Nine Inch Nails

The first question that passed many lips when this band were announced to play Eden, was "How the hell did they manage to book them?!" Reznor is a behemoth in the world of Alternative rock, and Eden secured two of his five UK dates on this current tour. Maybe we should be getting used to it though with Pixies and Queens of the Stone Age both gracing the stage of this awe-inspiring venue in recent years

We feel privileged to be here tonight, if not feeling a little cheated by the fact that last night's audience bathed in the heat of the hottest day of the year, whilst tonight, we literally bathed. It hammered it down before they came on.

Over the past 30 years or so, Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails have put out a huge amount of quality material and we're wondering what they're going to kick off with. The stage is set with 5 or 6 massive banks of lights set up behind the band's kit and they come onto the stage in a cloud of dry ice. All wearing black, Trent in a long, knee length coat, they fittingly kick off with This Is The Beginning. The sound has perfect clarity and the band are tight. Trent swaps his cymbals for a guitar, the drummer's pace picks up threefold and they launch into Wish from 1992's almost unsurpassable Broken EP. The sound of the whole crowd singing "Wish there was something real wish there was something true" is something else, this is really happening! The pace is now set for the next few songs as they power though Letting You, Discipline and another highlight, March Of The Pigs from 1994's The Downward Spiral which ends in a magnificent crescendo.

Reznor's voice is fantastic, he does joke at one point that he just hit a bum note for the first time in his career, but we couldn't tell. The guy is the ultimate professional and along with Nine Inch Nails' only other official band Member Atticus Ross (evidently if your name isn't super cool you don't get in) on keyboards, the rest of the touring band completely and simply kicks ass.

Speaking to some other members of the crowd, the set was markedly different tonight from last night. Hats off to Reznor, knowing full well that a lot of hardcore fans would come to both shows he's completely mixed it up. After doing a little research it seems only 5 songs were shared over both nights, quite something, you wouldn't catch many bands willing to rehearse that many tracks!

Highlights tonight include a stark journey through the industrial wasteland of Reptile, The Hand That Feeds, and probably Nine Inch Nails's best known (and for good reason) all-out floor stomper, Head Like a Hole, which is loud, ferocious and a perfect set closer.

It's the Encore where the magic keeps happening though, the slow chug through Help Me I Am in Hell is dark and moody, and Happiness in Slavery is intense and immense. But it's the inevitable closer and outright masterpiece of Hurt that we have all ultimately been waiting for. The song is delivered with all the beauty and pain it encapsulates and it leaves this reviewer and most of the crowd, simply stunned. This is my girlfriend's favourite song in the world, and to have the chance to bring her here and watch it live was truly amazing.

Bearing in mind the constant downpour, our decision to camp at the YHA Eden Project Wild Camping site started to feel a little ill-advised as the rain-soaked through our clothes. But it did eventually let up, and not having to get in the car for an hour's drive home, combined with being able to happily chug a few drinks, all in all proved to be a great decision. The field had plenty of space, decent toilets and even showers. Definitely, one to consider if you don't live nearby, and lets face it , not many people do!

Setlist

The Beginning of the End
Wish
Letting You
Discipline
March of the Pigs
This Isn't the Place
Sanctified
Reptile
La Mer @Info[Tour Debut]
Less Than
The Line Begins to Blur
Burn
Echoplex
Survivalism
Every Day Is Exactly the Same
Only
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole

Help Me I Am in Hell
Happiness in Slavery
And All That Could Have Been
Hurt