The Spectacle of Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center

Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center (photograph by Julia Drummond)

Seven years have passed since Nine Inch Nails performed in New York City. In 2018, Nine Inch Nails performed two nights at Radio City Music Hall and two nights at the Kings Theatre, both modest-sized venues compared to this year’s model. On the band’s current Peel It Back World Tour, which began on June 15 in Dublin, Ireland, the veteran industrial-rock band returned to large arenas with a spectacle of a live performance.

The Peel It Back Tour sees Nine Inch Nails, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, joined by longtime touring musicians Robin Finck and Alessandro Cortini. Drummer Ilan Rubin performed during the earlier European leg of the tour, but left the band before the American dates to join the Foo Fighters. In a grand rock and roll switcheroo, Josh Freese, who was the tour drummer for Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008, was this year dismissed from the Foo Fighters, so he was available to return to Nine Inch Nails for its current North American tour. This marked the band’s first lineup change in nine years, the longest time span to date since the band originally formed in 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The name of Nine Inch Nails’ "Peel It Back Tour" references a lyric, "Take the skin and peel it back," from the band’s song "March of the Pigs." The tour’s name may refer to the band “peeling back” or stripping its older songs to their minimalist essence. We may never know the meaning for sure, but the motif was emblazoned in perpetuity on a gazillion souvenir t-shirts.

Upon entering Barclays Center, fans saw unusual staging. The main stage, which the band dubbed the Unpeeled Stage, was at the traditional end of the arena, hidden behind tall dark curtains. A smaller square-shaped B-stage in the center of the floor was similarly hidden by curtains. In the back of the floor was an elevated platform, which the audience would discover was designed for EBM dj and producer Boys Noize (the stage name of Alexander Ridha), the opening act for every show on the tour.

Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center (photograph by Julia Drummond)

A half hour after the show was announced to begin, most of the audience turned its attention towards the larger stage. Boys Noize surprised the audience at 8 p.m. by suddenly performing unannounced at the platform at the back of the arena. The puzzled audience on the floor turned around to watch Boys Noize perform solo on his electronic gear. Boys Noise performed what amounted to one electro-house song for an hour.

The split second that Boys Noize played his last note, dim lights revealed Trent Reznor at a piano on the center stage. Softly, yet peppered with moments of angst, Reznor performed solo, singing “Right Where It Belongs,” adding a snippet of "Somewhat Damaged" as an outro. Ross, Finck and Cortini joined him on the B-stage one by one as the mini-set continued with “Ruiner” and “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now).” Now playing their instruments, the additional musicians offered Reznor the freedom to leave his piano and work the audience from the edges of the small stage. The now mobile Reznor sang to each quadrant of the arena as a roadie beneath him shone a blindingly bright lamp on his face.

Suddenly, as “Piggy” finished, Freese began playing drums from the main “unpeeled” stage, as crooked videos of his performance projected onto the billowing curtains. Once the rest of the musicians reached that stage and took their positions, the audience saw that there were actually several layers of translucent curtains on that stage. The band was now visible through the curtains, while black and white images of the musicians echoed on the curtains, sometimes creating a house of mirrors effect. The curtains became screens for lighting effects and dizzying camera projections. For most of the concert, the cameraman was the most animated person on the stage, as he quickly combed the stage, repreatedly approaching the various musicians for close-ups. This set consisted of six familiar songs, ending with “Gave Up.”

As “Gave Up” ended, the lights extinguished on the main stage and came on around the center B-stage once again, with Boys Noize stirring up some electronic whirs and whistles. Reznor and Ross joined him as they now moved into “rave” mood. They played reimagined, synth-heavy versions of “Vessel”, “Closer”, “As Alive As You Need Me to Be,” and “Came Back Haunted.”

Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center (photograph by Coen Rees)

Reznor was still singing “Came Back Haunted” as the lights dimmed and he moved towards the Unpeeled Stage. The band reassembled on the main stage for the closing set, which consisted of seven more fan favorites. Towards the end of “The Perfect Drug,” Reznor tossed his guitar high into the air behind the drum kit. The one time Reznor spoke at length, he introduced the musicians and credited David Bowie for the song “I’m Afraid of Americans,” which the band then performed.

The production value of the show was extraordinarily ingenious, and matched the inventiveness of the music. Reznor led the electrifying charge by quickly diving from one song to the next. His vocals were consistently superb, projecting his lyrics with more intensity and urgency than most other rockers. The song selection was familiar and yet the arrangements were often rethought and presented as a fresh take on an old idea. The music was raw, aggressive and abrasive, employing elements of industrial, hardcore techo and aggrotech music; at times, the music was harsh and darkly disturbing, yet built to a summit and released cathartic explosions. There was very little subtlety in the program.

If the Peel It Back Tour was timed to coincide with the September 19 release of Nine Inch Nails’ soundtrack to Tron: Ares, the band did not properly exploit the opportunity. While each night of the tour features a slightly revamped setlist, on the first of two nights at Barclays Center, Nine Inch Nails performed only one of the album’s 24 tracks, the recent single “As Alive As You Need Me to Be.” The other 19 songs performed at Barclays Center were from the band’s earlier albums and EPs, although some songs were rearranged to where it could take a bit to recognize them.

Moving out after a second night in Brooklyn, the Peel It Back Tour will take Nine Inch Nails through the southern United States for another couple of weeks. The world tour will end on September 18 and 19 with a two-night engagement at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.

Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center (photograph by Coen Rees)

Setlist

B-Stage

1. Right Where It Belongs (with "Somewhat Damaged" outro)
2. Ruiner
3. Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)

Main Stage (Unpeeled Stage)

1. Wish
2. March of the Pigs
3. Reptile
4. Heresy
5. Copy of A
6. Gave Up

B-Stage

1. Vessel (with Boys Noize)
2. Closer (with Boys Noize)
3. As Alive as You Need Me to Be (with Boys Noize)
4. Came Back Haunted (with Boys Noize)

Main Stage (Peeled Stage)

1. Mr. Self Destruct
2. Less Than
3. The Perfect Drug
4. I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie cover)
5. The Hand That Feeds
6. Head Like a Hole
7. Hurt

Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center (photograph by Sarah Waxberg)

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

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