16-06-2025
Iconic ‘90s Rock Band Plays Classic Songs for First Time in Decades
Iconic '90s Rock Band Plays Classic Songs for First Time in Decades originally appeared on Parade.
Even though Trent Reznor is a two-time Academy Award-winning composer, the 60-year-old still has some of that industrial angst that propelled him to rock greatness as the leader of Nine Inch Nails. And at the kickoff show for the band's Peel It Back tour, Reznor and crew revisited some of NIN's songs that made them legends in the 1990s, including some that haven't been played in decades.
Reznor formed the group in 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio. Their debut album, 1989's Pretty Hate Machine, resonated with Gen X listeners (and MTV viewers who tuned in to videos for 'Head Like A Hole' and 'Down in It'). The band then achieved unprecedented mainstream success in '94 with their second album, The Downward Spiral. The critically acclaimed LP spawned 'Closer,' arguably Nine Inch Nails' most well-known song.
NIN revisited another Downward Spiral classic at the start of their June 15 concert at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. After playing 'Right Where It Belongs' (from With Teeth) that the band mixed with 'Somewhat Damaged (from The Fragile), Nine Inch Nails segued into 'Ruiner' and 'Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now).'
It was the first time that the band played any of these songs live since 2009, according to
The night also featured an appearance from Boys Noize, a German dance producer who's opening for NIN on the Peel It Back tour. Boys Noise also remixed Renzor and Atticus Ross' Challengers score, according to Stereogum.
The producer accompanied the band in performances of 'Vessel' and 'Came Back Haunted,' as well as 'Parasite' – from Reznor and Ross's side-project, How To Destroy Angels.
The Peel It Back Tour is Nine Inch Nails' first major tour since 2022. The opening night's performance featured classic NIN tracks, including 'Reptile,' 'Wish,' 'March of the Pigs,' and 'I'm Afraid of Americans,' the song that Reznor did with David Bowie.
Recently, Reznor shared a personal memory of the late music icon, recalling a shocking moment when Bowie attended one of Nine Inch Nails' shows in 1995. The admission left fans reeling. 'What a moment,' one '90s Rock Band Plays Classic Songs for First Time in Decades first appeared on Parade on Jun 16, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
