NIN/Bauhaus 6/7/06, Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA Jun 08 '06 (Updated Jun 14 '06)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Music The Dirtchamber Sessions, Vol. 1 by The Prodigy From $11 Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast From $8 The Bottom Line Best F*cking Show Ever!!!!!! Go see NIN & Bauhaus!!!!! Ever since I've been a Nine Inch Nails (NIN) fan since 1993 and seeing them on TV at Woodstock '94 a year later, I've become a huge fan since and all I wanted to do was see them live. Missed them two times in '95 and missed them again at an exclusive club show in 1996. Then in 2000 during the Fragility tour, I bought a ticket but relatives came over and since there were two shows for tickets I bought that were close to each other. I was forced to miss NIN and went to the see the Cure two days before NIN had. Then when With Teeth came out, I was ready to see them again but I had financial problems and a chance to reserve tickets for myself online was failed because my sister left her Internet on. I missed their two shows that May and I would miss them again later that fall because my uncle had passed away. For a while, it seemed like my chance to see them was over until earlier this year. They decided to tour again and to make things even more overwhelming, they would be joined by Bauhaus. Good news was that I got the money to go see them and got the ticket the first day it was sold. I almost didn't make it to the show because my dad's old van wasn't working due to transmission but fortunately, I got to borrow his new car and managed to come out, unscathed. I have to say for all of my hopes of seeing NIN and to see them just once. It was all worth it and it was the best night of my life. Just as I left only to stop for a meal at Burger King, I heard a few days ago that NIN leader Trent Reznor and Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy were planning to do an exclusive session for 99x. On my way to Burger King and later that night on my way home, I heard the two do three exclusive performances for the broadcast with fans. They performed Head Like A Hole with Murphy doing most of the vocals and Trent doing electronic backgrounds and chorus. The second was a new, speedy-electronic version of Bauhaus' Sanity Assassin with Trent and Peter sharing vocal duties and the final performance was Murphy singing Hurt with Trent on piano. I arrived around 6:15 to the Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater were just before TV on the Radio was to play at around 7 PM, concert attendees were given an exclusive performance from the local Pink Pony Dolls from the Pink Pony club. Everyone, forget about the Pussycat Dolls, the Pink Pony Dolls' burlesque show was even better and far hotter too. No, they didn't take their clothes off but they did manage to seduce the crowd while leaving them wanting for more. They opened with Big Spender while each of the ladies managed to do their own individual moment as the blond Jess danced to Lenny Kravitz's Are You Gonna Go My Way while the best-looking chick (for me) in Catherine danced to an old blues number. Jasmine danced to a famous Tweet song that I can't remember while Kat showed that she can shake her booty better than anyone to a Shakira song. The final girl (whose name I can't remember) as NIN bassist Jeordie White watched danced to a techno version with a chorus of "I like the way you movie" (it wasn't Outkast) and the girls danced to a reprise of Big Spender to end their show. The best thing about their performance was, it left everyone wanting for more and those ladies were hot TV on the Radio came on around 7 PM and they didn't do their big single Staring At The Sun. Unfortunately, I don't have their album but the band showed their post-punk, experimental sound that won them the Shortlist Prize. They did six songs in their hypnotic, shoegaze-like sound that was very loud while they rocked a bit more towards the fifth song and manage to wow the small crowd that was coming in. The band displayed a lot of intensity and bringing a punk fury that hadn't been seen through their records. In many ways, they are one of the best opening acts on any tour. After TV on the Radio's 30-40 minute performance, more people were coming as they prepared to see Bauhaus. Near 8 PM, the sun was still on as the band finally arrived as they opened with the ominous Double Dare that got many Bauhaus fans excited including myself. I went nuts when the did In The Flat Field as the band covered themselves with fog during the performance as Peter Murphy proved to be one of the best frontmen around. During another song that I presumed is City (I have no idea what it was called) but Murphy's performance was amazing as he lied down during the song while singing. Next came She's In Parties as Murphy managed to get the small but growing crowd going as he ran to the side of the stage and sing with fans. During a song which I wasn't sure was one of the two new ones they did, the band's intense performance was still insatiable as Murphy grabbed a bunch of flowers and sang towards a blond Goth chick in front of the crowd. The sun was coming down as Murphy stood in a platform with a light shining on him as he sang Dead Can Dance's Severence with green lights shown in the background. Guitarist Daniel Ash grabs an acoustic guitar for Silent Hedges as the song's intensity was led by David J's droning bass and Kevin Haskins' powerful drumming. Ash grabs the spotlight as he stands on a platform for another possible new song as he plays saxophone while Murphy sang the song walking around. In another old song with a chorus of "Summer with the damned", the band manages to win the crowd over as they did with two other obscure album cuts that showed their Gothic, post-punk style. The closing track as it neared towards 9 PM was a real surprise, Bela Lugosi's Dead as Murphy grabbed a vampire cape. The classic Goth song was given a big applause once the first chords was heard as it proved to be a real surprise as the song's power to hypnotize proved that it has remained to be a true rock classic. In the end, Bauhaus pulled out one of the best performances in what could be their last reunion tour. By 9 PM, about 3/5 of the crowd that was attending was on seats (including me) with the rest in the lawn. Later, it would grow to 4/5 of the venue's full attendance as sound check was going on for NIN. The only negative, like most sound checks are the music that's played where it ends up being repetitive. By 9:30, the metallic, shutters that the band played in behind for some of the visual effects was coming down. It was clear that NIN was coming eventually as the crowd were starting to get a little crazy including myself. With the house lights in the outdoor amphitheater still on, suddenly Trent arrived singing the opening verses of Somewhat Damaged as the music starts to pump as the house lights close with the sky being dark. Through its scratchy, colorful lighting sequences, the show was definitely off to a nihilistic start as it would get more intense with the frenetic You Know What You Are. Strobe lights were coming on as the metallic curtains were rising up as the band's intensity and assault got fans into a frenzy. Notably guitarist Aaron North who is a total nut running around the stage with his guitar. Then came the industrial dance of Sin that got fans into a frenzy with fists high in the air during the chorus as strobe and flashing lights were hit upon the fans. The performance of the song was tight with Alessandro Cortini doing the keyboards, Jeordie White on bass, and new tour drummer Josh Freese doing a great job on the drums. Then came the classic Terrible Lie as Trent, wearing black shorts and a t-shirt and looking very buff, played the song with white lights in the background that would flash during the song's performance as fans sang the chorus to every word on the song. Then came another classic in March Of The Pigs as the colorful, strobe lights and static background kept flashing to the song's intensity as fans, of course, sang to every word. The lights closed down as the fog comes in with only a purple light background with Trent singing Something I Can Never Have which was another crowd sing-a-long. After the performance, the middle of the five metallic columns came down for Closer with the screening backgrounds behind the band showing red. The visual effects are amazing which are conceived by Reznor, consultant/NIN webmaster Rob Sheridan, and Andrea Giaccobe. It's another favorite performance thanks to its red background and visual design while during the near end of the song, the synthesizer riffs of The Only Time are played with Trent standing on a platform to sing the song's final verses with red/orange backgrounds. Burn arrives with a background of white lights that plays to the songs frenetic, nihilistic assault. Then came the frenetic Gave Up which displayed a lot of color and white lights as the song's intensity definitely electrified fans. The instrumental of Help Me I'm In Hell comes in with the metallic curtains coming down for some amazing visual effects of little sparks coming from the curtains that fully develops into these large but amazing images of orange-red colors which looked like blobs or something. It was beautiful to watch as it was heightened more by the ghostly, transparent air images from the curtains for a band rendition of Non-Entity (a non-LP track that became a benefit song for Katrina victims) that was a real highlight. The song's performance is more ominous as opposed to the intimate setting that Trent had when he premiered the song last year. The funk-drenched Only arrived with a background of colors, static and scratchy images played to the song's funky tone as it was a favorite during the chorus with many fans dancing around. The curtains rise up when Wish arrives which becomes a frenetic, energetic assault led by Aaron North's fiery performance as ran around and stood on Freese's drum set. The setting becomes very quiet as Trent does a piano solo with a blue spotlight shining on him as it later becomes the piano piece of La Mer as he is accompanied by Aaron North playing an acoustic guitar with the two lights shining on them. Then comes another funk-drenched track for Into The Void that plays up to the song's funky vibe as it becomes another groove-drenched track that fans sang along to. Reptile arrives with its greenish background of lights and swirling images as it becomes a full-on assault with fans singing to the lyrics. Suck arrives to blinding white lights as it proves to be more of the metallic assault that NIN has been known for, particularly when fans sing "I’m so dirty, on the inside" right near the end. The cover of Queen's Get Down, Make Love was a real surprise as the song's sexual-laden electro-pop vibe won fans over as during the performance, Trent manage to molest North during North’s guitar solo which proved that the band has maintained some sense of humor. The lights are now all but gone as Hurt arrives with fans turning on lighters and cellphones to convey its intimacy as Trent sings with a lone spotlight until the song's final moments as the band plays along to its emotional intensity. Undoubtably one of the show's emotional highlights. Next is the anti-Bush hit single of The Hand That Feeds which features more swirling backgrounds and intense lights as it gets fans into a frenzy that reveals more of the band's intensity as they're not done, just yet. The final song comes in the classic Head Like A Hole with white lights flashing upon the fans held their hands high during the chorus just as Trent does proving that he is a commanding frontman who can make them do anything. The show ends with Aaron going nuts on his amp and guitar while Alessandro throws his keyboard which was destroyed by Aaron. The metallic curtains come down to reveal the NIN logo as the show ended. Overall, it's a magnificent performance. In my opinion, it was everything I expected and more. Sure, they didn't play Dead Souls, The Frail/The Wretched, some tracks from With Teeth, or the somewhat overrated Starf*ckers, Inc. I had a great time, Trent definitely was energetic and getting to the crowd as whenever he would clap his hands during a few of the songs that was followed by the fans doing the same. Their performance truly captures their reputation as a great live band as Jeordie and Alessandro chose to play it straight during their performance while the most professional musician in Josh Freese proved to be one of the most beloved drummers in rock. Aaron North is a true wild man who I hope stays in NIN while Trent Reznor just delivered a lot of power in his vocals and intensity. In the end, it was a great show and many people (except for some stuck-up b*tch who was sitting behind me who truly didn't understand NIN) had a great time with a lot of people saying it was a great night. While NIN may not play again in another five years, it would definitely be worth the wait. For Bauhaus, since it might be the only time I will ever see them, it was definitely one of the best performances I've seen. Thanks to Pink Pony Dolls, TV on the Radio, Peter, Kevin, Daniel, David, Alessandro, Aaron, Jeordie, Josh, and Trent for one hell of a night in what it's known as the Monsters of Goth tour. While Trent likes to call it the Inconvenient Truth tour in tribute to the doc starring Al Gore. Whatever it was, it was a great f*cking show. Trent Reznor/Peter Murphy Radio Session #1 5/5: Head Like A Hole, Sanity Assassin, Hurt. Pink Pony Dolls show 4.5/5 TV on the Radio 4.5/5 Bauhaus 5/5: Double Dare, In The Flat Field, City, She’s In Parties, (New Song), Severence, Silent Hedges, (New Song 2), Summer With The Damned, (Old Song 1), (Old Song 2), Bela Lugosi’s Dead. NIN 11/5: Somewhat Damaged, You Know What You Are, Sin, Terrible Lie, March Of The Pigs, Something I Can Never Have, Closer, Burn, Gave Up, Help Me I'm In Hell, Non-Entity, Only, Wish, La Mer, Into The Void, Reptile, Suck, Get Down Make Love, Hurt, The Hand That Feeds, Head Like A Hole

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