Sept 6, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
We saw NIN tonight perform at the Forum. I have been a long time Nails fan, as some would say, his angst is my angst…
Attending this show, my expectation was difficult. I really wanted to see them but the timing was inconvenient as I have friends in town tonight and we have the opening reception for my show tomorrow. There is a lot going on. But regardless, I made time and we went. I really had anticipated for this just to be another rock concert. Some light moving about ( I was trained as a lighting designer), some haze, some video projections, the band performs some new materials from the new albums, then we are done. What I was not ready for, was to be surprised! I was not ready for my passion to be fueled and desire to create change to be awakened.
Trent Reznor has integrated multi-media into his show so well, that it really has become a live art piece, much more than just a rock concert with some multi-media elements. For the first time in nearly 10 years, I looked at the lighting rig and all that was happening and wished that I had taken a part in the creation of this show. I am not doing justice in describing everything that went on here and if there is every a DVD of this tour, I highly recommand that you check it out.
NIN utilized the multi-media and lighting to challenge your sense of space and depth as well as to enhance the message they had in their music. They pull no punches (which I loved!). For “The Hand that Feeds” – there was an image of George W Bush in the background, about 2/3 way through the song, W morphed into an image of John McCaine. For those of you who are not familiar with the song and lyrics, here is part of the lyrics:
You’re keeping in step
In the line
Got your chin held high and you feel just fine
Because you do
What you’re told
But inside your heart it is black and it’s hollow and it’s cold
Just how deep do you believe?
Will you bite the hand that feeds?
Will you chew until it bleeds?
Can you get up off your knees?
Are you brave enough to see?
Do you want to change it?
What if this whole crusade’s
A charade
And behind it all there’s a price to be paid
For the blood
On which we dine
Justified in the name of the holy and the divine
Yes!!! Art should be used as weapons against the unreasonable, the unjust, the tyranny. It should always provoke and awaken and not be passive and pleasant.
Art is Resistance!
