jmtd → log → Nine Inch Nails, Paris, 2025-07-07
On July 7th I did a quick one-day trip to Paris to watch Nine Inch Nails, who were performing one of their last shows for the European leg of the tour. I'd missed all the UK dates, which were announced after I was committed to a family holiday.
The setup for these shows differs a lot from the norm. First, the support act was German-Iraqi techno DJ Boys Noize, who TR&AR had collaborated with on their soundtrack for the recent movie Challengers. BN did a 75-minute opening set:
Stripped down Set 1
The main gig was divided into four acts. Act 1 took place on a square "B Stage", situated in the middle of the main floor. Trent and 2-3 band members performed three stripped-down songs, with interpolations to other songs, alternative lyrics, and the like. I enjoyed this section more than I expected to.
Main stage lighting
They then transition to the main stage for a six-song full-band set. The main stage was draped in layers of transparent curtains. One of the team was on-stage, walking around with a video camera, and the live camera footage was processed and projected onto the curtains in realtime. The visuals were truly fantastic.
For the third act, Trent and Atticus returned to the B stage, to be joined by Boys Noize, who then performed four songs in a reworked, remixed, electronic dance format. This ended up being the highlight of the gig for me. I felt the reworkings breathed new life into some old songs.
remix Set 3
Finally, back to the main stage to close out with a final seven songs. The traditional triad of closers was adjusted, substituting "The Hand That Feeds" for "The Perfect Drug"; a song that wasn't played at all from 1997 to 2018, and has now become a regular fixture.
Several tapers recorded the show, and their recordings are up at nin.live.
Overall it was great fun: I ended up flying via London and the airport time was a bit of a pain, but I did get a good start on my corrections. I was home the next afternoon. I'm trying not to think of the cost.
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