ETS Tour Journal

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Hyperpower!
The beginning of the end
Survivalism
Terriblr lie
Heresy
March of the pigs
The Frail
Closer
Capital G
Burn
Help me I am in hell
Me,I'm not
Even deeper
Wish
The good soldier
The big come down
Mr Self Destruct
Down in it
The day the world went away
Hurt
The hand that feeds
Starfuckers, inc.
Head like a hole

Of course my ears are still ringing, after three nights. There were younger fans and "die-hard" fans (like me) all together at all of the Tokyo shows, which is great.

jane is quicker than me for the set list. They also played The Wretched right after The Frail. I never expected they would play Mr Self Destruct and Down In It, so it was a huge surprise.

Tonight was the best show in Tokyo so far, with this superb setlist. The show was just excellent. Intense. Tight. Whatever the word. And we could finally dance to Closer and Heresy. At the end of the show, Trent threw his guitar into the crowd, and Aaron threw a guitar amp into the ... well, I don't think he threw it upon the crowd. アーロンくん、ギターアンプは危ないからやめときなさい。

And the light was simply AWESOME, with no huge stage sets. I was right behind the soundboard with my friends, and got to see the whole stage. A friend and I talked after the show that it was as if we were in an official DVD with halo.

To all out there who attended Summer Sonic 2005:
Trent does remember the unstoppable "don't you" moment. Tonight he threw the mic in to the crowd just after he got in to the "don't you, don't you" part in Starfuckers. (To those who can't figure this out: search for Tokyo, August 2005 Tour Journal on ETS. In short, nothing couldn't stop us from singing "don't you". It seemed literally endless, and he just smiled beautifully not knowing what to do. Hey, can we stop? We, We're not.)

Not many of us understand their lyrics, because English is not our native language, but the power of music overcomes the difference. This is what I like about listening to overseas bands. And we have many great "not-so-mainstream" bands in Japan (I mean, J-pop bands are the mainstream) and I hope to see one of them with Nine Inch Nails, some day.

It's finished for us in Tokyo, and I hope, and I'm sure, that those attending Nagoya and Osaka will have a great time. The band is as tight as ever.

I really need to chill out now... I really do, but I don't want to. Big thanks to gayo and Perkules on ETS, and all the other friends at the Tokyo shows. Huge thanks to Trent, Aaron, Jeordie, Josh, Alessandro and the NIN crew. Hope to see you soon. Love and Peace. (^^)v

deconstructer wrote:アーロンくん、ギターアンプは危ないからやめときなさい。

Hahaha, I was in front of Jeordie, so I couldn't see what he was doing during HLAH.

I have to go to bed now, but I really enjoyed the all three shows, and I would like to say thanks a lot to Trent, Jeordie, Alessandro, Aaron, Josh and all the tour crew. The setlists of the three days tell us that they showed us almost everything they had.

I'll write more later....

So quiet here... I suppose every one is heading to Nagoya or too exhausted (burned out) after three days in Tokyo. Actually I am having a difficult time to go back to reality.

@mikeko-san:
I've heard during his time in Icarus Line, Aaron threw a guitar amp into the crowd, resulting in some injury... Nobody can expect what he's going to do the next moment, indeed. Help me I'm feeling as if I'm his mother!

I've looked at Japanese weblogs, and there are a lot of very positive reviews for all the three dates. One says "I'd like three hours of NIN live", another says "the moment I stepped in to the floor, even before the show started, it was very hot. Heated with expectation?" And some show surprise at Trent's resistance-style stubble/beard (I really don't know which word to use). Others have some deep emotion as to how Trent has been changed (compared with TDS era, or the Fragility tour) - not only physically but also mentally. I don't think anybody at the time of TDS and/or the Fragile expected him to shout "Oi! Oi!" during a song. Some talked with new people who shares his/her tastes. Many were brought to tears with Hurt.

May 20's surprise list for Japanese fans (according to many blogs):
- Heresy
- Mr Self Destruct
- Josh (one calls him "the newest model of terminator cyborg that is specially created for the best live music")
- Jeordie's hypnotising eyes
- the hyper-activity of Aaron
- the God-given guitar (by "God" I mean Trent. He put his guitar into the crowd at the end of the show)
- the beauty of The Frail - The Wretched - Closer
- the smoke (too much smoke, as some put it)
- the light (very very beautiful)
- the number of people in NIN T-shirts on the floor
- Starfuckers Inc and "don't you" singers
... and many more. In fact, there are too many blogs: I tried, and I gave up.

Anyway, trying to have a bit of chill-out, I copied and pasted the Tokyo setlists onto the Calc software (OpenOffice.org's equivalent to MS Excel) and got this result:

SONGNAME (DATE(S) / NUMBER OF TIMES)
Burn (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Capital G (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Closer (20 / 1)
Dead Souls (19 / 1)
Down In It (20 / 1)
Eraser (18 / 1)
Even Deeper (20 / 1)
Gave Up (18, 19 / 2)
Head Like A Hole (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Help Me I'm In Hell (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Heresy (20 / 1)
Hurt (18, 20 / 2)
Hyperpower! (18, 20 / 2) *opener
Into The Void (18 / 1)
La Mer (18 / 1)
Last (18 / 1)
March Of The Pigs (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Me, I'm Not (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Mr Self Destruct (20 / 1)
No, You Don't (18 / 1)
Only (18, 19 / 2)
Piggy (18 / 1)
Reptile (19 / 1)
Ruiner (19 / 1)
Sin (20 / 1)
Something I Can Never Have (19 / 1)
Somewhat Damaged (19 / 1) *opener
Starfuckers, Inc. (20 / 1)
Suck (18, 19 / 2)
Survivalism (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Terrible Lie (20 / 1)
The Beginning Of The End (18, 19, 20 / 3)
The Big Come Down (20 / 1)
The Day The World Went Away (20 / 1)
The Frail (19, 20 / 2)
The Wretched (20 / 1)
The Good Soldier (18, 19, 20 / 3)
The Hand That Feeds (18, 19, 20 / 3)
Wish (18, 19, 20 / 3)
You Know What You Are? (19 / 1)

It's 40 songs for three shows. Beautiful, isn't it?

jane wrote:Hyperpower!
The beginning of the end
Survivalism
Terriblr lie
Heresy
March of the pigs
The Frail
Closer
Capital G
Burn
Help me I am in hell
Me,I'm not
Even deeper
Wish
The good soldier
The big come down
Mr Self Destruct
Down in it
The day the world went away
Hurt
The hand that feeds
Starfuckers, inc.
Head like a hole

WOOT 24 songs!! Looks like a blast! Hopefully they do the same at finland.

"The Wretched" is sure to be performed between "The Frail" and "Closer".

dust wrote:"The Wretched" is sure to be performed between "The Frail" and "Closer".

You are right, dust. I'm more than sure of the Wretched being played there. A friend of mine says she bursted into tears with the intro of the Wretched on the 20th.

On the day before, 19th May, it was "the Frail -> the Good Soldier" and it was a slightly disappointing as she had been expecting the Wretched. After the show on the 20th she talked and talked about the undeniable perfectness of "the Frail -> the Wretched" combination. Of course I can't agree more.

There were some boys talking to each other beside me outside the venue, who only knew one or two songs (Wish and THTF, most possibly), and they were talking about the "slow one with piano" that they fell in love with, which I presume is Hurt or the Frail.

So... well, I'm still struggling through my way back to my reality. Another friend, who was at the 19th show but couldn't get the 20th ticket, is without a doubt full of envy, saying "MSD and Heresy?! And Closer???!!!" My friend natually has the right to be jealous of me. Hope they will play these NIN classics in Nagoya tonight (22th) and Osaka.

deconstructer wrote:@mikeko-san:
I've heard during his time in Icarus Line, Aaron threw a guitar amp into the crowd, resulting in some injury... Nobody can expect what he's going to do the next moment, indeed. Help me I'm feeling as if I'm his mother!

ははは、わかります。彼、ちっちゃくってやんちゃで可愛いですよね。

deconstructer wrote:And some show surprise at Trent's resistance-style stubble/beard (I really don't know which word to use). Others have some deep emotion as to how Trent has been changed (compared with TDS era, or the Fragility tour) - not only physically but also mentally. I don't think anybody at the time of TDS or the Fragile and/expected him to shout "Oi! Oi!" during a song. Some talked with new people who shares his/her tastes. Many were brought to tears with Hurt.

I had never seen NIN in such a small venue with such a simple stage set. I had only seen them in large arenas in 2000 and 2005 North American tours and at a festival in 2005 (Summer Sonic). In arena shows, the productions get so huge and complex, which takes some freedom away from setlists and intimacy from performances. While the Fragility tour was breathtakingly beautiful and an absolute perfection to me, the stage set of With Teeth tour was just too much with layers of screens and LEDs and hundreds of strobes, which often overshadowed the band’s performance itself. So, naturally, I really enjoyed the three Tokyo shows last weekend because they were much more intimate, and they kept changing setlists. I think I heard all songs I wanted to hear! I think the band showed us almost everything they had, and I’m very grateful for that.

Trent played a tambourine a lot, and we did lots of handclapping often lead by Jeordie. I was very surprised not because I hated them but because they seemed so natural. The concerts were absolutely kick-ass with tons of energy, but the darkness I’d always associated with NIN was totally gone. Yet Trent sounded more confident and sincere than when I saw him in September 2005. Then I now realize that he is no longer trying to play the character he created almost 20 years ago. In With Teeth tour, he was still trying to play the Prince of Darkness with a tortured soul even though he’d already become a sober, clean, healthy (and very buff) and happy man. That’s why I couldn’t feel much sincerity or intimacy from his performance, and felt like he was somewhat pretended. But in last weekend’s shows, I saw a sober, clean, healthy and happy man with lots of positive anger towards society and who enjoys and appreciates his life. I felt like it was real him who was on the stage.

On the other hand, I didn’t feel emotions from the shows as much as I used to, and I think that’s because he was no longer baring his soul to us and sharing his secrets with us. He no longer looks inside of his head, but now only looks outward. While I'm really happy for him, I guess that's something I will always miss.

I thought Trent might be in some kind of transition phase when I saw NIN in 2005. I now feel that this is the beginning of a very different new era of NIN.

what is wrong with you people?
can we please get a thread for the next japan show?
for the love of god.

dontworryaboutit wrote:what is wrong with you people?
can we please get a thread for the next japan show?
for the love of god.

Yeah, I'm a little concerned bout that as well.

It's been a week since I saw the show, but I still can't get over it.
I've only seen NIN concerts 4 times, but of hundreds of concerts I've been to in the past, this is easily one of the best.

I was right behind the sound booth on the right hand side with Perkules and deconstructor.
It was a perfect spot for it was diagonal from the stage and we could see and enjoy the whole thing perfectly without being pushed or kicked.
The set list was almost my dream set list(minus WITT). The second night's set list was full of surprises,too(Sin! Suck!), but I was a little disappointed by
how they flowed The Frail into The Good Soldier because I was dying to hear The Wretched. But for this last Tokyo show, they played it and I loved it.
When they started to play The Day The World Went Away, you could hear so many gasps among the audience "(For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen)!!!!", and the whole crowd fell silent.
Dead silent. (or so I felt because I was so focused on the tune) Then Hurt followed and I was in tears.It was much better than the first night.
Some people lit cigarette light out. No stupid yells or whistling, but lots of sniffles instead. Of all the live versions I've heard of that song,
that night's Hurt was THE best. They played almost all songs that I wanted to hear in those three days, and I'm so grateful.

What all three Tokyo shows(i'm sure Nagoya and Osaka, too) had in common were Trent's sincerity to his performance and mutual respect between the band and the audience
That's why I felt all the shows were solid and successful. Trent was trying to reach out for us, which created such a strong sense of unity between us.
That's something I never expected from NIN, and I really appreciated it. For that matter, his choice of small venue worked perfectly.
By listening to Year Zero and reading what Trent's been saying recently, it is apparent that Trent's attitude toward his fans(public) has been changed.
And I witnessed part of it firsthand at these shows.

By the way, I was wondering if it was Trent's call to hire Serena Maneesh.
I mean, they sound cool and energetic and all, but there is no uniqueness in their music. I felt like I was listening to covers of Velvet Underground,
Sonic Youth,Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine,,etc..
As deconstructor was telling me that night, Trent should've checked out some local bands and given them a chance.

Anyway, if Trent ever reads this, thank you so much for the great shows.
Do come back after your visit to Australia in September!