 We've taken a slight pause for the cause in the NIN at 30 project, with our review of The Downward Spiral and its spin-off Further Down The Spiral already in the rear-view mirror. So this one is something of a special feature to look at one of the band's most iconic live performances – Woodstock 94, often better known as Mudstock. Woodstock 94 was a festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1969 festival, headlined by the likes of Metallica, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It was notable for a couple of things; firstly the impact it had as a pay-per-show for MTV, estimated to have been seen in 24 million homes. It might be hard for younger readers to imagine, but there was once a time when MTV carried mostly music, and often very good music. Secondly, it was a weekend renowned for the pure logistical chaos that surrounded the event. With approximate 164,000 tickets sold for the event, the final crowd estimate was just over half a million – all of which contributed to the glorious chaos that was one of Nine Inch Nails' finest hours on stage. This was a show that brought the band to many people's attention to the first time, and as the grind of Pinion heralded the arrival of the members of the band one by one – covered in mud after the excessive rainfall of the day itself – Reznor's own appearance on the stage brought things to another level of intensity. It's fair to say that the circumstances led to what could well be considered a lack of polish – there were also a number of technical issues throughout the show – but many would argue this brought the best of a band like Nine Inch Nails, who were truly at the peak of their powers here. The band pounds through many of the heavier tracks from Pretty Hate Machine, Broken and The Downward Spiral – Something I Can Never Have is actually one of very few quiet, more reflective moments. In the maelstrom of mud and mayhem, it's almost as though the frustrations of the occasion pour out in crunching renditions of Reptile, March of the Pigs, Wish and the opening double-header of Terrible Lie and Sin. The reaction from the crowd is rapturous, and it's notable that this set stood out so much among so many of the other rock luminaries taking part in the show over the weekend. It cemented NIN as a band with something new and something fresh to say, a voice the likes of which many of their contemporaries of longer standing were not able to offer. The pace and brutality never lets up throughout, and it's notable to me watching this performance back that Hurt was not the closing song – it's been so long associated as the finale of a Nine Inch Nails show, and having seen the band live it's an absolutely incredible note to close on. Here we finish with Head Like a Hole, which feels like a suitably anarchic note to polish off this performance on. Live music in the flesh is often an incredible experience, but sometimes when you watch it at home it distinctly loses something. Mudstock 94 feels like a notable exception – the songs feel like they have an added edge to them, and the crowd response feels almost palpable. It's also a performance that did a huge amount to further boost the growing profile of the group, which is likely a part of what has made it so significant in NIN history. Equally it's one of those performances that could have gone horribly wrong – in fact Reznor himself has often been reported as hating this show, dogged as it was with technological issues. But this set feels like the eye of the perfect storm that was Woodstock 1994. With a good few years until The Fragile came around, an album often seen as Reznor's magnum opus – although its still huge success still paled in comparison to The Downward Spiral – this was a show that served as a reminder not to forget this band, their energy and their sound. Next time around will be a detailed look at The Fragile, and we still have another live special to follow soon too...   |
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