Marilyn Manson
with Nine Inch Nails at The Cyclorama
by Noel Sanders
The band opening for NIN, Marilyn Manson from Ft. Lauderdale, was a pleasant surprise. Between songs, the singer snarled, “There are a lot of little girls here. Which one of you will come up on stage and let me put my FIST in her? Or maybe one of you sweaty boys in eyeliner?” The man knows how to relate to his fans! Another kooky fact about this four piece, death metalish group – they’ve all taken the surname of a famous mass murderer. They’re also the first band to be signed on Reznor’s nothing label.
“Nine Inch Nails were better than Pantera, man.”
Quite a compliment for Nine Inch Nails, overheard after their May 11th show at the Boston Center for the arts. In actuality, they put on one of the best national act shows seen in Boston in a while. It’s about time Trent Reznor and NIN went back on tour – no one’s seen them since Lollapolooza.
This show was worth the wait. Eager fans packed the Cyclorama to see, hear and feel their tormented, beloved Trent scream, hiss, whisper, and howl out the pain and rage that comes with being alive. NIN started with “Terrible Lie” and moved to “Something I Can Never Have” with the crowd screaming along, swaying back and forth (involuntarily in most cases), and one girl actually crying, reminiscent of film clips of the early Beatles fan. “Happiness in Slavery” from Broken was another crowd pleaser, especially with the B&D set present. “March of the Pigs,” “Closer,” “Reptile,” “Big Man with a Gun,” and the instrumental, “A Warm Place,” all from the Downward Spiral, showed Reznor at his best – tortured, writhing, growling…
Appropriately, Reznor ended by smashing his keyboard and storming off, while drummer Chris Vrenna kept right on playing.
Disappointingly, the acoustics at the Cyclorama are horrible; at some points NIN was a static buzz overlayed with Reznor’s voice. Those unfamiliar with NIN were probably unaware of the difference (this is “industrial” music, after all). However, loyal fans who know each beat and tonal change, as well as the lyrics, noticed the waves of static. The lighting was intense – strobes and laser bathing the crowd, slicing through artificial haze and cigarette smoke.
