Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock act, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. Nine Inch Nails live performances contrast with its in-studio counterpart: although Reznor is in complete creative control of Nine Inch Nails in-studio, he typically assembles groups of backing musicians to interpret songs for tours and other live performances. In 2009 Reznor announced that Nine Inch Nails was done touring, but that he would continue to create music under the name. The live band lineup changed consistently throughout the band's history, with Reznor remaining the only constant on vocals, guitar, and synthesizers. Notable musicians who have contributed to live performances include Richard Patrick, Chris Vrenna, Jeordie White, Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Charlie Clouser, Danny Lohner, and the late Jeff Ward. The configuration of Nine Inch Nails as a live band evolved consistently from the first tours in 1988 until the final tour in 2009. Early incarnations of the band featured three people playing guitar, drums, keyboards, and samplers. Later incarnations replaced the keyboards and samplers with an additional guitarist, and further incarnations added a bass guitarist. The live component of Nine Inch Nails later settled on a five-piece band between the Self Destruct Tour in 1994 and Lights in the Sky tour in 2008. In September 2007, Reznor expressed his interest in moving away from the "rock band configuration" to explore "other ways present the material in concert", and by 2009, the live band was once again pared down to four positions. Between major tours, live band members have on occasion contributed instrumental performances to official Nine Inch Nails releases, though creative control and direction has always been the responsibility of Reznor. Nine Inch Nails has released one album and four videos featuring the live band: Closure (1997), a double-VHS set featuring live performances from the Self-Destruct tour; And All That Could Have Been (2000), released in CD and double-DVD formats featuring performances from the Fragility tour; Beside You in Time (2007), released in high-definition and DVD formats featuring performances from the Live: With Teeth tour; and Another Version of the Truth (2009), an officially sanctioned fan-made release in high-definition and triple-DVD sets featuring performances from the Lights in the Sky tour. Alessandro Cortini in 2007 playing with Nine Inch Nails Jerome Dillon in 2005 Finck in 2008 playing with Nine Inch Nails Josh Freese in 2008 Meldal-Johnsen in 2007 playing with Beck Aaron North in 2007 playing with Nine Inch Nails Richard Patrick in 2006 playing with Army of Anyone Rubin playing with Lostprophets Jeordie White