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Witnessed

Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, 2009-07-20

11/09/09 || Khlysty

There's a band there somewhere...

When: July, 20th, 2009
Where: Vyronas Theater, Athens, Greece

NOTE: I definitely KNOW that neither Jane’s Addiction, nor NIN is metal. I also know that these two bands have already passed there prime and are now being delegated to “old farts” category by some of us. Me, I ain’t sure, though. And after this concert, I started to believe again that most people don’t know shit from shinola. Read on and you’ll understand.

Back in the late ‘80s – early ‘90s, I was in awe with Jane’s Addiction: their music was an amalgamation of everything that was fresh and exciting in pop music (metal, punk, funk, classic rock, jazz), full of power and experimentation, while their panhedonistic stance was a shock to this surly guy, just entering his twenties. As for NIN, Mr. Reznor’s extremely smart use of pop hooks into very noisy songs was a fucking revelation, since he was able to be as mainstream as it gets, without losing his nasty edge and his personality.

Well, as of today, I can easily say that these two units just KILL live. They both kick the competition in the fucking ass, leaving it breathless and helpless behind, as they bulldoze their way toward rocking heaven. This touring pairing was one of the greatest things that I have ever experienced and I very much doubt if there’s gonna be something that will be able to topple them from the pedestal I put them after this night. Professionalism, pathos, power, instrumental prowess, showtime: I mean, c’mon, what else can anyone want.

So, what did we see, during that fateful night? First off, we saw Jane’s Addiction in full configuration (Perry Farrell on vocals and general fucking around, Dave Navarro on guitar, Eric Avery on bass and Stephen Perkins on drums and ridiculous outfit) and on full-on burning mode. Farrell’s voice is obviously a bit cracked –fuck, he’s been around for like 20-25 years now-, but his presence is shining through and through: he’s a showman (show-woman? Show-thing? Your choice) to the bone and he really gave us his all during the one-hour-plus that the band was on stage. As for the other members, well, Navarro is one fucking guitar hero, Avery’s bass –even though technically troubled- was a constant kick in the stomach and Perkins is still one of the most powerful, hard-hitting and versatile drummers in the world.

The playlist avoided newer material, generally centering on the Addiction’s two classics (“Nothing’s Shocking” and “Ritual De Lo Habitual”), while for the closing song the band played a really powerful rendition of their classic quasi-ballad, “Jane Says”. Great show –Farrell’s constant bantering was hilarious, verging on blasphemous- and a great warm-up for the things to come. And what came was one of the best shows ever to grace these eyes and ears.

See, Reznor and his trio of terrorists went on and put on a show verging on retrospective, covering almost all of NIN’s long discography. What impressed me the most was the tension and intensity the band created –the front rows turned into a great moshpit, with people seemingly uncaring for their physical health and corporeal integrity. The band was tight and its members are capable multi-instrumentalists, filling the sound with everything, from quasi-industrial noise to melodic acoustic passages, to metallic mayhem, to… well, everything. And Reznor, no more the poster-boy of his youth, was a commanding figure, spewing forth his nihilistic lyrics with loads of venom and conviction, cleaning off the evening –after almost two hours’ worth of music- with a harrowing rendition of “Hurt”.

Bottom line? Well, these guys are grizzled pros, so if you get the chance of seeing them live, you better grab it and really enjoy yerselves. Great bands, great show!

Witnessed