NINE INCH NAILS/DAVID BOWIE
CAMDEN, N.J.
Blockbuster—Sony Music
EntertainmentCenter, Sept. 22, 1995
FORGET THE THEORY THAT ARTISTS ARE locked in an
Oedipal struggle to kill their creative fathers. Nirvana played with the Meat
Puppets, Pearl Jam backed up Neil Young, and now Nine Inch Nails have teamed up
with David Bowie. It’s apparent that this collaboration has reinvigorated both
artists.
Nine Inch Nails opened to a crowd dominated by
their young fans. If Reznor was weary of touring, he didn‘t show it. The
introspective studio Wunderkind who
once stalked the stage like a caged animal has evolved into a confident band
leader, taking NIN through a relentless, exhilarating survey of his career. The
group has been reimagined as a stripped-down post-punk ensemble, supplanting
drum machines with two drummers and de-emphasizing synthesizers for guitars.
After barreling through a set that included a ferocious version of «Terrible
Lie“ and a funky, cut-up take on “Closer” the band drifted into an atmospheric
instrumental as Reznor picked up a saxophone to play a surprisingly
accomplished solo.
They were soon joined by Bowie for a collaboration that was the high point of the show. Bowie‘s Martian
lounge-singer croon vied with Reznor‘s blood-curdling caterwaul as Bowie‘s
«Scary Monsters“ segued into NIN‘s «Reptile.“ .A blistering version of «Hallo
Spaceboy“ (from Bowie‘s new album, Outside)
followed, with three drummers pounding away furiously. Reznor and Bowie
continued to trade lines on the haunting «Hurt“ before NIN left the stage.
Bowie then launched into an extended set
of songs from Outside. Although these dark, difficult songs are arguably his
best work since the ‘70s, they were unfamiliar to the audience and not
immediately accessible. Moreover, in a bid to put the eager-to please Let’s Dance era behind him, Bowie
studiously avoided playing his bits in favor of more obscure songs like «Andy
Warhol,“ «Joe the Lion“ and «Breaking Glass.“ Even though «The Man Who Sold the
World“ was familiar because of Nirvana‘s cover, Bowie‘s reinterpretation of it
as an elegiac tribute rendered it barely recognizable. Yet while probably few
knew Jacques Brel‘s «My Death,“ Bowie sang the song (which he used to perform
during his Ziggy Stardust days) with such gut wrenching emotion that he bad the
audience cheering in spite of himself.
Al Weisel
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