Wanted: NIN at the Sphere in Las Vegas

[sonic_discord]

Given the Sphere, do you go "gritty industrial" or "sci-fi"? Concert length, I think that would be incredibly difficult to navigate without quickly devolving into self-serious parody. I think the choice I'd prefer is to go 100% artfuck. Bold colors, abstract video, optical illusions, tech trickery. But what partner do you entrust with a project that expensive, that limited in scope? It's a tall fucking order. I think I'd finally visit Vegas if it happened.

Like just about everyone, when I discovered the existence of The Sphere, I fantasized about what it would be like to see my favorite bands there (Mostly NIN and Tool), but after seeing the topic discussed several times online (here, Reddit, Facebook groups, Discord) and realizing that this isn't the type of venue they'd hit up once or twice during the course of an average tour, but rather they'd have to commit to a residency to make it worthwhile, I've mostly written off the likelihood of it ever happening. However, after reading your comment, it occurred to me that it could be the perfect time and place to hire Moment Factory again (and get Rob back, while they're at it.) and make a Year Zero-themed show. They could play Year Zero in full, along with a 2nd set (after a 15-minute intermission) of hits and deep cuts from the rest of the catalog. They could take some of the story & ideas they had for the TV series and film video segments to be played between songs. The presence could actually appear in the sky. The glitch breakdown in The Great Destroyer would be absolutely epic. Hell, get 42 Entertainment back to work on a brand new ARG since the EP trilogy showed just how hungry some of us are for more of that. Maybe it could even inspire Trent to write a new song (or maybe an EP?) in that world as a kind of sequel or epilogue to the original album. Imagine if they did something akin to Maynard's Sessanta shows where they have special guests. Mariqueen and Rob could show up for a couple of How to Destroy Angels songs since the visual aesthetic of Welcome Oblivion would fit in flawlessly. Maybe Saul Williams stops by for a song or two (Gunshots by Computer?). There I go fantasizing again...

ANYWAY, I couldn't agree more about NIN bouncing between extremes in presentation – in both music videos and stage production for live shows. But like you pointed out, The Sphere is the kind of venue that demands the innovative and immersive "visual technical demo" experience. If it were to happen and if there were to be a theme, I think Year Zero would be a perfect fit – especially in the wake of the previous presidency and with another important election looming on the horizon. Realistically, I doubt any of this will happen. It probably sounds too gimmicky for Trent, though I bet he'd be tempted by the possibilities (and challenges) of performing in such a technologically advanced space.

[ickyvicky]

There's a rumor that Beyonce is going to be next.

[chuckrh]

There's a rumor that Beyonce is going to be next.

I bet that will be even more expensive than U2.

[ickyvicky]

@chuckrh Without a doubt

[valiantsteed]

For me, the path to make Vegas work financially is simple. It's just a matter of Trent being ready at this point in the bands state to undertake something like this. Cause it does require a bit of artistic sacrifice. But it's not necessarily a bad thing to celebrate the band in this way either. So If you want to utilize the sphere, you can't do a 10 day residency and sell out the entire run. But you can do 1-2 dates a month if you sign a one year deal. And I do think he would sell those out every time. Especially if each one had slightly different mystery guests or opening bands. Basically you build a greatest hits program looking at the entire discography like a journey. i.e You open with an 80's style suite with a few PHM tracks. You transition into Broken where things get heavy and then you get massive decaying visuals for TDS. The flower aestetic of The Fragile and so on. Lots of visual cues based on some of the videos. So it's a nin celebration, classic Vegas style, with a suite of deep cuts and the afore mentioned special guests for variation purposes. Sample below

Act 1
Pinion/Now I'm Nothing
Terrible Lie
Head Like a Hole
Wish
Happiness in Slavery
Gave Up
March of the Pigs
Closer
Reptile
Eraser
Hurt

Act 2
Somewhat Damaged
The Day The World Went Away
The Frail
The Wretched
The Fragile
La Mer
The Perfect Drug
The Big Come Down
The Great Below

Intermission

Act 3
The Hand That Feeds
Only
The Line Begins to Blur
Beside You in Time
Right Where It Belongs
Survivalism
Me I'm Not
The Great Destroyer
Another Version of the Truth
Lights in the Sky
In This Twilight
Zero Sum

Act 4 - Variable with guests (HTDA, Past NIN Members, Saul Williams, Maynard, Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, etc)
1
2
3

Act 5 - Finale
Came Back Haunted
Burning Bright
And All That Could Have Been



It may not be the most artistically challenging or rewarding enterprise, however it would get it done and you could do a lot worse. Now is the perfect time to do it if you were ever going to as well post hall of fame. Plus if he wanted he could still add a small club show when hes in town to do something more cold and black and pissed stain sheet style, play newer songs, or try something artiscally with where he's at now. Personally Id love it if he did the piano/Atticus show with some NIN ghosts tracks alongside score work with an orchestra. It would give the best of both worlds. Imagine a 2 night Vegas experience package where you got an intimate piano experience night 1 followed up by a massive celebration of the bands history at the Sphere night 2?

If you were going to invest your time and energy to do the sphere and get paid, a Vegas weekend once a month for a year and that marketing plan where you drip drop dates and lineups every couple months is probably the best way to do it. Tons of NIN fans would hit those up at least a few times in the year and the average vegas goer would probably buy a ticket once the reputation got out it was one of the best things to do as a music fan when your vegas for a weekend. The reputation of that visual experience would have more time to sprawl. The band has always oozed Vegas, the sexuality and deviance of the city lends itself well to the bands early image so he'd have to embrace that. It would be the true pinnacle of the bands experience, and maybe yeah a bit of a caricature, but not a disrespectful or "sell out" one. He's absolutely earned the right to do this, if he so wanted to. And damn it would be a lot of fun.

[BRoswell]

It may not be the most artistically challenging or rewarding enterprise, however it would get it done and you could do a lot worse.

Well, when you put it like that, I can't see why they WOULDN'T want to do it.

[cdm]

Phish just announced a run of 4 shows at the Sphere, each night with different songs and production. I haven't read too much into the venue but I would assume the majority of the stints would be in the 4-6 show range over a relatively short period of time OR do what Billy Joel does at MSG: a show every couple of weeks. I don't necessarily expect NIN to play there any time soon but it wouldn't shock me either.

[ickyvicky]

Everyone is def going to be trippin' at those shows, lol

[chuckrh]

Phish just announced a run of 4 shows at the Sphere, each night with different songs and production. I haven't read too much into the venue but I would assume the majority of the stints would be in the 4-6 show range over a relatively short period of time OR do what Billy Joel does at MSG: a show every couple of weeks. I don't necessarily expect NIN to play there any time soon but it wouldn't shock me either.

I don't care for Phish but they are definitely a band that can pull off a short run at the Sphere. Keeping people from firing up the blunts is going to be a challenge.

[sonic_discord]

Keeping people from firing up the blunts is going to be a challenge.

More like a losing battle. Phish and blunts go together like PB & J.

[cdm]

Oh, and their dates are on / around 4/20...

[bobbie solo]

Worth a watch if you are still thinking about what a NIN show there would entail.

[botley]

I ain't watching allat but, yeah, gimmicky corporate eyesore.

[otnavuskire]

I ain't watching allat but, yeah, gimmicky corporate eyesore.

If it helps, Eddy Burback makes really entertaining content. I subscribe to him on youtube.

[botley]

Here, have some Content!

[sonic_discord]

Content!

I gotta say, I am starting to hate that word. And yes, I am guilty of consuming plenty of content, but still...

[Ascender]

The U2 show I saw there was one of the most incredible gigs I've ever been to.

The last time I saw NIN, a couple of years ago in the O2 Academy in Glasgow was also one of the best gigs I've ever seen in my life.

They were both very different shows in probably the most polar opposite sort of venues you could imagine, but both were utterly memorable.

I'd love to see what Trent could do with the Sphere's video and audio setup as I think someone like him would "get" how to make the best use of it. I do wonder if some bands will struggle to get the balance right and not just be overwhelmed by the screen.

I know he doesn't seem to want to tour, so somewhere like that could give him a project to put some time into and allow them to play shows there over a series of weekends for example without having to travel the world. That said, he's clearly loving the soundtrack work so who know. If the time was right I could see it appealing to him from a technology point of view if nothing else.

[nooneimportant]

NIN playing Eraser in The Sphere would be good enough for me. You don't even have to do anything else.

[cdm]

The Sphere, as a performance space, seems pretty incredible. I saw some bits of the U2 footage and it looked amazing. With that said, I'm not sure how it's a viable concept, even in Vegas. I realize they have constant revenue via the hour-ish Postcard From Earth programming made specifically for the venue but that doesn't seem like a sustainable stream of cash given the fact the place cost a fortune to build and a pretty penny to operate. As for bands, how many acts are going to hire an outfit like Moment Factory to design a show for a handful of dates? Unless they can design something mindblowing for The Sphere that can adaptable while also be impressive for your run-of-the-mill theater or arena I don't see why bands would go out of their way to design for this one venue. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dolan put together a Rockettes show in Vegas next Christmas to goose the rev sheet.

[ghostaustin]

After actually going to the Sphere, I changed my mind, it fucking sucks. It's an over engineered dystopian nightmare and it wouldn't do a whole lot to elevate NINs presentation.

But if they do end up doing a residency, I'd still think about going lol

[LOVEANDZOMBIES]

Gratetful Dead is next. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...cy-1234957651/

[thefragile_jake]

Honestly, Aphex Twin playing there would be kind of cool lol