Earlier today i received an email from my husband. This is what he wrote about the NIN gig.
"Okay..
Venue: Venue, I thought, was really good. The toilets resembled actual toilets (though lacked soap :S), the grounds were good looking and provided great ventilation, ticketing system was easy and the layout was great too - an intimate mosh up close and a hill at a good distance away, so everyone could see fairly well.
Visuals: Stage was not so good. Lighting was sub-par to NIN standards, no screen, no decorations, Aussies miss out again.
Sound: The sound quality and clarity was really good, especially for an outside gig, however I was disappointed by the bands new sound. The performance was very good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't agree with the composition. Most of the older material felt stripped and lacking something, though some songs actually gained from the new sound direction. I'm a greedy Nine Inch Nails fan and I have come to expect a performance that makes me throw my albums in disgust, as I think "why can't they make the album sound as cool as the live stuff?". This is the 2nd time I didn't have that feeling after a NIN gig. I wanted more. In fact, the only improvement I saw was the drumming, although Trent's did a fantastic job too.
Presence: This is a problem with Trent's current line-up. NIN bands of old had a unity or comradery... maybe it was that they were all talented people that felt underappreciated by Trent during studio records, maybe they shared a wealth of experience in 'the scene'...who knows? My observation is that Trent has assembled a band of talented solo artists. A very competent drummer, a guitarist that will probably be the first person to dry-hump a keyboard stand whilst hanging inverted from the ceiling, a basist who (sorry kye) perfected the scolding "i'm too cool to smile" look, which would have really worked when he was young, but now just looks like a grumpy old guy and on top of that, the keyboardist who had the personality of a dead fish.
So its a really mixed bag. Aaron needs to join blink 286, Jeordie needs to realise his calling as a school principal, and whoever the keyboard guy is needs to take lots and lots of drugs. Its hard to believe they have been playing together as long as they have.
Trent gets a gold star for actually pretending to be really angry again - even if he had to say to jeordie back stage, "I want you to hit me as hard as you can!". Though I must say, as I said earlier, he really did do a great job...so thumbs up to Trent.
Enjoyment: The 2nd best NIN concert i've been to! Let down by the fact that they wanted to get off the stage as soon as they could, had a basic stage show and down-tuned some of their older stuff.
Would I go again? Definitely. Will I be there next year for the "year one minus 2 divided by 16 = the square root of who cares tour"? Hell yeah!
3/5 Halos."
He makes me laugh... It's funny that we were side by side, but our reviews were so very different! I'm sad to agree, but I laughed so hard bacause he speaks truth... in parts!
"Okay..
Venue: Venue, I thought, was really good. The toilets resembled actual toilets (though lacked soap :S), the grounds were good looking and provided great ventilation, ticketing system was easy and the layout was great too - an intimate mosh up close and a hill at a good distance away, so everyone could see fairly well.
Visuals: Stage was not so good. Lighting was sub-par to NIN standards, no screen, no decorations, Aussies miss out again.
Sound: The sound quality and clarity was really good, especially for an outside gig, however I was disappointed by the bands new sound. The performance was very good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't agree with the composition. Most of the older material felt stripped and lacking something, though some songs actually gained from the new sound direction. I'm a greedy Nine Inch Nails fan and I have come to expect a performance that makes me throw my albums in disgust, as I think "why can't they make the album sound as cool as the live stuff?". This is the 2nd time I didn't have that feeling after a NIN gig. I wanted more. In fact, the only improvement I saw was the drumming, although Trent's did a fantastic job too.
Presence: This is a problem with Trent's current line-up. NIN bands of old had a unity or comradery... maybe it was that they were all talented people that felt underappreciated by Trent during studio records, maybe they shared a wealth of experience in 'the scene'...who knows? My observation is that Trent has assembled a band of talented solo artists. A very competent drummer, a guitarist that will probably be the first person to dry-hump a keyboard stand whilst hanging inverted from the ceiling, a basist who (sorry kye) perfected the scolding "i'm too cool to smile" look, which would have really worked when he was young, but now just looks like a grumpy old guy and on top of that, the keyboardist who had the personality of a dead fish.
So its a really mixed bag. Aaron needs to join blink 286, Jeordie needs to realise his calling as a school principal, and whoever the keyboard guy is needs to take lots and lots of drugs. Its hard to believe they have been playing together as long as they have.
Trent gets a gold star for actually pretending to be really angry again - even if he had to say to jeordie back stage, "I want you to hit me as hard as you can!". Though I must say, as I said earlier, he really did do a great job...so thumbs up to Trent.
Enjoyment: The 2nd best NIN concert i've been to! Let down by the fact that they wanted to get off the stage as soon as they could, had a basic stage show and down-tuned some of their older stuff.
Would I go again? Definitely. Will I be there next year for the "year one minus 2 divided by 16 = the square root of who cares tour"? Hell yeah!
3/5 Halos."
He makes me laugh... It's funny that we were side by side, but our reviews were so very different! I'm sad to agree, but I laughed so hard bacause he speaks truth... in parts!
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
I have to agree with your hubby, Australians generally miss out on sheer spectacle. Its not that we necessairly miss out on the bands but they rarely bring all their gear (or people) all this way. Even Portishead who had been touring with orchestras hear and there didn't even attempt to assemble one for Melbourne.
or am i mistaken?? i know he called himself that, but i cant remember which band he went to?? for some reason im thinking it was with Maynard. m'eh!