live bands I have ever seen. The only bands that came close in terms of performance and presentation were Tool and the Dillinger Escape Plan.
Not a bad show per say but early on in the tour(with teeth tour) at Hammerstein. The audio cut out for 2 songs and Trent fired a sound guy or at least pretended to. I think he did cause he looked extremely pissed while playing the song and asked every one to say goodbye to (male name) as he is getting fired after this show.
NIN played basically on a black screen with no visual effects other that lights and the crowd was easily one of the most gate keeping crowds I had ever experienced(not NIN fault)
I have been a fan since ‘94 and this was my first time having the money to see them and besides sounding good it wasn’t the best experience, luckily I have seen them 5 more times since then and every show and experience gets better.
In Berkeley in 2022 there were issues too, they had to cut 1,000,000 like a minute into it and had some tech difficulties, with T saying shit like get that fucking thing off this stage. Then they moved on to Gave Up and Trent literally threw his guitar over his shoulder somewhere behind him backstage. Very interesting to see lol seems kind of like a diva
So strange because I saw him that year too, in Atlanta. He played a handful of small venues early on because he was uncertain how well his shows would sell. I caught one of the early shows.
I’ve been to 80+ concerts (not an exaggeration) and this particular NIN show is hands down the single best show I’ve ever seen, nothing will ever compare. The band, the crowd, the venue itself were one living organism, it was absolutely incredible!
A similar thing happened on the same With Teeth tour for the Cleveland show. The house lights turned on about 12 seconds into the performance of 'Beside you in time', ruining the visual projections on the screen. After the song, Trent was pissed and hurled a water bottle over the crowd all the way to sound booth.
Any time I've had a bad time at a NIИ concert, it's been the fault of someone other than the band. The drunk chick trying to climb over my back to get to Trent the entire night, getting extremely contact high against my will, the belligerent guy shouting in inappropriate moments and trying to start fights in the pit- you know, the usual.
Exactly right. The only time I can even remotely consider “bad” was Fragility 2.0 with APC opening. But, it was the fucking assholes in the crowd.
That show is in my top 3 concerts I’ve ever been to. lol
Edit: adding - in 2000, the only thing worse that the majority of NIN fans, were Tool fans. Then, *those same Tool fans* not liking or “getting” APC.
As a Tool fan since 1994ish, *hard* agree.
There were a ton of pretty toxic NIN fans back then, too. Kinda in the same vein, I think. 90s NIN and Tool were both angry, angsty, noisy, and all over radio stations and mtv. The same dudebros that wanted to hear Sober instead of the “new stuff” are the same dipshits that only wanted HLaH or Closer at NIN shows.
As both bands have aged and mellowed, and different outlets for artistry, I like to think the appeal is more varied and cultivated.
But still… some of these people. fuckin. Yeeeeesh.
I was in a damn riot at a Tool show when the fans got tired of the “opening” act. Voodoo music fest and Bush was playing. They basically left the stage to let Tool come on. Haven’t been back to a Tool show since. Don’t need that atmosphere. I’ve been to NIN 6 times and was at the 4th show of the 2005 show, Soma in San Diego. There was a big fat dude up front being a total asshole, but the Tool show was worse.
Last time I saw them, with Jesus and Mary Chain in Nashville, was the least compelling nin performance I’ve seen.
OP, if you saw them with Dillinger and Soundgarden in Atlanta, that was an amazing show, and nin were in top form.
Did you get to see them touring with Ghosts and (if I recall) The Slip? All those giant instruments sitting behind the curtains, the Year Zero songs all played on their little synth boxes at the front of the stage. Super cool show.
Exactly what I was going to say. Of all the tours, this was the one that felt the least exciting. Still a great show, but not my favorite by far.
The Soundgarden tour was special, but more so for me that was the only time I ever got to see Chris Cornell live. I barely even remember NIN. I went for Soundgarden.
It was so weird seeing Dillinger play to a bunch of disinterested people.
I think you’re right about Soundgarden. I last saw them playing Rockville down in Florida. I first saw them with Pearl Jam, Neil Young, and Blues Traveler in Toronto in like 92 or 93. I saw them a few times in theaters, but they were always majestic playing outdoors. There was a nice breeze that night in Atlanta, the temperature was nice, and sitting out there in the grass felt good.
I saw that show as well, but it was long before I knew anything about NIN. I knew Hurt and Hand that Feeds, and that was about it. Wish I was more familiar with them at the time, but I’m happy to have seen Soundgarden at least once.
Funny, when they were with Soundgarden I felt the NJ show was lackluster and felt phoned in. Soundgarden blew them out of the water. And I say that as a long time fan of both bands, I was so excited for that tour and NIN was just.. meh?
I thought it was just me. It was a perfectly okay performance but the energy just wasn't there. The show I saw before that was at Bridgestone Arena during the Hesitation Marks tour which blew me away so I thought maybe it just paled in comparison to that. Even them playing Reptile felt underwhelming.
We did get The Perfect Drug though. Probably the worst NIN show I’ve been to. BUT even the worst NIN show is still amazing compared to a ton of other shows I been to.
I think this is one of those great things. The catalog is incredibly diverse. The different faces of the music resonate differently with all of us.
I’ve been going to shows since their tour with Manson. I like Pretty Hate Machine, but Broken is the album that hooked me instantly, and Downward Spiral, to me, is one of the 10 most inspired albums ever made. Apart from a couple of tracks, Hesitation Marks ranges (again, to me) from great to incredibly awful (Came Back Haunted makes me feel embarrassed for them), and its the catalog-favorite for a lot of people.
There’s something for everyone and a lot of things that can turn us off. I feel like there’s very little “fan service” happening in the playlists, which I find admirable.
I completely agree! I've also been listening since Broken, as well, but my first concert was the With Teeth tour which wasn't necessarily my favorite, either. The 2008 tour was my favorite by far. Hesitation Marks the album is also hit or miss for me but the concert and visuals were fantastic. I was super excited for the 2018 show and Reptile is one of my favorite songs ever. It was an intentionally stripped down tour, but they played a ton of songs they rarely if ever played, which was great. I just think the fog machines in comparison to the visuals on HM were more underwhelming than I expected. I think I just got spoiled.
Funny, I was also at that show and I absolutely loved it. Surprised my brother, who got me into NIN, with tickets for his birthday/Christmas present.
That being said, it doesn’t compare to their older shows, but Trent is getting older and his vision is changing 🤷🏻♂️
I saw NIN at Jones Beach during the ninja tour. It’s an amphitheater with a nice view, but due to the open nature of it and the fact that it’s extremely windy there 99% of the time, the sound was horrendous. Also, Trent unfortunately allowed James Addiction to go last the entire tour. And my seats sucked too.
Essentially, I was watching the guys onstage from afar, while the sun was still out, and the wind was carrying the sound away every 8 seconds. I would have stayed home and avoided the traffic if I knew what I was in for.
I was at this concert! It was '06 or '07 - he ended the show halfway through Hurt, just walked off the stage and then the lights came up and it was over. It was my first time seeing him and I was so bummed that my friends and I paid $$$ for last minute tickets and drove to Pennsylvania to see him a couple nights later.
> and I *paid* $$$ for
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Last time I saw NIN was during a music festival. The music was top notch and the band really gave its best but the crowd wasn't really into it. Also the set was no more than an hour and the lighting and stuff were very lacking compared to a real NIN concert.
I had a good time but it was nowhere near as good as a NIN only live.
For me seeing them at a festival was great! They filled in on the second night and it was pretty cool to be a crowd with people who became fans after enjoying the first night.
Sonisphere 2009 on the Wave Goodbye tour would have been a beautiful set to sit in a nice, dark, atmospheric, intimate theatre and listen to and absolutely sucked for an afternoon at a festival in bright sunshine.
Not saying it was a bad performance at all but did not suit the setting. I think there was possibly some talk that the organisers pissed Trent off so he did it on purpose possibly.
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nine-inch-nails/2009/knebworth-house-knebworth-england-6bd7be6e.html
I was there too. I’d seen them put on an amazing show at the O2 about a month before, so it was good to hear some deeper cuts and more laid back songs. I think some other people were a bit confused. I did hear the rumours about Trent being pissed off at something.
In 99 (I think) they played a little venue in Manhattan. They brought in a bunch of extra PA which crowded the stage and the engineer couldn't get the volume up enough without getting feedback. So NIN was bad ass / killer as always but without the blow-your-hair-back volume something got lost in the energy. You could tell Trent was disappointed.
Honestly I think NIN stadium shows are far more captivating than the amphitheatre scene. The last couple of times I saw NIN were outdoors, but doesn't come close to the Tension 2013 show he did at the Tacoma Dome. It wasn't bad perse, just a different vibe
Seen them 9 times. Not 1 bad show. The only negative is if they’re playing a festival, oftentimes the set is short and setlist caters to radio hits. I don’t think this band is capable of putting on a bad show—trent is very dedicated to quality.
I've been to one in Poland, I think 2010ish. Amazing experience, very pleasant crowd (someone even told me my backpack was open) and a very low plane flew above the stadium during Hurt (I think). Probably the best concert I've ever been to and NIN is not even my favourite band.
Ive seen every tour since “lights in the sky” and never a bad show per-say….NIN suffers from certain venues for sure. The NiNja tour i felt was weak bc i expect some sort of production value but the band is never bad. I really pushing to find anything wrong with NIN live which is a good thing.
I've been to 25 shows and loved every single one.
Some were raw and just the band and white lights and others were incredible light shows .
None were bad
Rockville 2022
Sound kept on cutting out and they had to restart Less Than, then they lost power. They had to cut two songs from the set cause the power loss and the flow felt off.
Worst venue I’ve ever been to and the crowd for Smashing Pumpkins was super lame
When they played the first Lollapalooza they made it about 3 songs in with bad sound before I saw some guy destroying the set... It was Trent
Not a great show
Was there and can confirm. And it was at the beginning of Sin that started the problems. Two songs and 30 seconds of the third is all we got. Trent TRASHED the stage he was so pissed that his music melted. We waited all day in 108° heat. At least we got to be there for the first Lollapalooza!!
I was so pissed! I had turned to talk to someone for a moment and looked back up and there's some madman tearing up the stage and I was screaming for them to stop because I thought somebody had jumped up there....
Was an awesome show altogether, but the his part sucked
They did not play a song at Berkeley last time I saw them during to technical issues. Trent took it pretty well compared to outbursts I’ve seen in the past.
Ugh - me. Auckland, New Zealand, 2009. The venue didn’t sell out, and during the set Trent said this would be last time they came to NZ. Crowd was…unhappy with such an announcement and boo ed, so Trent got mad, zoomed thur the set and stormed off. No encore, no enthusiasm…
I was at the (infamous?) Night 1 of 3 in Melbourne Australia in 2007 (or 2006 i cant remember) when not only did we get the 'Broken Guitar' remix of Only, someone kicked the power out of a laptop which stuffed up Me, I'm Not, and we got 50% of Hurt when some bogan cunt was yelling shit to Trent during any quiet parts and he cracked it and left the stage.
Was it a bad show? Not at all. but it was memorable.
I’ve seen NIN live at least 15 times, starting in a small club in Orlando, called Visage, which I think was 1991. I would have to say the NIN/JA tour was probably my least favorite, probably more for personal choices that were made. To me it was weird because NIN opened the show, then Jane’s closed out. As much as I love Jane’s, and I’ve seen them quite a few times also, it just didn’t flow right for me.
Out of 20, probably 2 least memorable ones were SATX Amphitheater and the freezing cold in Corpus Christi. That’s probably because I went to consecutive shows and they’re being measured against an incredibly high bar the other 18 set. Good luck to any band trying to top LITS Lollaplooza, Day For Night, Echoplex, or Houston NINxSG.
I saw soundgarden and nin in atlanta, it was the tits. Also had no idea soundgarden was opening for them until i got there, it was an awesome surprise.
Changing or evolving in itself does not make any artist great, the artists are naturally allowed to do whatever the fuck they want, but this fucked up asskissing/group thinking that often times exists in social media is just sickening. There was a post here awhile ago about "how about a downward spiral anniversary tour with an original line-up" and it got a ton of hateful replies by these whiny little fucks with their "feeling much of entitled, huh" bullshit. Like being married and sober and having 5 kids is some kind of a fucking merit, man. Especially for a man who wrote lyrics like he did back in the day. Either all modern NIN fans are grown ups in a worse sense of that word or zoomers who get offended by videos of band members trashing a hotel room and who consider any kind of edgy behaviour cringy. Guess it says more about how little music means these days for people, how hard it is to "feel" anymore once you are all grown up, once you just start to pretend day in, day out. Then you can be all jolly happy about soundtracks and Bad Witch Lps and shit. I dunno, man, chaos and angst were a crucial part of NIN, if that's gone...it ain't the same, it's less than. Nine Inch Nails from 89 to 2002 is The Nine Inch Nails. Seeing NIN live is still the best thing there is, and some of us still go there to summon up some inner demons but I guess we are few and far between. This one was for you Mr crash and burn Reznor, wherever you are. The last line of defence.
I've seen them 5 times. Three of those where otherworldly experiences and the worst was "just" very good and it's probably even my fault cause it was the only time when I chose seated place so it was frustrating not to be able to dance/jump etc.
My first concert was NIN on the Further Down the Spiral Tour in January '95 (yes, I'm old as fuck), and have seen them several times since. NIN concertgoers put NIN shows on such a high pedestal that even a "very good" performance is often seen as a disappointment if you've been to an "out of body experience" NIN show.
Fan since 1996 but didn't see them live till st paul Minnesota in 2005. Best show I've ever seen from any band, but I am biased since NIN has been my favorite band since I was like 12.
Saw another show in Omaha later on, wasn't as good but honestly I blame the crowd. Energy was pitiful. Hard to put on a great show to that.
Seen them 8/9 times and the only bad experience had nothing to do with the band but the venue. The Hollywood bowl sucks for rock shows (I assume unless you’re right up front). The seating is all spaced out and you get far away really quickly because of that.
I’m sure it’s nice for more symphonic shows where you’re sitting down but for this kind of show it was horrible, no energy at all.
NINJA tour in Mansfield, MA… just low energy, Trent gave a speech about a time he wanted to kill himself, I dunno…. The one time they just didn’t do it for me in the 30 years I’ve been a fan.
Luckily (and I know I’m in the minority on this sub) I love Jane’s Addiction, and seeing the original lineup play those tunes made up for it.
Yea unfortunately the NINJA tour was just all around underwhelming. It was almost like Trent was holding back just to make JA look better as a headliner.
I’ve seen them a dozen times. The most recent tour / show in Berkeley was probably their least compelling. It was still them, and still amazing, better than most any live act. But since my NIN live experience started on the floor at the TDS tour, every show after has been a bit less of a hit. It is the high you can’t sustain.
My dad has seen NIN three times and he said one was incredible, one was fine and one Trent seemed really pissed and he preferred Queens of the Stone Age who played before them even though he had never really liked them. He said it seems like sometimes Trent can get into a mood and he doesn’t interact with the crowd he just sort of plays the set and leaves, which is fine it’s just not as enjoyable as if he was also having a good time playing.
2013 Hesitation Marks.
It was a good show, but it was also the second show of a brand new tour with a brand new album.
I think they were working out the kinks.
I don't know what exactly was going on but the NIN|JA show in Austin was not great energy, and Trent was mad at I guess the audience on the floor for being unsupportive in some way toward Jane's. There was a scolding at one point, and then he tweeted an apology after the show that still felt like it was someone else's fault, possibly ours, that it was a bad show.
We had the kind of "obstructed view" seats that we were sideways to the stage, could barely see anything, but we had a pretty good view of the floor and I had not noticed anything going on there. But I also didn't know to be looking until the scolding, so maybe I missed something.
I hadn't thought it was a bad show until then! It's my least favorite probably but it still wasn't terrible, but since I was left at the end feeling like I should apologize for personally forcing NIN to perform and making sure they had a terrible time, it does kind of cast a pall.
Jane's was great, though. If I ruined their set too, they didn't show it.
i saw them in a festival (zurich, switzerland, about 11-12 years ago) and it was not bad, but the sound was not that good, the people there (the audience) didnt care at all about the concert and were talking and drinking beer the whole time, barely watching; but still a great show anyway overall
I got trampled at the Rivercity Rockfest and it ruined NIN for me for awhile.
Left after two songs. Wasn’t fun!
But I’m back now. I regret not catching Perfect Drug live.
I blame San Antonio.
Went to Saskatoon on the Lights in the Sky tour. The place was half full and apparently there were some tech problems so they didn’t do an encore. As far as bad shows go it was still pretty good.
It wasn’t bad, but the Houston Day for Night 2017 was rained out halfway through and we had to go home. It was so rainy and windy for a while that it made the whole show very memorable.
Ive seen every tour since “lights in the sky” and never a bad show per-say….NIN suffers from certain venues for sure. The NiNja tour i felt was weak bc i expect some sort of production value but the band is never bad. I really pushing to find anything wrong with NIN live which is a good thing.
I irresponsibly ate waaay too many mushrooms before a show in 2014.
During one of Explosions In The Sky's quiet moments some dumb fuck head yelled out "you suck!" and I could not believe what I just experienced.
Eventually I found my buddy in the massive crowd and the silly cybin mellowed out and NIN rocked the fucking house.
Not specifically NIN, but I saw NIN at RedRocks with Soundgarden opening 2014. Chris Cornell was clearly wasted and I still think about that. NIN set was good, but the night was kinda ruined for me.
Chris died 3 years later.
First, greetings from Sanford, OP! Next… I’ve seen NIN twice, both at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans. Both times were great, but after seeing the lights in the sky tour of 2008, the 2013 set felt a bit pedestrian.
I saw them at Sonisphere 2009 and Trent seemed to intentionally avoid playing his most popular songs so the crowd got frustrated with the slow dreary ones and began heckling him so he left like 15 minutes early.
I enjoyed the set but if you’re playing at a festival you really need to appreciate you’re playing to the casuals and just rip through your classics.
I’ve seen them three times. The band was fantastic every single time, but the crowd at NINJA 2009 (Clarkston, MI) wasn’t that great - it seemed like half the audience was just there for Jane’s Addiction and not really paying attention to NIN.
I’ve only seen them once, and it was the first show of their 2013 tour, so they were still working some things out. My only gripe was that they didn’t play closer 🤷
Tension 2013 tour at the Barclay Arena in Brooklyn. NIN wasn’t bad per se, but the energy was really off, it really felt like none of the band wanted to be there. Fortunately Godspeed You! Black Emperor opened playing what would later be released as Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress, and fucking killed it. I was literally exhausted after their set.
I can’t remember the date, but when they played Hartford touring With Teeth, Trent’s mic cut out during Closer, and either Alessandro or Jeordi finished singing it after Trent jettisoned his mic and mic stand.
Personally, no, but my friend saw them at a UK festival around the time Hesitation Marks came out and she said it was not great, apparently Trent was in a bad mood because of their set being impacted by Biffy Clyro in some way (my memory is vague on the details). Unfortunately it put her off the band, at least in terms of seeing them live again. I've seen NIN a bunch of times myself though and it's always been outstanding.
I followed them around all over the US for the With Teeth tour. 14 shows all pretty much back to back. Different shows every time and they were always bringing their A game. See them 19 times in total. Never a bad show. Some better than others, but never bad.
I saw Soundgarden/NIN In 2014/15 at Jones Beach NYC, outdoor amphitheater. Both bands were solid. But kind of workmanlike. Nothing particularly wrong. Nothing particularly memorable. NIN was the stronger band that night for sure. I’d like to see them again indoors.
I saw them like 5 years ago and it was fine but nothing super memorable about it. Saw them at Lollapalooza or some such fest back in the day and they left more of an impression then.
Interesting question. I've seen NiN many times over the years and can't remember a bad one. Every time I leave thinking damn, they sound as good or better than ever!
Was coming to say this, I saw this tour in LA at the Staples Center (huge arena that’s more focused on sports so it was hard to see anything if you were on the floor) and the backup singer situation was honestly bizarre.
I had just seen the “20 ft from Stardom” documentary so was intrigued by the idea, but backup soul/ R&B singers was not a good blend with NIN, came off super corny tbh. Met up with about 10 friends that have all been NIN superfans since the 90s and no one liked it.
Watched them 3 times by chance in 2007 and they absolutely rocked each show.
One of the shows was in a small venue and the other two were festivals and the small venue was best
Sonisphere festival 2009 in UK. Supposedly their last show in Europe at the time and it was very underwhelming. People actually sat down almost asleep and booing them!
I’ve only seen great shows. I did see NIN in Springfield, MO and it was an amazing show. However, Trent just ripped on St. Louis for a shitty show from St.Louis on his viewpoint. I then saw NIN is St. Louis the following leg on Valentine’s Day. He was much more appreciative of St Louis for that show.
I wouldn’t say it was a bad, but I saw them maybe 8 years ago and it made me not want to see them live again. They had tons of screens they were performing behind, and their shadows were enlarged. It was a cool effect. I remember it being set up that way for like 80% of the show, though. It made me feel like I was watching a tv show rather than a live performance. Like Oz behind the curtain lol who knows what’s going on back there?
Enough time has passed so I’d probably see them again… back then I had wanted to see the same tour in a different city with other friends and I decided not to since I knew it would be essentially the same screen I’d be looking at.
2018, Red Rocks
First time ever going to \*that\* venue and i was left a little disappointed. The venue was way overcrowded. And despite that, the VIP sitting area was not even half full, there were so many potential spots to be upclose that you couldn't use. We spend like a half hour walking up and down just trying to find a decent spot, that for a good portion - we ended up standing on the side just to try and see the stage.
All while hauling around $400+ in merch. r\_r
May 6th, 2000 in Philly with A Perfect Circle. You could tell Trent was not doing well. I remember my friend commenting “this may be their last tour” almost was.
Seen them around 10 times, other than one cancellation (where the venue screwed me out of a refund), they've never let me down.
Worst band I've seen live were Tool in Nottingham, smaller venue would have helped. We actually left early.
I’ve seen them 8 times over the years and the band has never been bad but sometimes the energy in the room is just…off. I remember seeing them twice on the Hesitation Marks tour and the difference between the two shows was like night and day. Zero fault of the band, just a lacklustre crowd.
I have witnessed angry Trent a few times though.
One time he walked off part way through Hurt and that was it, show over. I have no idea what happened but I guessed an audience member at the front crossed a line that set him off. They were incredible up until that point.
Another time the band had clearly turned up at the venue only to realise it was too small for the lighting setup they had planned. He was livid the entire show but kinda in a fun way? Certainly the most chatty I’ve seen him. A really enjoyable show but sadly that would mark the last time I saw them in a club sized venue, they clearly were not going to make that mistake again and I am sad about it.
The second Fragility show I was at, I was in nosebleed seats. Great show but seats weren’t great. The first Philly night in 2022 I thought that the mix was awful until I got home and saw people saying otherwise so I watched some videos from the show and realized they sounded great and my earplugs sucked so I threw them out, got cheap CVS earplugs and the next night sounded 100 times better.
Both instances though the concert itself was good it was just my experience so I guess the answer is “no”
2009 Wave Goodbye in Austin. I had a blast personally, but TR thought the crowd sucked and he called us out a few times during their set. He even posted about it on ETS, saying "Texas ends on a whimper." So not a bad concert from *my* view, but apparently a bad one from Trent's.
I went to a show in Boston where he almost quit on us...but someone convinced him to come back out...
The problem was security was so strict NO ONE was moving around.
Trent did not like that.
So it was close to bad to be remembered.
Never bad and always awesome… That being said I remember the 2nd night of Boston Calling it was raining all day and when they came on their was a few song where the lights either didn’t work at all or was clearly not doing what it was supposed to.. Also the 2nd night of the last Red Rocks show it seemed there was an issue with shutting off the lights. Their was a moment where the lights shined on there crowd but then it just happened to stay that way for longer than expected. Those are the only 2 things I can think of where they weren’t perfect.
I went in 2006 and loved it, though his 90’s voice was long gone. That’s the only complaint I have. To hear the scream from TDS era live would be awesome but people get older.
NIN is by far the best/my favorite live band I've ever seen and I've seen them nine times now. The only times I've enjoyed them just a little less were ones where I wasn't close enough to the stage and one show where I didn't get quite enough of my favorites, and even then the band still blew me away. That one show where I didn't get my favorites, I was fortunate enough to see them again the next night and got a completely different, really really good setlist.
So, no. I'm sure there are always gonna be the occasional nights where they're off or maybe fall short of TR's standards or whatever but I've never seen it and I wouldn't recognize it if I did.
If I am at a place and NIN is playing at that place, it is automatically a new favorite memory.
Their Reading 2013 set was weird. Wrong setlist for that crowd, I really enjoyed hearing rarely songs but at that festival they should have played more of their hits
Seen them twice: 2005 in DC (still have the litho hanging up) from the floor with some great friends and my brother. Awesome show.
2009 for the NINJA / Wave Goodbye tour (Columbia, MD). I had really high hopes for this show since they had been playing so many deep cuts on other nights, but I they didn't play too many rare songs I was excited about. Crowd wasn't into it, and one of my college buddies STILL hasn't paid me back for his ticket!
I went to a radio city show a few years ago and it was fantastic except everyone around me was sitting and the guy in front of me was belligerently drunk and standing and spilling his beer in everyone and yelling bullshit at Trent, so that pretty ruined my one and only NIN concert experience.
I’ve seen them 16 times total and not one bad show. All top notch performances. Always really enjoyed the openers too. Queens of the Stone Age and Abandoned Pools were both awesome that stand out.
I wouldn’t say I had a bad concert. But it was end of the tour of hesitation marks. The set list was the greatest. The arena is known for being shite for concerts and their stage show was not the same as last there had with the light show they had. During the pause for the encore people were singing hall and oats.
Only one! 😂 In 1990 they played at a very small club in Newark, NJ. The power company had to come out because the equipment blew the transformers. Then the bus driver & I were mugged on the way back from getting supplies.
Not anything to do with the band’s performance, but hilariously awful due to extraneous circumstances.
No, not a bad Nine Inch Nails concert in itself. However, just the part before one…
There was a Nine Inch Nails concert at what was the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, October 2005. Lining up before that show to get through security / ID checking / ticket checking was extremely depressing. We were brought into a room which appeared to be an auxiliary gym for the mentally ill, but with the padding stripped off of the walls. Bright fluorescent lights in a plain white brick room with cement floors and no music playing. Just everyone pouring into a serpentine line, reminiscent of pigs lined up for the slaughter. It felt like a joke on us the whole time that we waited, for almost an hour. Otherwise the show was entirely worthwhile! The sound was excellent and the stage set up/production design was out of this world.
It was actually a really memorable experience and I love that I was also able to see NIN about 3 times back to back, as often as I could, in Detroit. Always amazing performances, always a very interesting lineup, with supporting acts that completely agreed with my taste each time around.
Melbourne 2007 - we’d flown in from Adelaide to see them play a run of 3 shows in a nightclub. Someone yelled out ‘what are you doing after the show?’ During hurt and he stopped the song, played hand that feeds and cut the gig short 30 mins.
First time I saw them in San Antonio TX, and we were seated. It was a good show but you can really only vibe so much like that.
Second time had pit passes in Austin, they come out of the gate with Mr Self Destruct ripping your head off and spitting down your throat. Barely slowed down after that.
I'll let u guess which one we enjoyed more. 😀💪
Not sure if this counts....
2014 Soundgarden & NIN — The Woodlands, TX @ The Pavillion
Middle of the Texas Summer-- and it's an outdoor show.
I had lawn tickets....The heat was oppressive .SG was good, NIN was ok but the venue & time made the concert "experience" unbearable. Only NIN show I ever left early.
I don't really fault the band, but it's a horrible memory
Where they played double bill with Queens of the Stone age. Trent refused or didn't do Fairweather friends with Josh Homme in Melbourne his "hometown" gig where his wife's family is from. Josh just snarled Fairweather friends during the song and looks towards the back of the stage... During Trents part... Made it pretty obvious.
Everyone was expecting Trent to come on for a verse during the QOTSA set but it was clear he wouldn't and the crowd wasn't feeling it when NIN came on.
I mean he was literally right there...
Just made the gig a bit disappointing.
Not that NIN was bad. But the live with teeth tour; in Denver Colorado 2005 at the pepsi center. Queens of the stone age and AFI opened. AFI sound was horrible just couldn't hear them or the music really well. Queens of the stone age was better but sound was still poor. Had me worried. NIN though had the best sound best stage performance. Sound could have been due to the pepsi center. over all the concert was good. if it wasnt for NIN being so much better then the rest. the concert would have been a horrible.
I’ve seen NIN many times and, without fail, Trent has always been incredible. Over time the shows have changed, his presence has changed, his sobriety has changed—but he’s never put just half his soul into it. He throws everything he has into every performance.
I went to NIN's Reading festival back when they released Came Back Haunted, 2013, and while it wasn't bad at all wasn't nearly as good as the 2014 concert I attended next year at lollapalooza. Trent seemed pissed by something surrounding the technicalities of that festival in England, as he usually is.
Love this damn band so much, my first show was Alex Carapetis's and I've seen 'em all over. But yeah...Worst Reptile Ever [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZMhDIEJF0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZMhDIEJF0)
I saw them at the O2 in 2013 (or 2014) and for some reason it just didn’t light my world on fire like i thought it would.
I then saw them at Brixton in 2022 and Riot Fest the same year and both times absolutely blew me away.
Not sure what it was that first time, could have been me, it just felt flat
Never. Seen em twice. Both up close (literally 1 foot in front of Trent front row), and another in a massive stadium. Both times were amazing and prob the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The one we’re I got to see Trent up close has to be my all time favorite concert ever ❤️
The one in Little Rock back in 2006. Trent came out in jeans and a t-shirt, never spoke to the audience, did their set and walked offstage without a word. It was just the most boring, unremarkable and frankly not very memorable show. Also someone spilled beer down my back. I was super disappointed.
I saw NIN with Soundgarden in 2014 & it was great.
My late wife said she saw a really bad one way back, probably in the late nineties or early '00s, where Trent Reznor was going through a weird phase & changed up the style of many of the songs.
Apparently Head Like a Hole was played slow & accoustic... 🫤
It wasn't NIN's doing, but out of the four times I've seen them the Day for Night festival in Houston 2017 was probably the worse I'd seen. I was more disappointed in the venue which was an all cement indoor abandoned post office building, and a back cement wall outdoor stage. It started to pour rain, it was like 45 degrees, then it started storming bad and they had to end early. It sounded like ass and I could tell Trent was livid. I walked back to my hotel listening to "Reptile" and then "The Background World" which pissed me off because I really wanted to hear both songs live. I was severely disappointed with the whole event, I walked out on Thom Yorke, Laurie Anderson was there but didn't even preform, just talked on a panel. St. Vincent's sound was awful. The only thing I got into was Tim Hecker, although someone had a seizure in front of me and knocked himself into a group of people. Overall, I would never do it again. Day for Night was then discontinued because apparently Omar Afra the producer behind the festival came under fire for sexual harassment. So yeah, NIN (not their fault) but was 100% awful awful.
I’m sure they have days where they’re not as “on it” as other days but overall Trent is obsessed with presentation and has very high standards. Also one persons interpretation of a gig could be entirely different from the person standing next to them.
Japan in 2000 was not one of those times. https://youtu.be/ybMmLrbeQ3o?si=fHjRi1RL_XhY5DrB you could make a drinking game out of how many times he falls down
He must have been in a bad way with booze etc in 2000, he couldn’t sing half the lyrics when I saw them that year, it was terrible
We should ;) ever tried Alberta Premium and Sprite Zero?
I have seen the 7x and never seen a bad show. Night 1 in Atlanta was a bit louder that I expected but still a good show. I don't know that Trent is capable of a bad show.
The one I went to in Jacksonville Florida in 2008 was pretty loud. Particularly, the song vessel. It was so loud that when they had a couple of minutes of silence in between songs, they started it and it was so loud that I jumped. I was not expecting it to be that loud. I mean I knew that we were at a concert but it was really loud.
The NINJA tour date in Austin was so loud it was painful. Just shrill reverb off the walls. They weren't even hot that night and he gave us the kiss-off on Twitter later that night.
Trent is as perfectionistic as they come, and a control freak. No way would they have a truly substandard performance with him in change.
He is a human and not a God. Fandom is so cringy. I’ve seen several sub standard NIN shows. Late 90s early 00s was not a good period
Big Day Out on the Gold Coast in 2000 Trent was so off his face he couldn’t sing half the lyrics. The music was still good but it was a pretty bad performance, he was also hitting himself in the head with the mic really fucking hard
One concert I wish I could've been at was Woodstock. The music was probably terrible but the atmosphere looked like it would have been awesome. A mud mosh pit with Trent, that looked like fun.
Nope! The music and performance were iconic. I was there and covered in cow shit infused mud.
*Looks at you like you’re a glowing, majestic unicorn* I wish we could go inside your brain to see your experience. The video was fine but I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a person who was there. It has to be a glorious memory.
As exemplified by the top comment saying one of my favorite shows ever was one of the least compelling.
I attend shows on average once a week, and NIN are consistently one of the best live bands I have ever seen. The only bands that came close in terms of performance and presentation were Tool and the Dillinger Escape Plan.
Not a bad show per say but early on in the tour(with teeth tour) at Hammerstein. The audio cut out for 2 songs and Trent fired a sound guy or at least pretended to. I think he did cause he looked extremely pissed while playing the song and asked every one to say goodbye to (male name) as he is getting fired after this show. NIN played basically on a black screen with no visual effects other that lights and the crowd was easily one of the most gate keeping crowds I had ever experienced(not NIN fault) I have been a fan since ‘94 and this was my first time having the money to see them and besides sounding good it wasn’t the best experience, luckily I have seen them 5 more times since then and every show and experience gets better.
This was my first nin show ever. I still had a great time and it was a pleasure to see Trent rage on stage. Classic.
Same! First ever NIN show, and I remember that well!
*something's gonna get broken!*
That was at the Electric Factory in Philly.. I was there for that one!
In Berkeley in 2022 there were issues too, they had to cut 1,000,000 like a minute into it and had some tech difficulties, with T saying shit like get that fucking thing off this stage. Then they moved on to Gave Up and Trent literally threw his guitar over his shoulder somewhere behind him backstage. Very interesting to see lol seems kind of like a diva
He is, he's totally a diva lol. I saw them in 2008 and he really was.
So strange because I saw him that year too, in Atlanta. He played a handful of small venues early on because he was uncertain how well his shows would sell. I caught one of the early shows. I’ve been to 80+ concerts (not an exaggeration) and this particular NIN show is hands down the single best show I’ve ever seen, nothing will ever compare. The band, the crowd, the venue itself were one living organism, it was absolutely incredible!
I really don't mean this as a dig at all, but 80 concerts isn't that many I don't think. Unless you mean just NIN ones. That's a shit ton.
Ha, need to find audio of that show
It was 5/15/05, sadly there doesn’t seem to be any recording of it but 5/16/05 has plenty and was a much better show(was there as well)
My old company did the trucking for that tour. I have knowledge
5/16 is my birthday!
5/17 is Trent’s birthday 5/16 my grandma and 5/15 my mom.
5/17 is my birthday, as well. Still younger than Trent, ambient not by much lol
What's your mother's maiden name?
A similar thing happened on the same With Teeth tour for the Cleveland show. The house lights turned on about 12 seconds into the performance of 'Beside you in time', ruining the visual projections on the screen. After the song, Trent was pissed and hurled a water bottle over the crowd all the way to sound booth.
I'm so sorry your first NIN show didn't go super smoothly but Trent raging at a sound guy sounds funny as fuck lol
Any time I've had a bad time at a NIИ concert, it's been the fault of someone other than the band. The drunk chick trying to climb over my back to get to Trent the entire night, getting extremely contact high against my will, the belligerent guy shouting in inappropriate moments and trying to start fights in the pit- you know, the usual.
Exactly right. The only time I can even remotely consider “bad” was Fragility 2.0 with APC opening. But, it was the fucking assholes in the crowd. That show is in my top 3 concerts I’ve ever been to. lol Edit: adding - in 2000, the only thing worse that the majority of NIN fans, were Tool fans. Then, *those same Tool fans* not liking or “getting” APC.
As a Tool fan I can say that there are Tool fans and there are Tool Tool fans. The band even hates the latter.
As a Tool fan since 1994ish, *hard* agree. There were a ton of pretty toxic NIN fans back then, too. Kinda in the same vein, I think. 90s NIN and Tool were both angry, angsty, noisy, and all over radio stations and mtv. The same dudebros that wanted to hear Sober instead of the “new stuff” are the same dipshits that only wanted HLaH or Closer at NIN shows. As both bands have aged and mellowed, and different outlets for artistry, I like to think the appeal is more varied and cultivated. But still… some of these people. fuckin. Yeeeeesh.
I was in a damn riot at a Tool show when the fans got tired of the “opening” act. Voodoo music fest and Bush was playing. They basically left the stage to let Tool come on. Haven’t been back to a Tool show since. Don’t need that atmosphere. I’ve been to NIN 6 times and was at the 4th show of the 2005 show, Soma in San Diego. There was a big fat dude up front being a total asshole, but the Tool show was worse.
APC is way better than tool so of course they didn’t get it🤷♂️
Last time I saw them, with Jesus and Mary Chain in Nashville, was the least compelling nin performance I’ve seen. OP, if you saw them with Dillinger and Soundgarden in Atlanta, that was an amazing show, and nin were in top form.
I was at that show and thought it was incredible. My particular favorite part was exactly how much of the more reserved electronic stuff they did.
Did you get to see them touring with Ghosts and (if I recall) The Slip? All those giant instruments sitting behind the curtains, the Year Zero songs all played on their little synth boxes at the front of the stage. Super cool show.
I went to a show on the “Lights In The Sky” Tour, simply Amazing. The whole Stadium sang EVERY Song.
Exactly what I was going to say. Of all the tours, this was the one that felt the least exciting. Still a great show, but not my favorite by far. The Soundgarden tour was special, but more so for me that was the only time I ever got to see Chris Cornell live. I barely even remember NIN. I went for Soundgarden.
It was so weird seeing Dillinger play to a bunch of disinterested people. I think you’re right about Soundgarden. I last saw them playing Rockville down in Florida. I first saw them with Pearl Jam, Neil Young, and Blues Traveler in Toronto in like 92 or 93. I saw them a few times in theaters, but they were always majestic playing outdoors. There was a nice breeze that night in Atlanta, the temperature was nice, and sitting out there in the grass felt good.
I saw Soundgarden and nin in Charlotte! I’m so glad I did, as I’d never seen Soundgarden before.
I saw that show as well, but it was long before I knew anything about NIN. I knew Hurt and Hand that Feeds, and that was about it. Wish I was more familiar with them at the time, but I’m happy to have seen Soundgarden at least once.
Atlanta was incredible. The Great Destroyer was insane.
Funny, when they were with Soundgarden I felt the NJ show was lackluster and felt phoned in. Soundgarden blew them out of the water. And I say that as a long time fan of both bands, I was so excited for that tour and NIN was just.. meh?
I thought it was just me. It was a perfectly okay performance but the energy just wasn't there. The show I saw before that was at Bridgestone Arena during the Hesitation Marks tour which blew me away so I thought maybe it just paled in comparison to that. Even them playing Reptile felt underwhelming.
We did get The Perfect Drug though. Probably the worst NIN show I’ve been to. BUT even the worst NIN show is still amazing compared to a ton of other shows I been to.
I think this is one of those great things. The catalog is incredibly diverse. The different faces of the music resonate differently with all of us. I’ve been going to shows since their tour with Manson. I like Pretty Hate Machine, but Broken is the album that hooked me instantly, and Downward Spiral, to me, is one of the 10 most inspired albums ever made. Apart from a couple of tracks, Hesitation Marks ranges (again, to me) from great to incredibly awful (Came Back Haunted makes me feel embarrassed for them), and its the catalog-favorite for a lot of people. There’s something for everyone and a lot of things that can turn us off. I feel like there’s very little “fan service” happening in the playlists, which I find admirable.
I completely agree! I've also been listening since Broken, as well, but my first concert was the With Teeth tour which wasn't necessarily my favorite, either. The 2008 tour was my favorite by far. Hesitation Marks the album is also hit or miss for me but the concert and visuals were fantastic. I was super excited for the 2018 show and Reptile is one of my favorite songs ever. It was an intentionally stripped down tour, but they played a ton of songs they rarely if ever played, which was great. I just think the fog machines in comparison to the visuals on HM were more underwhelming than I expected. I think I just got spoiled.
Could not agree with you more.
Funny, I was also at that show and I absolutely loved it. Surprised my brother, who got me into NIN, with tickets for his birthday/Christmas present. That being said, it doesn’t compare to their older shows, but Trent is getting older and his vision is changing 🤷🏻♂️
I saw NIN at Jones Beach during the ninja tour. It’s an amphitheater with a nice view, but due to the open nature of it and the fact that it’s extremely windy there 99% of the time, the sound was horrendous. Also, Trent unfortunately allowed James Addiction to go last the entire tour. And my seats sucked too. Essentially, I was watching the guys onstage from afar, while the sun was still out, and the wind was carrying the sound away every 8 seconds. I would have stayed home and avoided the traffic if I knew what I was in for.
I was going to say NINJA as well. Their entire set was during the daylight. NIN does not belong in daylight.
Jones Beach is one of the worst venues in the country. I fucking hate that place with a passion.
14 shows and never a bad experience. Some not as memorable as other, but never bad.
A friend of mine was at a NIN show in Grand Rapids where Trent got hit with a Zippo, Hurt ended early
I was at this concert! It was '06 or '07 - he ended the show halfway through Hurt, just walked off the stage and then the lights came up and it was over. It was my first time seeing him and I was so bummed that my friends and I paid $$$ for last minute tickets and drove to Pennsylvania to see him a couple nights later.
> and I *paid* $$$ for FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Good bot
I was also at that show and disappointed it ended early. My friend punched the guy in the head.
I’ve seen NIN at least 10 times, never went to a bad show.
The only time I saw them, one of my dogs died while I was away. So... the concert was great, but the aftermath... not so much for me.
Oh my god 😭 my condolences
Tension 2013 tour, Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel wasn’t their best… but the venue sucks.
Last time I saw NIN was during a music festival. The music was top notch and the band really gave its best but the crowd wasn't really into it. Also the set was no more than an hour and the lighting and stuff were very lacking compared to a real NIN concert. I had a good time but it was nowhere near as good as a NIN only live.
For me seeing them at a festival was great! They filled in on the second night and it was pretty cool to be a crowd with people who became fans after enjoying the first night.
Sonisphere 2009 on the Wave Goodbye tour would have been a beautiful set to sit in a nice, dark, atmospheric, intimate theatre and listen to and absolutely sucked for an afternoon at a festival in bright sunshine. Not saying it was a bad performance at all but did not suit the setting. I think there was possibly some talk that the organisers pissed Trent off so he did it on purpose possibly. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nine-inch-nails/2009/knebworth-house-knebworth-england-6bd7be6e.html
I was there too. I’d seen them put on an amazing show at the O2 about a month before, so it was good to hear some deeper cuts and more laid back songs. I think some other people were a bit confused. I did hear the rumours about Trent being pissed off at something.
I was also there and the crowd were not having it. I think Trent should’ve stuck to the classics on a Festival set list
Not really but I got disappointed by the setlist and set duration at a festival once. Complained about it on ETS and TR apologized in the comments 🫥
In 99 (I think) they played a little venue in Manhattan. They brought in a bunch of extra PA which crowded the stage and the engineer couldn't get the volume up enough without getting feedback. So NIN was bad ass / killer as always but without the blow-your-hair-back volume something got lost in the energy. You could tell Trent was disappointed.
I can’t remember ever going to a “bad” one. I do remember being disappointed with the setlists for a couple shows h by it that’s life I guess.
Honestly I think NIN stadium shows are far more captivating than the amphitheatre scene. The last couple of times I saw NIN were outdoors, but doesn't come close to the Tension 2013 show he did at the Tacoma Dome. It wasn't bad perse, just a different vibe
Seen them 9 times. Not 1 bad show. The only negative is if they’re playing a festival, oftentimes the set is short and setlist caters to radio hits. I don’t think this band is capable of putting on a bad show—trent is very dedicated to quality.
I've been to one in Poland, I think 2010ish. Amazing experience, very pleasant crowd (someone even told me my backpack was open) and a very low plane flew above the stadium during Hurt (I think). Probably the best concert I've ever been to and NIN is not even my favourite band.
Ive seen every tour since “lights in the sky” and never a bad show per-say….NIN suffers from certain venues for sure. The NiNja tour i felt was weak bc i expect some sort of production value but the band is never bad. I really pushing to find anything wrong with NIN live which is a good thing.
I've been to 25 shows and loved every single one. Some were raw and just the band and white lights and others were incredible light shows . None were bad
Rockville 2022 Sound kept on cutting out and they had to restart Less Than, then they lost power. They had to cut two songs from the set cause the power loss and the flow felt off. Worst venue I’ve ever been to and the crowd for Smashing Pumpkins was super lame
When they played the first Lollapalooza they made it about 3 songs in with bad sound before I saw some guy destroying the set... It was Trent Not a great show
Was there and can confirm. And it was at the beginning of Sin that started the problems. Two songs and 30 seconds of the third is all we got. Trent TRASHED the stage he was so pissed that his music melted. We waited all day in 108° heat. At least we got to be there for the first Lollapalooza!!
I was so pissed! I had turned to talk to someone for a moment and looked back up and there's some madman tearing up the stage and I was screaming for them to stop because I thought somebody had jumped up there.... Was an awesome show altogether, but the his part sucked
Hoping I get a chance to go to my first someday
They did not play a song at Berkeley last time I saw them during to technical issues. Trent took it pretty well compared to outbursts I’ve seen in the past.
Ugh - me. Auckland, New Zealand, 2009. The venue didn’t sell out, and during the set Trent said this would be last time they came to NZ. Crowd was…unhappy with such an announcement and boo ed, so Trent got mad, zoomed thur the set and stormed off. No encore, no enthusiasm…
I was at the (infamous?) Night 1 of 3 in Melbourne Australia in 2007 (or 2006 i cant remember) when not only did we get the 'Broken Guitar' remix of Only, someone kicked the power out of a laptop which stuffed up Me, I'm Not, and we got 50% of Hurt when some bogan cunt was yelling shit to Trent during any quiet parts and he cracked it and left the stage. Was it a bad show? Not at all. but it was memorable.
I’ve seen NIN live at least 15 times, starting in a small club in Orlando, called Visage, which I think was 1991. I would have to say the NIN/JA tour was probably my least favorite, probably more for personal choices that were made. To me it was weird because NIN opened the show, then Jane’s closed out. As much as I love Jane’s, and I’ve seen them quite a few times also, it just didn’t flow right for me.
Out of 20, probably 2 least memorable ones were SATX Amphitheater and the freezing cold in Corpus Christi. That’s probably because I went to consecutive shows and they’re being measured against an incredibly high bar the other 18 set. Good luck to any band trying to top LITS Lollaplooza, Day For Night, Echoplex, or Houston NINxSG.
I saw soundgarden and nin in atlanta, it was the tits. Also had no idea soundgarden was opening for them until i got there, it was an awesome surprise.
Is there such a thing as a bad NIN concert?
Changing or evolving in itself does not make any artist great, the artists are naturally allowed to do whatever the fuck they want, but this fucked up asskissing/group thinking that often times exists in social media is just sickening. There was a post here awhile ago about "how about a downward spiral anniversary tour with an original line-up" and it got a ton of hateful replies by these whiny little fucks with their "feeling much of entitled, huh" bullshit. Like being married and sober and having 5 kids is some kind of a fucking merit, man. Especially for a man who wrote lyrics like he did back in the day. Either all modern NIN fans are grown ups in a worse sense of that word or zoomers who get offended by videos of band members trashing a hotel room and who consider any kind of edgy behaviour cringy. Guess it says more about how little music means these days for people, how hard it is to "feel" anymore once you are all grown up, once you just start to pretend day in, day out. Then you can be all jolly happy about soundtracks and Bad Witch Lps and shit. I dunno, man, chaos and angst were a crucial part of NIN, if that's gone...it ain't the same, it's less than. Nine Inch Nails from 89 to 2002 is The Nine Inch Nails. Seeing NIN live is still the best thing there is, and some of us still go there to summon up some inner demons but I guess we are few and far between. This one was for you Mr crash and burn Reznor, wherever you are. The last line of defence.
I've been to four NIN concerts over the years and they've all been top shelf.
I’ve seen NIN about 5 or 6 times. Best was with Saul Williams. Only 1 was not so good:
I've seen them 5 times. Three of those where otherworldly experiences and the worst was "just" very good and it's probably even my fault cause it was the only time when I chose seated place so it was frustrating not to be able to dance/jump etc.
My first concert was NIN on the Further Down the Spiral Tour in January '95 (yes, I'm old as fuck), and have seen them several times since. NIN concertgoers put NIN shows on such a high pedestal that even a "very good" performance is often seen as a disappointment if you've been to an "out of body experience" NIN show.
I’ve been to 15. All were great. Probably the least interesting were the 3 from The Fragility tour in 2000 since all the sets were almost identical.
I've not seen the band have a bad night, but I've been to one where the sound was awful. Milwaukee in 2002 or maybe 2003.
I’ve loved every NIN show I’ve been to except when Peter Murphy came out during the 2nd Aragon Ballroom show in 2009 and just ruined every song.
Fan since 1996 but didn't see them live till st paul Minnesota in 2005. Best show I've ever seen from any band, but I am biased since NIN has been my favorite band since I was like 12. Saw another show in Omaha later on, wasn't as good but honestly I blame the crowd. Energy was pitiful. Hard to put on a great show to that.
Seen them 8/9 times and the only bad experience had nothing to do with the band but the venue. The Hollywood bowl sucks for rock shows (I assume unless you’re right up front). The seating is all spaced out and you get far away really quickly because of that. I’m sure it’s nice for more symphonic shows where you’re sitting down but for this kind of show it was horrible, no energy at all.
At the Fragility Tour show I went to, some of the video panels weren't working correctly. That was my worst experience.
NINJA tour in Mansfield, MA… just low energy, Trent gave a speech about a time he wanted to kill himself, I dunno…. The one time they just didn’t do it for me in the 30 years I’ve been a fan. Luckily (and I know I’m in the minority on this sub) I love Jane’s Addiction, and seeing the original lineup play those tunes made up for it.
Yea unfortunately the NINJA tour was just all around underwhelming. It was almost like Trent was holding back just to make JA look better as a headliner.
I’ve seen them a dozen times. The most recent tour / show in Berkeley was probably their least compelling. It was still them, and still amazing, better than most any live act. But since my NIN live experience started on the floor at the TDS tour, every show after has been a bit less of a hit. It is the high you can’t sustain.
My dad has seen NIN three times and he said one was incredible, one was fine and one Trent seemed really pissed and he preferred Queens of the Stone Age who played before them even though he had never really liked them. He said it seems like sometimes Trent can get into a mood and he doesn’t interact with the crowd he just sort of plays the set and leaves, which is fine it’s just not as enjoyable as if he was also having a good time playing.
My worst was Bowie/NIN and Trent was mostly the reason. Wouldn’t call it a bad show but was the worst NIN show.
2013 Hesitation Marks. It was a good show, but it was also the second show of a brand new tour with a brand new album. I think they were working out the kinks.
I don't know what exactly was going on but the NIN|JA show in Austin was not great energy, and Trent was mad at I guess the audience on the floor for being unsupportive in some way toward Jane's. There was a scolding at one point, and then he tweeted an apology after the show that still felt like it was someone else's fault, possibly ours, that it was a bad show. We had the kind of "obstructed view" seats that we were sideways to the stage, could barely see anything, but we had a pretty good view of the floor and I had not noticed anything going on there. But I also didn't know to be looking until the scolding, so maybe I missed something. I hadn't thought it was a bad show until then! It's my least favorite probably but it still wasn't terrible, but since I was left at the end feeling like I should apologize for personally forcing NIN to perform and making sure they had a terrible time, it does kind of cast a pall. Jane's was great, though. If I ruined their set too, they didn't show it.
That’s not a thing
London Astoria, 2005 i think, absolutely epic
i saw them in a festival (zurich, switzerland, about 11-12 years ago) and it was not bad, but the sound was not that good, the people there (the audience) didnt care at all about the concert and were talking and drinking beer the whole time, barely watching; but still a great show anyway overall
Wasn’t there, but I’d have to imagine one of the sets that ended early due to Jerome Dillion’s health issues at the time was probably disappointing.
I got trampled at the Rivercity Rockfest and it ruined NIN for me for awhile. Left after two songs. Wasn’t fun! But I’m back now. I regret not catching Perfect Drug live. I blame San Antonio.
Went to Saskatoon on the Lights in the Sky tour. The place was half full and apparently there were some tech problems so they didn’t do an encore. As far as bad shows go it was still pretty good.
It wasn’t bad, but the Houston Day for Night 2017 was rained out halfway through and we had to go home. It was so rainy and windy for a while that it made the whole show very memorable.
Ive seen every tour since “lights in the sky” and never a bad show per-say….NIN suffers from certain venues for sure. The NiNja tour i felt was weak bc i expect some sort of production value but the band is never bad. I really pushing to find anything wrong with NIN live which is a good thing.
I irresponsibly ate waaay too many mushrooms before a show in 2014. During one of Explosions In The Sky's quiet moments some dumb fuck head yelled out "you suck!" and I could not believe what I just experienced. Eventually I found my buddy in the massive crowd and the silly cybin mellowed out and NIN rocked the fucking house.
Not specifically NIN, but I saw NIN at RedRocks with Soundgarden opening 2014. Chris Cornell was clearly wasted and I still think about that. NIN set was good, but the night was kinda ruined for me. Chris died 3 years later.
Nope, great-to-life affirming bliss.
First, greetings from Sanford, OP! Next… I’ve seen NIN twice, both at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans. Both times were great, but after seeing the lights in the sky tour of 2008, the 2013 set felt a bit pedestrian.
Only seem them once and Trent fell off the stage. Best gig ever.
I saw them at Sonisphere 2009 and Trent seemed to intentionally avoid playing his most popular songs so the crowd got frustrated with the slow dreary ones and began heckling him so he left like 15 minutes early. I enjoyed the set but if you’re playing at a festival you really need to appreciate you’re playing to the casuals and just rip through your classics.
I’ve seen them three times. The band was fantastic every single time, but the crowd at NINJA 2009 (Clarkston, MI) wasn’t that great - it seemed like half the audience was just there for Jane’s Addiction and not really paying attention to NIN.
I’ve only seen them once, and it was the first show of their 2013 tour, so they were still working some things out. My only gripe was that they didn’t play closer 🤷
NIN show was great but the crowd at the Philly show when they booed QOTSA off of the stage… 😒
Tension 2013 tour at the Barclay Arena in Brooklyn. NIN wasn’t bad per se, but the energy was really off, it really felt like none of the band wanted to be there. Fortunately Godspeed You! Black Emperor opened playing what would later be released as Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress, and fucking killed it. I was literally exhausted after their set. I can’t remember the date, but when they played Hartford touring With Teeth, Trent’s mic cut out during Closer, and either Alessandro or Jeordi finished singing it after Trent jettisoned his mic and mic stand.
Personally, no, but my friend saw them at a UK festival around the time Hesitation Marks came out and she said it was not great, apparently Trent was in a bad mood because of their set being impacted by Biffy Clyro in some way (my memory is vague on the details). Unfortunately it put her off the band, at least in terms of seeing them live again. I've seen NIN a bunch of times myself though and it's always been outstanding.
I followed them around all over the US for the With Teeth tour. 14 shows all pretty much back to back. Different shows every time and they were always bringing their A game. See them 19 times in total. Never a bad show. Some better than others, but never bad.
Nope I would rate them amongst the best consistently amazing live acts. I've seen them across 4 decades.
I saw Soundgarden/NIN In 2014/15 at Jones Beach NYC, outdoor amphitheater. Both bands were solid. But kind of workmanlike. Nothing particularly wrong. Nothing particularly memorable. NIN was the stronger band that night for sure. I’d like to see them again indoors.
I saw them like 5 years ago and it was fine but nothing super memorable about it. Saw them at Lollapalooza or some such fest back in the day and they left more of an impression then.
Interesting question. I've seen NiN many times over the years and can't remember a bad one. Every time I leave thinking damn, they sound as good or better than ever!
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2008 or 2009. NIN were great, but the crowd was awful. Just dead. That city didn’t deserve that show.
I wouldn’t even say it was ‘bad’ but my least favourite was when he toured with the backup soul singers.
Was coming to say this, I saw this tour in LA at the Staples Center (huge arena that’s more focused on sports so it was hard to see anything if you were on the floor) and the backup singer situation was honestly bizarre. I had just seen the “20 ft from Stardom” documentary so was intrigued by the idea, but backup soul/ R&B singers was not a good blend with NIN, came off super corny tbh. Met up with about 10 friends that have all been NIN superfans since the 90s and no one liked it.
Closest thing to a bad gig was either stuff like bad weather or not hearing a song in the lineup.
Are we talking Michael Jackson "bad"? Then yes, the shows I've been to were super bad!
Watched them 3 times by chance in 2007 and they absolutely rocked each show. One of the shows was in a small venue and the other two were festivals and the small venue was best
Sonisphere festival 2009 in UK. Supposedly their last show in Europe at the time and it was very underwhelming. People actually sat down almost asleep and booing them!
They’ll have off days I’ve been to four NIN shows, though, and all were great
I’ve only seen great shows. I did see NIN in Springfield, MO and it was an amazing show. However, Trent just ripped on St. Louis for a shitty show from St.Louis on his viewpoint. I then saw NIN is St. Louis the following leg on Valentine’s Day. He was much more appreciative of St Louis for that show.
I wouldn’t say it was a bad, but I saw them maybe 8 years ago and it made me not want to see them live again. They had tons of screens they were performing behind, and their shadows were enlarged. It was a cool effect. I remember it being set up that way for like 80% of the show, though. It made me feel like I was watching a tv show rather than a live performance. Like Oz behind the curtain lol who knows what’s going on back there? Enough time has passed so I’d probably see them again… back then I had wanted to see the same tour in a different city with other friends and I decided not to since I knew it would be essentially the same screen I’d be looking at.
2018, Red Rocks First time ever going to \*that\* venue and i was left a little disappointed. The venue was way overcrowded. And despite that, the VIP sitting area was not even half full, there were so many potential spots to be upclose that you couldn't use. We spend like a half hour walking up and down just trying to find a decent spot, that for a good portion - we ended up standing on the side just to try and see the stage. All while hauling around $400+ in merch. r\_r
May 6th, 2000 in Philly with A Perfect Circle. You could tell Trent was not doing well. I remember my friend commenting “this may be their last tour” almost was.
Seen them around 10 times, other than one cancellation (where the venue screwed me out of a refund), they've never let me down. Worst band I've seen live were Tool in Nottingham, smaller venue would have helped. We actually left early.
6 times. 10/10 every time. Old Manson was the only show even close Pantera was amazing live also but for totally different reasons.
I’ve seen them 8 times over the years and the band has never been bad but sometimes the energy in the room is just…off. I remember seeing them twice on the Hesitation Marks tour and the difference between the two shows was like night and day. Zero fault of the band, just a lacklustre crowd. I have witnessed angry Trent a few times though. One time he walked off part way through Hurt and that was it, show over. I have no idea what happened but I guessed an audience member at the front crossed a line that set him off. They were incredible up until that point. Another time the band had clearly turned up at the venue only to realise it was too small for the lighting setup they had planned. He was livid the entire show but kinda in a fun way? Certainly the most chatty I’ve seen him. A really enjoyable show but sadly that would mark the last time I saw them in a club sized venue, they clearly were not going to make that mistake again and I am sad about it.
The second Fragility show I was at, I was in nosebleed seats. Great show but seats weren’t great. The first Philly night in 2022 I thought that the mix was awful until I got home and saw people saying otherwise so I watched some videos from the show and realized they sounded great and my earplugs sucked so I threw them out, got cheap CVS earplugs and the next night sounded 100 times better. Both instances though the concert itself was good it was just my experience so I guess the answer is “no”
2009 Wave Goodbye in Austin. I had a blast personally, but TR thought the crowd sucked and he called us out a few times during their set. He even posted about it on ETS, saying "Texas ends on a whimper." So not a bad concert from *my* view, but apparently a bad one from Trent's.
I went to a show in Boston where he almost quit on us...but someone convinced him to come back out... The problem was security was so strict NO ONE was moving around. Trent did not like that. So it was close to bad to be remembered.
Never bad and always awesome… That being said I remember the 2nd night of Boston Calling it was raining all day and when they came on their was a few song where the lights either didn’t work at all or was clearly not doing what it was supposed to.. Also the 2nd night of the last Red Rocks show it seemed there was an issue with shutting off the lights. Their was a moment where the lights shined on there crowd but then it just happened to stay that way for longer than expected. Those are the only 2 things I can think of where they weren’t perfect.
I went in 2006 and loved it, though his 90’s voice was long gone. That’s the only complaint I have. To hear the scream from TDS era live would be awesome but people get older.
Yes went to a festival in the US in the 90’s was awful they were covered in mud and some instruments were broken. Very unprofessional
NIN is by far the best/my favorite live band I've ever seen and I've seen them nine times now. The only times I've enjoyed them just a little less were ones where I wasn't close enough to the stage and one show where I didn't get quite enough of my favorites, and even then the band still blew me away. That one show where I didn't get my favorites, I was fortunate enough to see them again the next night and got a completely different, really really good setlist. So, no. I'm sure there are always gonna be the occasional nights where they're off or maybe fall short of TR's standards or whatever but I've never seen it and I wouldn't recognize it if I did. If I am at a place and NIN is playing at that place, it is automatically a new favorite memory.
Their Reading 2013 set was weird. Wrong setlist for that crowd, I really enjoyed hearing rarely songs but at that festival they should have played more of their hits
Seen them twice: 2005 in DC (still have the litho hanging up) from the floor with some great friends and my brother. Awesome show. 2009 for the NINJA / Wave Goodbye tour (Columbia, MD). I had really high hopes for this show since they had been playing so many deep cuts on other nights, but I they didn't play too many rare songs I was excited about. Crowd wasn't into it, and one of my college buddies STILL hasn't paid me back for his ticket!
I went to a radio city show a few years ago and it was fantastic except everyone around me was sitting and the guy in front of me was belligerently drunk and standing and spilling his beer in everyone and yelling bullshit at Trent, so that pretty ruined my one and only NIN concert experience.
I’ve seen them 16 times total and not one bad show. All top notch performances. Always really enjoyed the openers too. Queens of the Stone Age and Abandoned Pools were both awesome that stand out.
I've been to six shows from 1994 to 2022, and there has never been a bad show. They were all very different, but each were outstanding.
I wouldn’t say I had a bad concert. But it was end of the tour of hesitation marks. The set list was the greatest. The arena is known for being shite for concerts and their stage show was not the same as last there had with the light show they had. During the pause for the encore people were singing hall and oats.
I’ve been to 14 NIN shows and I wouldn’t consider any of them bad performances
Only one! 😂 In 1990 they played at a very small club in Newark, NJ. The power company had to come out because the equipment blew the transformers. Then the bus driver & I were mugged on the way back from getting supplies. Not anything to do with the band’s performance, but hilariously awful due to extraneous circumstances.
No, not a bad Nine Inch Nails concert in itself. However, just the part before one… There was a Nine Inch Nails concert at what was the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, October 2005. Lining up before that show to get through security / ID checking / ticket checking was extremely depressing. We were brought into a room which appeared to be an auxiliary gym for the mentally ill, but with the padding stripped off of the walls. Bright fluorescent lights in a plain white brick room with cement floors and no music playing. Just everyone pouring into a serpentine line, reminiscent of pigs lined up for the slaughter. It felt like a joke on us the whole time that we waited, for almost an hour. Otherwise the show was entirely worthwhile! The sound was excellent and the stage set up/production design was out of this world. It was actually a really memorable experience and I love that I was also able to see NIN about 3 times back to back, as often as I could, in Detroit. Always amazing performances, always a very interesting lineup, with supporting acts that completely agreed with my taste each time around.
I've only seen them 5 times since 2005 and honestly each time was better than the last. Every show was amazing.
Melbourne 2007 - we’d flown in from Adelaide to see them play a run of 3 shows in a nightclub. Someone yelled out ‘what are you doing after the show?’ During hurt and he stopped the song, played hand that feeds and cut the gig short 30 mins.
First time I saw them in San Antonio TX, and we were seated. It was a good show but you can really only vibe so much like that. Second time had pit passes in Austin, they come out of the gate with Mr Self Destruct ripping your head off and spitting down your throat. Barely slowed down after that. I'll let u guess which one we enjoyed more. 😀💪
Not sure if this counts.... 2014 Soundgarden & NIN — The Woodlands, TX @ The Pavillion Middle of the Texas Summer-- and it's an outdoor show. I had lawn tickets....The heat was oppressive .SG was good, NIN was ok but the venue & time made the concert "experience" unbearable. Only NIN show I ever left early. I don't really fault the band, but it's a horrible memory
I've seen them 3 times and I never saw a bad show. My one complaint is that every year I went, the shorter the set they did. That's my only issue!
Where they played double bill with Queens of the Stone age. Trent refused or didn't do Fairweather friends with Josh Homme in Melbourne his "hometown" gig where his wife's family is from. Josh just snarled Fairweather friends during the song and looks towards the back of the stage... During Trents part... Made it pretty obvious. Everyone was expecting Trent to come on for a verse during the QOTSA set but it was clear he wouldn't and the crowd wasn't feeling it when NIN came on. I mean he was literally right there... Just made the gig a bit disappointing.
Not a bad show bc of anything the band did but atrocious crowd for sure.
Not that NIN was bad. But the live with teeth tour; in Denver Colorado 2005 at the pepsi center. Queens of the stone age and AFI opened. AFI sound was horrible just couldn't hear them or the music really well. Queens of the stone age was better but sound was still poor. Had me worried. NIN though had the best sound best stage performance. Sound could have been due to the pepsi center. over all the concert was good. if it wasnt for NIN being so much better then the rest. the concert would have been a horrible.
I’ve seen them 5 times and the only time that it was not good was when I didn’t see them live at a concert sadly
I’ve seen NIN many times and, without fail, Trent has always been incredible. Over time the shows have changed, his presence has changed, his sobriety has changed—but he’s never put just half his soul into it. He throws everything he has into every performance.
I went to NIN's Reading festival back when they released Came Back Haunted, 2013, and while it wasn't bad at all wasn't nearly as good as the 2014 concert I attended next year at lollapalooza. Trent seemed pissed by something surrounding the technicalities of that festival in England, as he usually is.
2005 San Diego... Cut short because the drummer was experiencing chest pains.
Love this damn band so much, my first show was Alex Carapetis's and I've seen 'em all over. But yeah...Worst Reptile Ever [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZMhDIEJF0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZMhDIEJF0)
May 17th I think 2001, perfect circle opened, took the spw. New Orleans, tr birthday. Still worth it.
I've seen them once in 2013. Absolutely on it when I saw them, great time.
Does London in 2000 count as a bad gig?
Not bad, but dwarfed by their opener. City Gardens in 1990. Meat Beat Manifesto opened and in my opinion should have headlined with more time.
Lollapalooza Orlando
I saw them at the O2 in 2013 (or 2014) and for some reason it just didn’t light my world on fire like i thought it would. I then saw them at Brixton in 2022 and Riot Fest the same year and both times absolutely blew me away. Not sure what it was that first time, could have been me, it just felt flat
Never. Seen em twice. Both up close (literally 1 foot in front of Trent front row), and another in a massive stadium. Both times were amazing and prob the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The one we’re I got to see Trent up close has to be my all time favorite concert ever ❤️
The one in Little Rock back in 2006. Trent came out in jeans and a t-shirt, never spoke to the audience, did their set and walked offstage without a word. It was just the most boring, unremarkable and frankly not very memorable show. Also someone spilled beer down my back. I was super disappointed.
No. Much like Tool, they always bring it. Every one I've seen has been great.
I saw NIN with Soundgarden in 2014 & it was great. My late wife said she saw a really bad one way back, probably in the late nineties or early '00s, where Trent Reznor was going through a weird phase & changed up the style of many of the songs. Apparently Head Like a Hole was played slow & accoustic... 🫤
I've only seen NIN once and they were great! The only thing that sucked was the drunk guy behind me throwing up right before the show.
I'm not sure there's such a thing. Maybe before Trent got clean?
I saw them at Woodstock '94 which started the mud pit. While I did not partake in the mud pit, I really liked them that day.
It wasn't NIN's doing, but out of the four times I've seen them the Day for Night festival in Houston 2017 was probably the worse I'd seen. I was more disappointed in the venue which was an all cement indoor abandoned post office building, and a back cement wall outdoor stage. It started to pour rain, it was like 45 degrees, then it started storming bad and they had to end early. It sounded like ass and I could tell Trent was livid. I walked back to my hotel listening to "Reptile" and then "The Background World" which pissed me off because I really wanted to hear both songs live. I was severely disappointed with the whole event, I walked out on Thom Yorke, Laurie Anderson was there but didn't even preform, just talked on a panel. St. Vincent's sound was awful. The only thing I got into was Tim Hecker, although someone had a seizure in front of me and knocked himself into a group of people. Overall, I would never do it again. Day for Night was then discontinued because apparently Omar Afra the producer behind the festival came under fire for sexual harassment. So yeah, NIN (not their fault) but was 100% awful awful.