Watch Two Nine Inch Nails Performances From ‘Austin City Limits’
Nine Inch Nails‘ appearance on Austin City Limits marks two milestones: The show is the prelude for the long-running concert TV series’ 40th year, and stands as the industrial-rock group’s longest televised appearance in two-and-a-half decades. Rolling Stone premiered the group’s ACL performance of a song that’s just as old as the band – “Sanctified,” from their 1989 debut Pretty Hate Machine – earlier this month, and now their rendition of the Year Zero track “Survivalism” and the Hesitation Marks song “Satellite” have made it online.
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“Survivalism” gets the studio audience undulating quickly, thanks to its wobbling bass, flashing spotlights and already sweaty frontman Trent Reznor’s mic-clutched pogo dancing. Backup singers Lisa Fischer and Sharlotte Gibson highlight the song’s Bowie-gone-punk tendencies. Meanwhile, “Satellite” starts off more sublimely with a Morse Code blip and an electro-rock drumbeat – and more of Reznor’s mic-stand bobbling. It’s a slow burner, but the audience looks entranced throughout.
In total, the group played an hour’s worth of music – including the Hesitation Marks song “Came Back Haunted,” which came online in February. In a comically short statement – or maybe “understatement” is a bette word – Reznor said, ” We’ve waited a long time to do anything like this.” ACL executive producer Terry Lickona however was more redolent in the elation he feels about having the band on the show: “We never thought we’d see the day when Nine Inch Nails would set foot on the ACL stage,” he said. “I mean, they never did television for 25 years! I came away from this show having the greatest respect for Trent Reznor. He’s one of the most focused, intense and creative artists I’ve ever worked with.”