Bastards!!!

So the NIN fans showed up in full force. They lined up round the corner, down the street.

I arrived round 7:25 for an 8:00 start. Bastards didn't let people in until 8 on the dot. THEN, they let us in, five by five.

By the time I reached the door, it was 8:47. Bullshit.
What's worse is that there's a "no cell phone" policy. WTF?!?
Gotta go back to the car, but the guy was cool and let me get back in the front. (there was still a balls out line!)

So whatever, I'm stocked, go inside, and there's a mob scene at the towerrecords table where they're pre-selling NIN's album. I figure I'll get mine later, cause the music is already playing.

So the music is blasting! I'm loving it. (just got back from Sacramento this morning, so this was a all out NIN FEST!)

The crowd was pretty mellow. Half sat on the floor, bobbing their heads, the other half stood close to the speakers and enjoyed.

THEN, after about 4 fucking songs, they come on the loudsystem and announce, "Thanks for coming!"

The towerrecords booth... gone. They're passing out NIN stickers and postcards on the way out, which is nice, but fucking shit, man!

I waited for over an hour outside just to hear 4 fucking songs?!?
God, what about the people who were in line for HOURS and HOURS!??

People were not happy.

But the music, was amazing. This album will kick f'ing ass all over the place, like a tusnami.

I'm out.

(worth mentioning: while we waited in line, 2 fire trucks and 2 police crusiers pull up to the massive line. They all jump out of their vehicles like something's on fire.
Turns out, some NINette and her boyfriend must have been SUPER drugged out. She starts puking on herself and her boyfriend is way out of it. Must have took some serious drugs. She's sitting in a wheelchair they provided, and crying saying "I don't want to embarrass my boyfriend!"

But the best line was, the cop asks the dude...
"Hey, can you drive her home? And he was like "Yeah.. well, you see there's this nine inch nails thing... " and the cop says
"Son, you're gonna forget about that" He says back... "Yeah. But we've waited about five hours so..."
I laughed my ass off at that.

Needless to say, they didn't make it to the show.
As I rounded the corner, she was in the ambulance SCREAMING her lungs out, and he was getting into the police cruiser.

Crazy night.

That sounds quite odd, actually.

I'm thinking the event was closed down for other reasons, considering the official NIN website clearly states that you can hear the ENTIRE album a full month before release. I highly doubt that just means 4 songs.

Your event, if you're actually telling the truth, was closed for security or technical reasons most likely.

they cut it off at the end of The Line Begins To Blur....so all except the last 2 songs....they played a 23min video montage before the album (which included bits of the Broken video)

Wow that really sucks! I'm glad I didn't wind up going. We did drive past there on the way to dinner tonight and saw the crowd gathered all the way around the corner by Bally's.

I just got back.... They played everyuthing until Beside You Intime and skipped that song and Right Where it Belongs... Fuckers.

The album was fucking awesome. highlight sond was definitely Sunspots, nostalgic moment as trent lets out "Nothing can stop me Now". low point was, surpirisingly the opening track, which wasn't all that spectacular. Only, was damn wierd but really good. Rockin' moment when you know what you are came on drums busting out EXACTLY like that GNR song Kerrang referenced. Missed the order thing I AM PISSED about that. Album rocked though.

I was one of the first in. For the first 30 mins, they showed old tour footage, clips almost every music videos (including the broken movie), and presented it as if it was an add for the Closure DVD. Then they immidiately played With_Teeth and played it non-stop, but stopped after the line begins to blur (meaning they didn't play Beside You In Time and Right Where It Belongs).

The CD sounded amazing, like an auditory organsm. Phenominal, and I haven't even heard the last two songs yet!

Oh, and some drunks tore down a portion of the fencing around the venue. MSostly byu jumping into it and a little by beating it with a pole. Also notably, a miscellaneous africanamerican sauntered up and down the streets offering drugs and saying "Blah Blah' for no real coherent reason, that was REAL entertainment

So there were people who got copies of With Teeth?

I thought everyone was supposed to get a vinyl with Home on it?

you get the vinyl on the day of release

i was the one who stopped a random cop car to do something about the moron who was drugged out/in a drunken stupor. as an extra special detail, she hit the sidewalk twice and each time her head hit the concrete with a smack like a ripe melon.

but on to the matter at hand. first, the "coming attractions" that were shown on the screen did indeed include a small bit of footage from the broken movie, but went through all of the videos and other visual material [like the "still" footage - specifically, "something i can never have"] in brief clips. each clip was preceded with the title and date of release; all titles were in the new "underscore" format. it went from "down in it" to "the hand that feeds".

then there was a quick announcement and the album started to roll. the sound was quite good and the room was attentive.

the verdict?

i really like this album. there is the potential that i will abso-fucking-lutely love it when i get my paws on the whole thing and listen to it again.

and i will also swim against the tide and say that i dig the dreaded "with teeth". it is tres dramatic and i am enamoured of the song's odd structure. the opening song makes my fucking day and i want to mock you all by saying i not only did i get to hear the ENTIRE album tonight, but i also heard quite a few of the songs repeatedly in the last three days live. it was mega-worthy of the trouble i went through to get to all these events. try a 1,300 mile drive round trip on six hours of sleep. but i digress.

naysayers should prepare to dine on some tasty words.

i hope reznor sticks to his guns, 'cause he has done good.

First of all, I would just like to quote something I heard repeatedly all day:
"Acid...mushrooms...hash..."
Followed about an hour later by
"blah...blah...blah..."
Followed a little later by
"Acid...hash..."
So, I'm guessing the guy sold out of shrooms.

Anyway,
I was so freaking pissed that they didn't play the last two songs. I was very loudly announcing once or twice as everyone was leaving, that we got jipped.

Also, no one has mentioned the pit that started up, but was rather quickly stopped by security.

The crowd was pretty mellow, and at the beginning, during the montage, I started to get into it, jump around, but I was afraid I was one of only a few and didn't want to look like an idiot so I stopped.

Well..."All The Love In The World" was very good. A nice, mellow opening to the album, with all those strange electronic noise, blips and beeps that us NIN geeks love to delve into layer by layer. Sounds like repeat listenings will slowly reveal more beauty to the song.

"You Know What You Are" and "The Collector" rock your balls off, but they are somewhat...bland is NOT the right word, but the only thing that comes to mind at the moment. They don't sound that unique, but I am quite sure that after a few more listens I won't feel that way at all.

"The Hand That Feeds", as always, kicks ass.

"Every Day Is Exactly The Same" is awesome. It's everything we all hoped the new album would be.

"With Teeth" was very good, and a couple of comments-
first of all, I now know what all the hype was about with the lyrics "with-a teeth-a" and, yes, I laughed, it did sound a little silly, and secondly, despite some of the things I've been hearing, the piano interlude was awesome, and fit very well with the song.

"Only" was a huge surprise. Very danceable, very good song.

And, what was the deal with everyone trashing "Getting Smaller"? That is a great song.

"Sunspots" sounded OK, will probably grow on me.

"The Line Begins to Blur" was awesome, so much better than the teaser hinted at {only part of it I had heard}.

Two impressions I got- one is that there are quite a few really heavy songs on here that just kick your ass. A few danceable ones. I didn't hear the last two songs, obviously, but I would say a few mellow as well. And there are some songs on there that leave you scratching your head a bit- but in a good way. The most obvious one is "Only". You can tell it's NIN, but it is way different than anything Trent has done.

And, I don't remember what song, but there was a part that was beautiful- stopped me in my tracks a bit. Piano interlude, with what I can only describe as a flute in the background. Probably not a flute, but the only thing I could relate it to. Anyone have any clue what the hell I'm talking about?

And the live drumming was terrific, really added alot.

The album didn't blow me away. But, I can honestly say that I think with a few more listens I am going to love it. I think all the worrying about the new CD was for nothing. This thing very well could be Trent's best work yet.

Break it down~!

CONS:
- Waiting was a bitch, the event was from 8pm-10pm and I started waiting in line at 6.30, was let in at about 9.10pm and waited in another line to preorder the album.
- They didn't play the whole album.
- The preorders stopped early, many people missed out on that (But this may lead to a loophole, more on this later.)
- The no cell phone policy is enforced mercilessly.
- They were not giving out any vinyl on the spot. You must preorder it first and when you go to pick it up, you'll also get your vinyl, afaik.

PROS:
- The album, from as much as I've heard, is fucking ace. You will not be disappointed at all.
- They played everything except Beside You in Time and some other song (was it Sunspots?)
- That cool black druggie dude that kept offering everyone drugs.
- Loophole: The album will be available for preorder tomorrow at Tower Records on Sunset. I suppose that you could just call in and request that they mail it out to your house if you preorder it over the phone. (So you can get the vinyl).

edit: I also believe they played the 5.1 mix because sound was *everywhere*

WAAAYYY too loud to hear all of the cool shit we love to hear in NIN albums

Choruses are SUPER catchy... verses struggle a bit with melody and content...
..got jipped on last two songs....

The record will debut at #1 because everyone is doing this pre-sale thing with a little incentive of a bonus track record, therefore inflating sales. It bummed me out that you have to wait until the WT release date to get the record...

THTF video was in fact the one on the internet

The one thing that really threw me was the verses of the songs, they rant more then sing if you know what I mean. It was almost like there wasn't a realy melody written on some of them.

Overall good to hear new shit.... want the follow up quick cause 5 years inbetween things doesn't do you any favors


...it wasn't 5.1 cause there were no rear speakers... just a loud venue

My friends and I named him T-Mart. He was funny as hell.

I was one of the last four people in line to pre-order the album...let's just say, I was fucking stoked. The album sounds amazing. I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that it's something to look forward to (not that any of you aren't). Oh, and the free poster is awesome.

I couldnt find that fucking line..

so yeah I might call them up tomorrow and ask about the preorder and such

i drove back from Davis changed then went and waited in line for 3 hours until i got in. there is no doubt its an interesting album.

why did the guys coming around with the alcohol wrist bands not mention the cellphone policy and such. They wouldnt let me in with fucking chewing gum.. that i do not understand.. but whatever..

then the guys tellling people to clear out was fucking annoying. he's yelling in my ear so other people can hear but its in my ear and i can't go anywhere until the other people move.. ugh... i hope that is not typically how the fonda theater is run. i'm kind of worried about seeing qotsa there now.

i kind of wish i had just stayed at home.

Got there @ 5:15.
I was next in line when they stopped selling the pre-orders.

But it was all worth it. The new songs are fantastic. Even With Teeth...which is the one I like least so far.
I would have really loved to hear Beside You in Time.

5:15, eh? That's almost exactly the time I got there. Weird. I guess I should have started yelling "Anyone from ETS?" Oh, well.

Got there around 8, but we had vip wristbands thanks to my sister working at Tower. The guy checking id's in our line was reminding people about the cell phone policy, and jogged back to deposit mine in the car and got back just as they were letting people in. We went and sat down front row upstairs and were treated to half an hour of a 10 second looping backbeat over the new nin logo while everyone else was slowly shuffled into the theatre. I think I might have perfered the outside entertainment.

Then they played a twenty three minute nin body of work montage which if i remeber correctly consisted of small clips of...

Down In It
Head Like a Hole
Sin
Broken (Wish/Happiness in Slavery/Gave Up)
Closer
Woodstock
Hurt
Self Destruction tour
Burn
The Perfect Drug
We're In This Together
Into the Void
Frailty tour
Something I Can Never Have (Still version)

...and ended with The Hand That Feeds in its entirety. All the clips were edited including the censored version of the closer video, which I found amusing especially since the album was not.

Then came the album, which rocked. I had heard the few leaked songs and really got into a few I hadn't heard yet as well. The interlude to With Teeth needs another listening as I thought we had moved onto another tune. I enjoyed the one song that comes off almost like spoken word, I think it's Only. Very dancy and different, but in a good way that makes me smile.

The tracklisting, however, is odd. Strange choice for an oppening song and I think there were only one or two I can remember that had any kind of transition from one track to the next. I guess that was what he was going for but based on the first listen it seems even pretty hate machine was better structured.

As others have mentioned they cut it short as the theatre required everyone to leave at 10. Dunno if the venue was only rented out for the two hours or what, but it sucked and left a lot of people who had barely got in visibly upset.

All in all, not a bad night and certainly wetted my appetite for all things nin after years of absence. Pissed that I cannot get to any of the club gigs and now seriously consideing coachella, even after last years heat and parking lot traffic jam made me swear never again.

lets just say i was very bitchy when i finally got into the venue. I couldnt even pre-order my CD. Now im home, back in San Diego, and there is no way in hell im driving up to LA just to do a pre-order........

pic of the fire truck and cops at the venue......

Well... did you know someone or something? Cut in line?

I showed up 6:45 for the event. Was standing accross the street from the damn liquor store till 8. Didnt get in till 9:30, by that time, only 4 more songs were played, and the line to the merch booth was crazy long... Not only did I not get to order the CD with Vinyl, but I was furious to find that the Merch booth closed at 9:50... When I was about 15 fucking feet from buying something. I was so pissed... Drive 130 miles for that bullshit? My girlfriend came with me, they took her pens and her gum from her purse... fucking pens and gum... Made me run back to the car to put our cell phones away... But, they let us take lighters inside...

NO GUM... lighters are cool though.>?!?

I am so royally pissed off.. On top of everything was that stupid group of kids behind me.. You know those people that know something about EVERYTHING... but all they really know is bad information?
A segment of thier "talking":
"Man, im glad trent is doing this for his fans, they really deserve it... hes a cool dude.. I hear that this tour he says is gunna be better because he says he hated the fragile and the fragile tour.. blah blah blah"

Sheesh... idiots... It was 2 hours of this bullshit I had to listen to.

So... This was not a worthy event in my eyes.. worse fucking "party" ive ever been too.

The most enteraining thing was the drug dealer.. If you attended, im sure you know what im talking about:

"Get your Acid, Opium, Shrooms..." ~ first time he passed by

"Get your Acid and opium..." ~second pass..

"Drugs dammit, I got drugs for sale" ~ Third pass..

"Yadda yadda Ya, Rock and Roll" ~ Final Pass..

Pretty funny actually..

But, I did leave with a stack of postcards, stickers, and 3 posters.

All of which required NO waiting in line...