Favourite live show opening / special intros

[butter_hole]

Ways NIN have opened a live show (please help me if I've missed any)

what are your favourites?

Sanctified clean intro (was there an intro track?)

Pinion > Terrible Lie

Now I'm Nothing > Terrible Lie

The New Flesh / Pinion > Somewhat Damaged

Beside You In Time (or Pinion) > Love is Not Enough

Somewhat Damaged clean intro

Pilgrimage > Mr. Self Destruct

Hyperpower! > The Beginning of the End

999,999 > 1,000,000

Home (clean intro)

Copy of A (clean intro)

As far as I'm aware those are the most popular throughout NIN's touring history. Have there been any cool one-off openings that have made the show a little different?
One example is this show from 2009 (http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2009/20090224.html) which was opened with The Frail / The Wretched which I had never seen before.

NOW YOU GO

[Ryan]

As far as I'm aware those are the most popular throughout NIN's touring history. Have there been any cool one-off openings that have made the show a little different?
One example is this show from 2009 (http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2009/20090224.html) which was opened with The Frail / The Wretched which I had never seen before.

NOW YOU GO

That's probably my favorite because I was there front row middle and filmed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K65XJboey5M


My second favorite would be Home. It was an unusual choice and very poignant.

[EndlessLoveless]

Somewhat damaged with TR just walking onstage and singing. And then it just jams, and it jams hard. Sometimes I wish The Fragile started like that, with that explosion, instead of the slower build up. But The Fragile is perfect, so no, nevermind.

[kevinbeetle]

Somewhat damaged with TR just walking onstage and singing. And then it just jams, and it jams hard. Sometimes I wish The Fragile started like that, with that explosion, instead of the slower build up. But The Fragile is perfect, so no, nevermind.

this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L47a_BAhp0c

[Tomp252]

Pinion into Mr. Self Destruct from the 94 tour. Not sure how that didn't make the list

[howdidislipinto]

It has to be Now I'm Nothing/Terrible Lie for me. Now I'm Nothing was my favourite intro even when I assumed it had been retired years before I'd even heard of NIN, just from the video and audio I had found online. When they brought it back for NINJA I was overjoyed, and then lucky enough to finally see it in person in Irvine. Good fucking times.

[sentient02970]

Somewhat Damaged

[ItsJustDave]

https://soundcloud.com/itsjustdave/nine-inch-nails-early-intro

[ryanj101]

Probably Somewhat Damaged, but I will never forget the first time I saw them, I was grabbing a drink in the lobby of the venue and heard Pinion...ran in and Terrible Lie kicked in and it was just fucking great.

[slave2thewage]

I've heard BYIT>Terrible Lie at a show, which was interesting. I'd have to go with Somewhat Damaged as my personal favourite.

Oh, and HLAH has opened a few shows over the years. Pinion > Wish has also cropped up (notably in 2005 and I know it happened at Dublin in 07). Me, I'm Not opened two European festival shows in 2007, as well (Edinburgh and Lowlands, IIRC).

[W.O.R.M]

I remember seeing the frail into the wretched......at congress theater in chicago, and you knew right away during the wretched that something was not quite on......You know what you are started and stopped abruptly...it was like maybe 5-10 min and suddenly Trent walked back out and busted into Wish and March of the pigs, Saved the day ;)

[butter_hole]

I remember seeing the frail into the wretched......at congress theater in chicago, and you knew right away during the wretched that something was not quite on......You know what you are started and stopped abruptly...it was like maybe 5-10 min and suddenly Trent walked back out and busted into Wish and March of the pigs, Saved the day ;)
http://www.ninwiki.com/2005/05/06_Chicago,_IL


http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2005/20050501.html Looks like it happened at Coachella too.

[butter_hole]

I've heard BYIT>Terrible Lie at a show, which was interesting. I'd have to go with Somewhat Damaged as my personal favourite.

Oh, and HLAH has opened a few shows over the years. Pinion > Wish has also cropped up (notably in 2005 and I know it happened at Dublin in 07).
Just linking these so I can check them out for myself later
http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2007/20070822.html


Me, I'm Not opened two European festival shows in 2007, as well (Edinburgh and Lowlands, IIRC).
http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2007/20070821.html

[W.O.R.M]

Yup, was a cool show, you could only hear the band from the stage more than likely coming from the monitors, the whole front of house was just drums and possibly vocals. He handled it completely cool (you could tell he was pissed though lol), andit was almost like he knew there's only one way to start this set back up.

[Krazy]

Extended version of Pinion, or Somewhat Damaged from the '06 summer tour. Can't go wrong either way and tough choice.

Can't say it's my fave but I do like Copy of A for this summers festivals intro. Change can be good.

Ill play devils advocate and say the most underwhelming one I've heard in person is Home.

[butter_hole]

Oh, and HLAH has opened a few shows over the years.
Here's its most recent example it appears

http://reflectinginthechrome.com/shows/2009/20090908.html

[MrSlfDstruct]

I'm torn between the Pinion/New Flesh/Somewhat Damaged opening as I think Somewhat Damaged is a killer album opener and one of my favorite songs, and the old school Now I'm Nothing/Terrible Lie. I dream that one day a studio recording of Now I'm Nothing from the 90's will be miraculously found.

[gorast]

I have a really big boner for Home, so hearing that as the opening track always sounded great.

I think the NIN/JA variation of the Now I'm Nothing > Terrible Lie opening is right on its heels, though. The notes Trent hits during that...damn.

[BenAkenobi]

i envy whoever got to hear PILGRIMAGE live, no matter intro or mid-set

[Wolfkiller]

We had Pinion into Wish at one of the "final" Chicago shows. I can't recall how far they went but for the first three or four songs it sounded like they were going to play Broken all the way through. Then Discipline went and ruined it. ;p

[butter_hole]

https://soundcloud.com/itsjustdave/nine-inch-nails-early-intro
Where was this from? I'm so bad at this, I know I recognize that crying sample from somewhere NIN related.

[Fred]

this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L47a_BAhp0c

Considering I was at this gig, fuck yes. This was a truly great opener. Takes the first place for me. And I remember being very excited when I noticed that Rob was filming a song that'd always been a bit of a rarity live.

I'm very fond of Now I'm Nothing > Terrible Lie too. And Trent's synth tweaking during the beginning of Copy of A is also a pretty awesome way to open a concert.

[dlb]

Hypower! was always a rad opening but sadly it almost always went straight into the beginning is the end which is one of my least favorite NIN tracks...

Personal favorite: the new flesh/pinion into somewhat damaged (terrible lie worked really well, too)

But right now copy of a is what it's all about and I can't even begin to imagine what we will get once Tension 2013 hits the stage!

[ItsJustDave]

Where was this from? I'm so bad at this, I know I recognize that crying sample from somewhere NIN related.

1990 Hate tour. Not sure what show

[Fragile Teeth]

Now I'm Nothing - Terrible Lie.

[thefragile_jake]

I've seen Nine Inch Nails 3 times and have been lucky to have seen three different kinds of openings.

Pinion into Love is Not Enough (2005)
999,999 into 1,000,000 (2008)
Now I'm Nothing into Terrible Lie (2009)

I remember being EXTREMELY pumped that my NIN|JA show got the incredibly rare Now I'm Nothing intro so I'd say that was my favorite of the three I've seen. Though the Love is Not Enough intro from 2005 has a special place in my heart since it was my first time seeing my favorite band live.

This Copy of A intro looks and sounds like it'll be very promising! I wonder if they'll still keep the general flow of that...or if at all for the fall Tension tour.

[EndlessLoveless]

I said somewhat damaged earlier, but fuck "home" was great too. That guitar with the e-bow fading in to start the show...

But "now im nothing" into that fast drum beat for "terrible lie"...its just too much. Very sad I never got to see that one live.

I cant decide. NIN has always been the BEST at opening a show. The anticipation...every time ive seen them, (9 times) i feel like im literally going to have a heart attack as the show starts.

[Deepvoid]

Pinion/Terrible was my first NIN intro ever. Classic and loved it.
Pilgrimage/Mr. Self Destruct was pretty sweet.

Somewhat Damaged during that summer amphitheater tour was also awesome.

I regret not making the drive for NINJA, missed Now I'm Nothing/Terrible Lie. That looked amazing judging by the videos I saw.

[Indefinite_Cure]

That weird mix of Corona Radiata with a slow 1,000,000 was killer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToOccPytl8

[ryanmcfly]

That weird mix of Corona Radiata with a slow 1,000,000 was killer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToOccPytl8

They did a similar thing with Mr. Self Destruct in Austin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPEQM6PGk88

That's my favorite opener because that's the only time I saw them.

[owinn]

The Way out is Through - Wish

that was a WTF moment for a WTF gig at Sonisphere a few years ago...

The Way Out Is Through (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Way+Out+Is+Through)
Wish (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Wish)
I Do Not Want This (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=I+Do+Not+Want+This)
Something I Can Never Have (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Something+I+Can+Never+Have)
(Still version)
Gone, Still (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Gone,+Still)
The Frail (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Frail)
The Wretched (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Wretched)
Non-Entity (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Non-Entity)
Lights in the Sky (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Lights+in+the+Sky)
The Downward Spiral (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Downward+Spiral)
Hurt (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Hurt)

oh and considering the Metal-centric theme of the festival that setlist was pure fucking genius

[Kyle]

Someone already mentioned pinion -> mr self destruct. But there's also missing the sudden terrible lie opening from the Bowie tour. It was more than just a clean start. House lights were still on and everything. Security was completely unprepared so we got to sneak right past them during the rush to the next section closer to the stage.

Edit - as a side note for those of you who weren't around for that, that's also why it's very hard to find a recording from that show that doesn't start in the middle of the first verse.

[gorast]

The Way out is Through - Wish

that was a WTF moment for a WTF gig at Sonisphere a few years ago...
The Way Out Is Through (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Way+Out+Is+Through)
Wish (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Wish)
I Do Not Want This (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=I+Do+Not+Want+This)
Something I Can Never Have (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Something+I+Can+Never+Have)
(Still version)
Gone, Still (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Gone,+Still)
The Frail (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Frail)
The Wretched (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Wretched)
Non-Entity (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Non-Entity)
Lights in the Sky (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Lights+in+the+Sky)
The Downward Spiral (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Downward+Spiral)
Hurt (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Hurt)
oh and considering the Metal-centric theme of the festival that setlist was pure fucking genius
I really wish there was a full rip of this show...

[ryanmcfly]

They also opened with Me, I'm Not a few years ago.
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nine-inch-nails/2007/meadowbank-stadium-edinburgh-scotland-bd631ae.html

edit: Wow. That was six years ago. Now I feel old. The Year Zero era was when I got into NIN.

[Collin]

Now I'm Nothing into Terrible Lie is hard to beat, but honestly I think Copy of A is one of Trent's better concert intro's he's done. It probably helps that it's also a new song, not to mention a great one, but the way the song builds and the way the band assembles around him is very cinematic in the best way.

[botley]

I liked the short instrumental clip of "Beside You in Time" they briefly used as walk-out music on the early 2005 shows (generally straight into "Love Is Not Enough"); what with it appearing in the online teaser as well, that definitely made for another kick-ass NIN IS BACK MUTHAFUCKAZ moment.

The "roadies mill about while Trent sneaks onstage to start singing 'Somewhat Damaged' out of nowhere" gag was good in 2006, and also Robin starting the ebow intro to "Home" from offstage in 2009...

[butter_hole]

The "roadies mill about while Trent sneaks onstage to start singing 'Somewhat Damaged' out of nowhere" gag was good in 2006
Loved it, but there's still no better thrill than the lights going down at a concert.

[Fred]

That weird mix of Corona Radiata with a slow 1,000,000 was killer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToOccPytl8

I'd forgotten completely about this. Which I don't understand, cause the title of the song indicates how many times I've watched it. Corona Radiata > 1,000,000 might even replace my first choice (Somewhat Damaged) because this is one sick intro, but unfortunately one I haven't been fortunate enough to experience live.

[bobbie solo]

The anticipation...every time ive seen them, (9 times) i feel like im literally going to have a heart attack as the show starts.

seconded. I feel so nervous, and im standing there thinking "why am i so nervous? I'm in a good spot, i've seen this band 18 times, i know what to expect, etc." Yet im still there wigging out internally.

[seasonsinthesky]

i really enjoyed the "Corona Radiata" with the tempofucking of the "1,000,000" beat — a nice combination of a surprising, unperformed-but-new piece and brilliant interleaving with the proper opening song. TR was in full 'i need a cool fucking intro this time around' mode. it's also far less annoying to me than the timestretching of "Pinion" that was used for TDS tours; i get that the idea was abrasion, and that it fit the sound of the band, and that it was supposed to grate, but i guess i prefer the more put-together approaches than the deliberately messy earlier tours.

so my favourite is probably the king of the put-together show intros, which was the combination of "The New Flesh" and "Pinion," especially as immortalized on AATCHB — i just wish it had gone into "Somewhat Damaged," as there was a cool tie-over sound that joined the two, and the performances of SD on the Fragility tour were feral and explosive on a level unmatched since imo (a combination of age and lack of substance abuse, so i can't say i particularly wish it were still possible, considering TR would probably be dead by now). i know the reworked-SD-out-of-nowhere show intro is popular, and it's creative and interesting admittedly, but i can't get into it when the Fragility version feels so superior to me still, and the ending with the extra power chord hits will always trump the weird not-really-gonna-end-this-properly thing they've done since.

and nearly tied at the top spot is "Now I'm Nothing," still one of the best things TR has written imo. it's a damn shame he didn't keep it for Broken intact (somehow), though obviously i appreciate what became of it on the EP. in some ways i'd like to see it recreated in the studio, perhaps for the greatest hits or something, but a part of me also questions if it's worthwhile when part of what makes the track so good is TR's youthful voice and stagecrawling antics on the Closure DVD extras.

[butter_hole]

This is a cool way to open a show, with the sheet. Please ignore the babbling at the beginning. (http://twitter.yfrog.com/0m74vxqxprffyzujccstirclz?sa=0)

[icklekitty]

Home opened one show I was at. It was wonderful.

http://www.nintourhistory.com/concert.php?concertid=813

[ninja77]

Of the three times I've seen NIN - Milwaukee 2000: TNF/Pinion>Somewhat Damaged, Madison 2005: Pinion>Love Is Not Enough, Green Bay 2006: Pilgrimage>Mr. Self Destruct, I'd have to say the Green Bay opening was my favorite. Perhaps I'm a bit biased, since that show was in my hometown. The only thing that would've been cooler is if Pinion was used for the intro tape at that show...

[Moebius]

and nearly tied at the top spot is "Now I'm Nothing," still one of the best things TR has written imo. it's a damn shame he didn't keep it for Broken intact (somehow), though obviously i appreciate what became of it on the EP. in some ways i'd like to see it recreated in the studio, perhaps for the greatest hits or something, but a part of me also questions if it's worthwhile when part of what makes the track so good is TR's youthful voice and stagecrawling antics on the Closure DVD extras.

Agree completely, I'll just leave this here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Xp-DluqmQ

[fillow]

Does anyone know if NIN really used Reptilian (or portion of it) as intro once in 2007?
I remember there was a setlist photo from Tilburg (Netherlands) show with this intro, but there only two or three short replies in TJ thread and no one really confirmed or disproved that. No YT video popped up either.

[nooneimportant]

The first ever opener with "Copy of A" at Fuji Rock was genius because nobody was ready for it. The house lights were up and the stage was empty. By the end of the song, everyone in the band was out there and the lights were going crazy. Genius.

[Lastentrance]

I heard Pilgrimage into Mr. Self Destruct in Manchester and that was brilliant. Footage I've seen online of Pinion starting subtly and then the arena lights going off into Terrible Lie look absolutely amazing. I also saw clean into Somewhat Damaged (arena lights going off at the drop) another time in Manchester, that was pretty sweet.

[trollmanen]

I like that show I was at in NYC where they opened with Mr Self Destruct and followed with the rest of the The Downward Spiral :D

In all seriousness, I'd have to say the Fragility 2.0 was the coolest I've seen with them behind the curtain for the first song. While I do like the newer version of Somewhat Damaged better, the Fragility show being the first time I saw them, I'd have to go with that.

You should also add Pinion>Wish>Last, as I saw that in NJ on the Wave Goodbye Tour, that was pretty cool, wish they would have played the whole Broken EP then, but I doubt he'll bring back Happiness in Slavery.

[demo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E0eAvSwgLM



I nearly lost it when I heard this and I was trying to record.

[stefler]

Of all these ones I like Now I'm Nothing into Terrible Lie most.

[Halo Infinity]

Almost any of the openings starting with Pinion seemed to win me over.

Pinion to Terrible Lie
Pinion to Mr Self Destruct
Now I'm Nothing to Terrible Lie
Somewhat Damaged

I only saw Nine Inch Nails two times though, so the only openings out of all of them that I got to see were Pinion to Love Is Not Enough, and Somewhat Damaged.

[hani]

999,999->1,000,000

definitely.

yes.

[PUNCHLINE]

The Way out is Through - Wish

that was a WTF moment for a WTF gig at Sonisphere a few years ago...
The Way Out Is Through (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Way+Out+Is+Through)
Wish (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Wish)
I Do Not Want This (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=I+Do+Not+Want+This)
Something I Can Never Have (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Something+I+Can+Never+Have)
(Still version)
Gone, Still (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Gone,+Still)
The Frail (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Frail)
The Wretched (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Wretched)
Non-Entity (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Non-Entity)
Lights in the Sky (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Lights+in+the+Sky)
The Downward Spiral (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=The+Downward+Spiral)
Hurt (http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/nine-inch-nails-1bd6a5bc.html?song=Hurt)
oh and considering the Metal-centric theme of the festival that setlist was pure fucking genius

That setlist was dreadful!

As for openers, The Frail into The Wretched was good, Somewhat Damaged is always pretty amazing, and Love Is Not Enough was an awful opener! :-)