Sonisphere reviews: NIN & Killing Joke
/ News / 03/08/2009 10:14am
Sonisphere reviews from NIN’s last ever UK show and Jaz Coleman’s inspired lunatics.
Nine Inch Nails
We heard just before the set from people from the Sonisphere tour that Trent had said ‘fuck Metallica’s crowd, they’re getting what I want to give them’. Or something like that. Which goes against what you might guess: with a fans only setlist at the recent 02 Arena show you would think the festival setlist might include more hits. Nope. The ever contrary Reznor gave the crowd a moving rendition of ‘Hurt’ but littered most of the rest of the set with obscurities and the downbeat material better through headphones than over a festival PA. It seems almost de rigueur nowadays that your parting set as a band should be as obtuse as possible. And it doesn’t go unnoticed that bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen seems to be wearing a grey cardigan.
That, the setlist choices and the presence of an albeit pretty sunset meant that Trent ’s farewell was more of a sultry ‘ciaou’ than a theatrical ‘…and so I bid you adieu!’ So Trent . There was also a rumour that Trent was to be hosting a ‘thank you bbq’ for the press and industry. We believed it for two seconds (only after we wondered how we could get invited) before we realised that the idea of Trent Reznor wanting to thank the media and record industry was as likely as Phil Anselmo guesting on the next Chiodos album (Trent stands in a novelty apron with a woman’s body in a bra on and a white chefs hat shouting, ‘March of the pigs in blankets anyone?! Fnar fnar!’)
Gill
Killing Joke
Enjoying Sunday’s renewed sun, the revellers are already out in force for the twisted shaman of rock and his cohorts. Jaz Coleman stands in his signature boiler suit and eerie face-paint addressing the crowd as he stares into the middle distance. Despite the darkness of the music and the funereal feel of the tribal and repetitive rhythms the set is packed with dark party hits from ‘Eighties’ to the massive ‘Love Like Blood’ - the had the hairs on your arm standing on end.
Gill
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Obtuse? Maybe. But as always, NIN deliver something different and when EVERY other band is screaming about how they want 812 circle pits and that they want people to go ‘FUCKING KER-RRAZEEEE!’ I found the NIN set the be one of the real stand out moments.
God, NIN were boring….
NIN were completely AIDS
i was so pissed of with them
I can’t wait to see the mighty Killing Joke at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, one of the best UK bands ever… FACT!!
NIN weren’t boring. It was clearly a tough thing for Trent to go up there and put his baby to rest, even if only live.
If it wasn’t clear it pained the guy from the choice of songs, how about the fact he looked like he was about to fall apart at the end as he said good bye? It wasn’t boring, it was just sad and you could tell he felt that.
And look at the bright side, you got Wish and Hurt at least!
NIN owns you all. They played a less heavy set on purpose. Trent even said he did it to irritate the metal crowd.
NIN was probably not an appropriate set for such an event, however having seen them at the O2 on the 15th, I got my fix of heavy NIN so I really loved the set. I suppose it was one for the fans, not for the majority of the sonisphere crowds (i.e. Metallicafest!)
And I only paid £40 for the weekend…..
[...] Sonisphere Reviews: NIN & Killing Joke [...]
Dont moan about trents set list choice! They should have been headlining over hetfield and crew to be fair…..
The Wretched was amazing live! Stop moaning ya cliche metal fans
trent is awesome. great setlist choice for that kind of crowd
I agree Dan. Trent played a setlist like that on purpose. Here’s what he said on his site.
We played a purposely quiet, intimate set. I figured it would either enrage or baffle the metal audience… but to our amazement it went over great!
Really fun set to play in that environment
Mike: I wasn’t at the gig, and I’m cool with your opinion, but if this was meant to be your last “cheerio” to the people that had spent money hand-over-fist for your band, don’t you think they should’ve played the stuff that everyone wanted to hear? I’ve had 3 mates call me today who went to Sonisphere, pretty much to see NIN for the last time, and they’re a tad let down to say the least. Like I said, I didn’t go. Were they really as bad as I’m hearing?? Every time I’ve seen them they’ve been NUCLEAR!!! What a sad way to go out…
^^^ I totally agree with you. I wasn’t giving you my opinion, I was just explaining what Trent said on his website.
NIN were the band of the festival, Trent’s ability to make you feel he’s singing just to you in a huge crowd came through perfectly.It was a brilliant setlist, “Something i can never have” and “Hurt” were awesome and i felt it was a dignified and heartfelt farewell from a true musical genius.
that was a pointless review, didnt even tell us the setlist…what songs did they play that were so boring??
I was suprised by the obscure setist, but i got to hear what will probably be the only ever live rendition of ‘lights in the sky’ which is a personal favourite. ‘Something I can never have’ was incredible live. So were wish and hurt. Biggest regret is that I wont be able to see them again!
Nin were completely AIDS?? What kind of a comment is that?? Setlist I believe went:
The Way Out is Through, Wish, I Do Not Want This, Something I Can Never Have, Gone, Still, The Frail, The Wretched, Non-Entity, Lights In The Sky, The Downward Spiral, Hurt. I’ve got mixed feelings about this final UK set, I knew and enjoyed all of the songs that were played and I agree with your comment Paul – but I still somehow feel a bit… I don’t really know how to describe it properly. I can understand why people might have been a little annoyed if they didn’t know or like the songs he was playing. And for many people, myself included, this was an alternative to seeing them at the 02 – I couldn’t get there as I was working, so we didn’t get the final ‘installment’, if you like, of NIN’s live show experience. My thoughts were that he was playing to his fans, which in my opinion is a good thing. The songs really were beautiful and moving, and I enjoyed it. Maybe if they were headlining on either day things might have been different – an hour was definitely not enough. Less metal heads clinging on to their place at the front waiting for Metallica, more fans of NIN.