Danny Lohner and Trent Reznor during "Happiness In Slavery". Trent's keyboard eventually broke down, then he slammed the rest with his microphone stand.
On August 13th, 1994 Nine Inch Nails took part in the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Their performance is considered one of the best in the band's history. They took the stage covered head-to-toe in mud.
Lineup
- Guitar/Vocals: Trent Reznor
- Guitar: Robin Finck
- Bass: Danny Lohner
- Keyboards: James Woolley
- Drums: Chris Vrenna
Setlist
Video
There is a video for the Happiness In Slavery performance that has long circulated the internet through p2p and sites like YouTube. This version is heavily dubbed or poorly mixed, so much that Trent banging on the keyboards cannot be heard. The beginning has sounds from Pinion and the end is Head Like A Hole, including the scene of the announcer shouting "Nine Inch Nails!".
When the Whip Comes Down
One of the bootlegs for this show, the liner notes read:
- Like creatures from the black lagoon they slunk on stage, caked head to toe in mud looking like they had just risen from the pits of hell. Nine Inch Nails, without doubt, proved to be the most successful show of the entire festival. They went hell for leather like there was no tomorrow, nothing could stop Trent Reznor and his crew, it was Apocalypse Now brought to life in a field in Saugerties and being transmitted worldwide by pay as you view cable to millions in the safe confines of their own homes. You had to be there as the rain fell to appreciate the sheer beauty of the Nine Inch Nails killing machine on its own out of control rampage. Take no prisoners was the saying of the day as victims fell on all side. Any act that makes even David Letterman sit up and take notice has got to be doing something right. Nine Inch Nails are like taking a helter skelter ride through a tunnel of broken glass. Nine Inch Nails will shred your soul.