Quan, Yama Boy @ The Workers Club (24/09/09)

My review of Quan last week is up now on FasterLouder. Great show. Not so happy with the review this time, just wasn't in a writing mood. It's ok, but I kept getting distracted by just listening to Quan's album instead of working on it so it's a bit short. Anyway, go read it.

Dead Letter Circus, Sydonia, Rincon @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (11/09/2009)

Rincon open the night with some big riffing. Soaring vocals are underpinned with chugging guitars, and it’s easy to see why they were chosen for tonight’s support slot. The crowd is still a bit small this early in the night, but those who are here seem pretty attentive and appreciative.

Sydonia start out a little slow, but as their intensity builds they manage to steal the show, in my mind, as most interesting band of the night. I saw Sydonia about three years ago and liked them, but they didn’t make a huge impact. Clearly the years in between have taught them a lot as they now seem tighter and more energetic. As a four piece they beef up their sound with extra percussion played throughout the set by their guitarist and bass player. This adds interesting rhythms to the songs and an oomph to their live sound. A rhythm based song which sees the band joined by members of Dead Letter Circus on additional percussion (including an upturned rubbish bin) is a highlight. They’ve also gathered quite a following since I last saw them, with a dedicated crowd at the front and many punters walking around in Sydonia merch.

Up until this point I’d been wondering how there could be so much room to move in a sold out Corner Hotel. But there’s a massive influx in the 20 minutes between bands and suddenly all is understood. By the time Dead Letter Circus hit the stage it’s hot, hard to move and there’s a mosh pit down the front. They kick things off with a fast pace and the crowd jumps along. DLC have somehow passed me by up to this point. I’ve seen the name around and had a vague idea of the musical style, but tonight is the first time I’ve really heard them. It’s easy to tell I’m in the minority here not just by the size of the crowd, but by how enthusiastically they respond to the band. And it’s also easy to see why.

Once again we’re treated to some soaring vocals and a strong rhythm section, this time with some more atmospheric and melodic guitar work layered over the top. Tracks from a forthcoming album are given an airing, as are tracks from their self-titled EP which are lapped up by the crowd. Disconnect and Apply particularly stands out with singer Kim Benzie grabbing a camcorder to film the crowd as they sing the song’s closing refrain. If I have one suggestion for Dead Letter Circus it’s that they could up their on-stage presence a little, especially when following a band like Sydonia. Only Benzie really interacts with the crowd, while the rest of the band seem a bit still. But this doesn’t bother the audience who more than make up for it with their own energy. Also surprising is that there is no encore, given how excited the crowd are by the end of the set.

Still, a great night all up with strong performances from all three bands. Surely we’ll be hearing from them all a lot more over the coming months.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Wave Goodbye - a tribute to Nine Inch Nails 1988-2009

Today, 10/09/2009 marks the end of Nine Inch Nails. In fact the final live performance of NIN is taking place at The Wiltern in Los Angeles AS I TYPE THIS.

Like many other people, I first discovered NIN with 1994's The Downward Spiral. This masterpiece and 1999's The Fragile are still two of my favourite albums ever. And 14 years later Nine Inch Nails are still one of my favourite bands, and one of the biggest influence on me as a musician.

The liner notes to debut album Pretty Hate Machine (1989) contain the famous line "nine inch nails is trent reznor". A simple statement that sums the situation up entirely. In the studio, NIN has always been Trent Reznor. With very few exceptions every note, noise, texture or sound on every single NIN album has been made by Trent.

Reznor has stated that he will continue making music in the future, and some would say that as long as he is alive and keeps recording, NIN can never truly end. However tonight's show marks the end of NIN as a live act, a very different entity altogether, and that's what this article is a tribute to.

While always full of passion, NIN's studio recordings are meticulous and exact. Live and fleshed out to a full band, the power of the music takes over. Check out this footage from their appearance at 1994's Woodstock.




Nine Inch Nails - Happiness in Slavery


This version of the band consisted of Robin Finck on Guitar, Danny Lohner on Guitar/Bass, Charlie Clouser on Keyboards and Chris Vrenna on drums and was the first to really take Trent's ideas and bring them to a new place altogether. So good was the band that when shoots for a video clip for March of The Pigs didn't work out, Reznor decided to just shoot the band on a soundstage playing the song live and release that.

Nine Inch Nails: March Of The Pigs (1994) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

While we're on the topic of live video clips, check out this clip for Gave Up from 1992. It features Trent and friends (including Marilyn Manson on guitar) in a studio which they later found out was also the Sharon Tate house, home of the Manson Family murders. This was also the place where The Downward Spiral and Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar were recorded.

Nine Inch Nails: Gave Up (1992) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

I first saw NIN live at the Big Day Out in 2000. Although they did make it out here during the Self Destruct tour as part of Alternative Nation, I was too young at the time and missed out. In the years between albums, some lineup changes had taken place. Vrenna left to form his own project Tweaker, and Finck had left to join the new lineup of Guns 'n' Roses. With the release of The Fragile in 1999 Jerome Dillon joined the band and Robin Finck quite GNR to come back to NIN. Needless to say my excitement at being able to see NIN was almost as incredible as the show. I haven't been able to track down any clips from the BDO, but I have found some great live footage from that time.

First off, Somewhat Damaged. The opening track off The Fragile, and one of my favourite NIN songs.




Nine Inch Nails - Somewhat Damaged


Secondly, The Way Out is Through, which shows not just the power of the band, but also some of the awesome stage effects for which NIN has become known. Starting with the Self Destruct tour these effects have continued and only gotten better throughout the years (just wait til we get to 2007's Lights in the Sky Tour).




Nine Inch Nails - The Way Out is Through


There was also some amazing footage released on the And All That Could Have Been DVD, including this take of La Mer and The Great Below.




Nine Inch Nails - La Mer & The Great Below


Five years later, NIN released With Teeth and came down here on tour again. This time playing in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena, which I reviewed for FasterLouder. The band at this stage consisted of Jerome Dillion returning on drums, Allessandro Cortini on keyboards, Jeordie White (AKA Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson) on Bass/Guitar and Aaron North (formerly of The Icarus Line) on guitar. Trent said of Aaron at the time

He shows up, he looks shitty, he’s got junk equipment, he looks like he’s just got up and I want to punch him. And then Aaron starts playing and on the first note it’s like, ‘You’re the guy’. He wasn’t trying to be me, and play like I play. He played and chaos came out. It immediately made the band turn into something else.

The juxtaposition of Trent's perfectionism and Aaron's punk background (often relying on noise and feedback) was perfect. Remember, North is the guy who did this:




Aaron North - Stevie Ray Vaughn Guitar


Since it was looking like a pattern of five years between albums at this stage (1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004), and I didn't want to have to wait so long to see them again, I flew up to Brisbane for this tour and saw the band twice. At the end of that show, North toppled one of the massive PA speaker stacks from the side of the stage onto his guitar rig. Again I don't have any footage from the shows I went to on this tour, but here's a performance of Closer from the Beside You in Time DVD (2007).




Nine Inch Nails - Closer/The Only Time


But it turns out I was wrong (YAY!) Having battled a serious heroin addiction since 1995, Reznor was now clean and replaced his drug consumption with a work ethic. Since 2004 there have been 4 full length NIN albums (including a double album) and almost constant touring. After the With Teeth tour finished, Year Zero was promptly released. With Josh Freese (who had previously played in A Perfect Circle with both Jeordie White and Danny Lohner) taking over drums from Jerome Dillon, the band hit Australia again in 2007. This time they replaced the huge arena tour with multiple small club shows. I was able to see this amazing band for two intense shows at the Metro, a relatively tiny venue for such a massive band. This time I reviewed the tour for JMag. By this stage North's influence on the rest of the band was clear and this became my personal favourite NIN lineup. You can see them in this performance of You Know What You Are? (also off Beside You In Time) and I've saved a video of them playing Head Like A Hole for the end of this article, because I want to save the best for last.




Nine Inch Nails - You Know What You Are?


The stage show became a bit more advanced on the following European tour, with some nice visuals used in this performance of The Great Destroyer.

Nine Inch Nails: The Great Destroyer live in Europe, August 2007 from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Next up came Ghosts I-IV, a double instrumental album and The Slip, released on nin.com as a free download. This was followed by the Lights In The Sky tour. By this stage Jeordie White had re-joined Marilyn Manson (who Chris Vrenna is now playing keyboards with) so Justin Meldal-Johnsen (formerly of Beck's band) took up bass and, after quiting GNR again, Robin Finck returned on guitar.

The Lights in The Sky over North America tour was NIN's most extravagant, ambitious and technical stage production. Three levels of video screens were used (utilising LED technology to create screens which could go in front of the band, but still allow you to see them play), along with cameras which recorded the band's movements, allowing them to interact with the visuals. Some of the footage from these shows is amazing, like this video of 19 Ghosts III, which also demonstrates the varied musicianship on display from the band.



Nine Inch Nails - 19 Ghosts III


Also, check out this video of Echoplex, in which Josh Freese controls the drum machine via the backdrop.




Nine Inch Nails - Echoplex


At the end of the LITS tour, Freese and Cortini both announced they were leaving the band. Rather than replace both of them, Reznor decided it was time to bring NIN to an end, and would do one final stripped back tour as a four piece. Ilan Rubin was brought in on drums and previous keyboard/sampling parts were to be shared among the band members, or dispensed with. This would be a really raw version of the band. Kicking off in Australia, I got to see NIN two final times, once at Festival Hall and once at Soundwave. Again, these shows were both excellent.

NIN: Burn Live from on stage, Melbourne 2.25.09 [HD] from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

By the time it hit North America, then Europe, and one final run in the US this tour had been dubbed the Wave Goodbye tour, named after a line from a song that was only played live by NIN and never recorded. But such is the dedication of NIN fans on the internet that most in the community (dubbed the NINternet) recognised it instantly.

The Wave Goodbye tour has seen the reappearance of many old rarities and fan favourites in the setlist. Including Now I'm Nothing, the song after which it was named which hadn't been played since 1991.




Nine Inch Nails - Now I'm Nothing/Terrible Lie


There have also been some amazing guest stars. Including The whole of The Dillinger Escape Plan, who covered Wish on their Plagiarism EP.

NIN: Wish live with The Dillinger Escape Plan - Perth, 3.02.09 [HD] from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Saul Williams, who Trent worked with on his album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust.

NIN: "Banged and Blown Through" with Saul Williams, live from on stage, Atlanta 5.10.09 [HD] from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Gary Numan, who performed Cars and Metal with the band in London (NIN having covered Metal on the Things Falling Apart EP)




Nine Inch Nails/Gary Numan - Cars/Metal

The club shows in New York, Chicago and LA that have taken place over the last two weeks have seen appearances from Peter Murphy, Greg Puciato, Danny Lohner, Eric Avery and Mike Garson. Two of the crowds in New York were treated to a performance of The Downward Spiral in it's entirety, followed by a second set of NIN classics. The second of these shows was filmed, and hopefully we'll see these videos soon.

The final NIN show is probably almost over by now. And I have to say I'm sad to see them go. Even though I got to see them twice this year, knowing it would be the last time, I still feel like we're losing something today. To Trent and everyone who has ever been part of the Nine Inch Nails live lineup, I thank you. For seven awesome shows, for brilliant live DVDS, for the countless bootlegs I own, and for making such exciting music.

I'll leave you with what I've already said is my favourite captured NIN live performance. Head Like a Hole was the second ever NIN single from back in 1989. It's heavily synth based and shows off much more of NIN's Prince and Public Enemy influece than it does their rock side. At least until the live band got it and turned it into a guitar heavy rock tour-de-force (especially in the hands of one Aaron North).

Bow down before the one('s) you serve. Enjoy.




Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole

(I wish there was a clearer video of this available, but I guess you use what You(Tube) get).

Monster Magnet @ Billboard, 08/09/2009

My Monster Magnet review is now up on FasterLouder. Unfortunately it wasn't the best show. It was ok, but just not the awesome rock 'n' roll spectacle it should have been. Like the video for Space Lord was.

(Unfortunately I can't embed the video because Universal music have disabled that function, but here's a link to the clip on YouTube - Space Lord Mother, Mother!)

Here's the Review:

It’s been a few years since I last saw Cockfight Shootout and if memory serves me correctly there’s been a few hair-cuts since then. They also seem to have focused their efforts. Thankfully there are still a lot of big riffs, but I wouldn’t have expected harmonised twin guitar lines from the stoner rock band I saw in 2005.

Regular John share their name with a Queens of the Stone Age track, and for their first song they seem dangerously close to having borrowed the QOTSA sound too. But fortunately there’s a lot more on offer in the coming songs. As well as the notable stoner rock influence, there’s some early grunge fuzziness and psychedelic overtones – a nice mix of sounds complementing each other and held together with some driving bass work. The use of multiple vocalists also keeps things interesting; with clear singing giving way to shouts and screams reminiscent of early Nirvana work.

Before I discuss Monster Magnet’s set properly, there’s two things I have to get off my chest. As the band walks out on stage, I’m surprisingly disappointed by their appearance. I know this is rock ‘n’ roll and the true test of any band is how well they play, but for a band who have put so much into cultivating their image it feels like something is missing. I got my first taste of Monster Magnet while watching Rage ten years ago; fireworks shot into the air as they played in front of one of Las Vegas’ massive casinos. Their own team of cheerleaders danced behind the band, or hung off front-man Dave Wyndorf who wore a shiny blue suit in one scene, and a suit covered in light bulbs in another. Sure I wasn’t expecting all this to fit inside Billboard, but I did think the recent publicity photos of a leather clad band showed them to still be dangerous rock-super-stars. The kind of rock-super-stars you need to be to create an album like Powertrip, a title which so perfectly describes the combination of psychedelia, blues and straight out hard rock that is the Monster Magnet signature sound.

The closest we get to this is a solitary leather vest worn over a t-shirt by guitarist Phil Caivano, which is removed after a few songs anyway. Wyndorf is wearing an oversized grey zip-up hoodie and with his hair half its old length looks more like a guy coming home from the gym than a Space Lord.

The sound mix at Billboard isn’t great tonight either with Caivano’s guitar barely audible. Both he and bassist Jim Baglino do their part to rock out on one side of the stage, but lead guitarist Ed Mundell mostly stands still on his side. Those down the front are clearly enjoying the vibe and interacting with the band, but the mix and atmosphere of the venue seem to stop this from extending beyond the lowered dance floor.

So now that all that’s out of the way, let’s get into the good aspects of the show. Monster Magnet are a TIGHT band. Drummer Bob Pantella has a huge sound and drives the music hard all night. The set list is very fan friendly drawing heavily from classic albums such as Powertrip, Dopes to Infinity and going all the way back to 1992’s Spine of God, although it’s surprisingly lacking in tracks from the most recent album 4-Way Diablo. For all his stillness, Mundell is a fantastic guitar player and his wah heavy solo’s cut through the mix nicely. Also surprisingly clear are Wyndorf’s vocals, highlighting how good a singer he is and how strong his voice remains even after all these years. This is particularly evident in songs like Third Alternative (“It’s the blues baby, for the 21st century”) and Zodiac Lung which is performed by just Wyndorf and Mundell.

After a few tracks from 2004’s Monolithic Baby, the main set ends with the double shot of Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Space Lord, both crowd favourites (but again there are sound problems as a humming mid-song becomes so loud even the band get distracted). Wyndorf has a guitar around his neck most of the night, and while rarely played when he is singing, the triple guitar attack brings a killer fullness to the instrumental breaks. Especially in Melt which opens the encore and is one of the highlights of the night.

Unfortunately Wyndorf spends most of these times facing Pantella at the back of the stage, further diminishing interaction between the band and crowd. Monster Magnet have far too many good songs and are far too competent as musicians to ever put on a bad show, but there was just too much tonight holding this back from being the spectacular show it could, and should, have been.