Nine Inch Nails: Peel It Back 2025

Right Where It Belongs

There is no better statement. The live performance is right where Nine Inch Nails belongs.

Every sound, every image, and every light is meticulously crafted for a specifically designed experience.

I’ve been fortunate enough to witness Nine Inch Nails live since 2000. My very first NIN show was the Fragility v2.0 tour, which featured A Perfect Circle as an opener. Talk about an experience!

Armed with the belief that “The Fragile” is one of the greatest achievements in music, the live show delivered every expectation – and then some.

That was 25 years ago.

From then to now, every Nine Inch Nails live show has continued to blow me away. Another highly memorable experience came in Fresno at the William Sayoran Theater. The experience was so loud, and heavy, it felt as though pieces of the ceiling were falling on us.

Again, 25 years ago. But Jesus, the band has not missed a step. And with the addition of Boys Noize, this is an evolution of Nine Inch Nails that is taking them into such a unique soundscape.

It’s an evolution that has me really excited.

Boys Noize

To his credit, Boys Noize, real name Alexander Ridha, is a fantastic producer. I hadn’t heard of him until his headlining performance was announced for this Peel It Back tour.

I was scratching my head at the prospect of a DJ opening for Nine Inch Nails. I suppose I was expecting some type of electronic rock band. However, the Boys Noize influence is heavy on NIN’s latest single “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from the “Tron:Ares” soundtrack.

And the shit works.

The dark EDM just has this dancing aggressiveness to it. A lot of what Boys Noize was spinning sounded like NIN meets Rezz meets Gesaffelstein. And what made it truly special was just how seamlessly Boys Noize blended into the start of the NIN set.

As Boys Noize was nearing the end of the track “Near You,” the buildup began. As the focus was on Boys Noize at the far end of the Arena, the B-Stage, smack dab right in the middle of the Kia Forum, dropped its curtains to reveal a solo Trent Reznor tickling a synth, crooning to Right Where It Belongs.

The B-Stage

Both “Right Where It Belongs” and “Ruiner” were softer, more intimate versions of the songs. At this point, the stage was lit with standard house style lights. You could see every piece of electronic equipment, and see every movement Trent made.

It felt raw. It was emotional.

About halfway through “Ruiner,” the “Swiss Army-knife of Nine Inch Nails” Alessandro Cortini joined Trent on stage, followed shortly by Atticus Ross.

By the end of the final chorus of “Ruiner” Trent sings out “You know I can see, What you really are” which is the same time Alessandro picks up a bass and we start to get a bit more aggressive. And then…

“Hey pig…”

I can’t recall ever hearing “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)” live before. Maybe it’s because most of the shows I’ve been to have been so heavily focused on the live band aspect, and this part of the show was stripped down? Regardless, it was an absolute treat hearing this song live.

Robin Fink quickly joined the group at the B-Stage to provide the static distorted guitars of the song. It was a beautiful recreation of the track, leading up to the insane drum solo at the end.

The focus quickly jumped to the Main Stage, where Josh Freese was all along, projected on a giant scrim, blasting away at the drums in a solo. This provided an opportunity for the rest of the band to make their way to the main stage and lead right into “This is the first day of my last days.”

B-Stage Tracks:

• Right Where It Belongs (Piano version; with “Somewhat Damaged” outro)
• Ruiner
• Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)

Nine Inch Nails: Unpeeled

The Main Stage setup was amazing. Robin Fink and Atticus Ross flanked Trent at the front of the stage, while Cortini and Freese held up the back of the stage. 2 scrims, very sheer curtains, surrounded the stage. One that completely enveloped the Main Stage, and one separating the Front and Back of the stage.

During each track, different visuals were projected adding an insane visual depth to the performance. There was also an unsung hero with a camera, frantically running around the stage to each and every member. His feed too was projected in giant fashion on the scrim, adding layers to the performance.

The songs played here are just meaty, cornerstone Nine Inch Nails. Both “Wish” and “Reptile” are two of my favorites. Every song showcased here was re-tinkered in a way that felt unique and special compared to their album versions.

The chaos at the end of “Gave Up” was a perfect cover. Freese, Fink and Cortini continued to destroy everyone’s faces while Trent and Atticus made their way off stage. Once “Gave Up” ended, the B-Stage turned red, leaving us with Boys Noize all by himself…

The Main Stage (Peeled) Tracks:

• Wish
• March of the Pigs
• Reptile
• Heresy
• Copy of A
• Gave Up

Nine Inch Noize

This is where my mind melted. Three classic Nine Inch Nails tracks performed live as remixes, sprinkled with the insanely instant-hit “As Alive As You Need Me To Be,” fusing aggressive EDM with classic NIN industrial…

Chef’s f*cking kiss.

And I cannot stress this enough. This is the absolute best best best version of “Closer” I have ever heard. Every aspect of this part of the set was absolutely stunning. It made me want to rush home so I could fire up Ableton and start blasting my own dark EDM beats.

I stated in an Instagram and Threads post that come Coachella 2026, Nine Inch Noize (Nine Inch Nails + Boys Noize – duh) is going to be insanely special.

I think this was just a preview of what we can expect that performance to be like. I just need to find a way to get to Coachella.

As “Came Back Haunted” was coming to an end, Boys Noize performed his final bow as Atticus and Trent made their return to the Main Stage. All the while, Trent continued to sing “Came back ha-ha-haunted, Just can’t, Stop!”

B-Stage with Boys Noize Tracks:

• Vessel
• Closer
• As Alive as You Need Me to Be
• Came Back Haunted

The Main Stage: This Peeled

Back at the Main Stage, the scrims were completely removed, as if to say “this is Nine Inch Nails, completely peeled away.”

The raw aggression from the rest of the tracks in the show speaks for itself. They are a tried but true message to where we’re at in this day and age – especially so with the tribute to Trent’s late friend and global icon David Bowie.

This tour also provided excellent opportunities to properly welcome Josh Freese back to the band. From “Piggy” to “The Perfect Drug,” Freese’s chaotic talent is as natural as the force that is Robin Fink – which are all perfect pieces to the Nine Inch Nails experience.

I may get some hate for this, but even at the close of the show, my least favorite NIN song, “Hurt” was more moving to me. Continuing with the theme of peeling away, this rendition of “Hurt” felt rawer, more stripped down, and more personal.

It might also be a bit more personal as someone battling his own addictions, but Nine Inch Nails absolutely opened my heart at the beginning of the show, tore it out, reformed and remixed it, forged it in fire and the put it back to let me know that it’s all going to be OK.

What an emotional experience.

The Main Stage (Peeled) Tracks:

• Mr. Self Destruct
• Less Than
• The Perfect Drug
• I’m Afraid of Americans
• The Hand That Feeds
• Head Like a Hole
• Hurt

The Future

Nine Inch Nails is my absolute favorite band. I understand NIN is 99.9% Trent Reznor – but this man comes at music in such a way that not many musicians do. He may be the closest thing we have to a modern day Frank Zappa.

With the release of the “Tron: Ares” soundtrack, it’s clear that Nine Inch Nails is so, so back. They’ve reinvented their sound to support continuing this musical quest for years to come.

And we also have the prospect of more Nine Inch Noize. More EDM inspired NIN? F*ck yes please, may I have some more!?

When Trent and Atticus began to focus so much more time and effort on scoring films, I honestly felt that Nine Inch Nails may be coming to its natural end. But man, the Nine Inch Nails project was just chilling in another chrysalis until the time was right.

And the time was right, because Nine Inch Nails is exactly right where it belongs.