Wave Goodbye Tour
The Wave Goodbye Tour took place between February and September 2009 in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia as a series of farewell shows, though NIN would be revived for touring again in 2013. Opening acts for this tour were Alec Empire, HEALTH, The Horrors, io echo, Jaguar Love, Mew, The Naked And Famous, Queen Kwong and Street Sweeper Social Club.
Announcements
During the Las Vegas, Nevada show on December 13, 2008, Trent Reznor announced Alessandro Cortini, like Josh Freese, would be leaving the line-up at the end of the tour, making the show the last for Freese and the last for Cortini until 2013. It was also announced that after the Australian leg of 2009 dates there would be a selection of US Amphitheater dates and some European shows later in the year in the same format as Australia, following festivals.
Reznor also stated that 2009 would see Nine Inch Nails performing as a four-piece act, opting to not replace Cortini, suggesting the shows would not be of the same aesthetic visually or musically during the 2009 dates. This was confirmed a matter of days later via an entry on the nin.com homepage, confirming that the Lights In The Sky Tour ended with the departure of Josh and Alessandro, possibly indicating an entire new theme and motif for 09 tour, much like the changeover from 2006's Live: With Teeth to Performance 2007:
"The LIGHTS IN THE SKY era has come to a close, and I'd like to once again thank you for your support. I am very proud of what we pulled off - it was an immense amount of work and worth it all.
I'd like to thank Josh and Alessandro for being an integral part of this for the last few years and I wish them all the best.
No rest for the wicked here, though. We start rehearsing the new band/format first thing next year and as I mentioned, we'll be announcing some final waves of dates. North America, UK/Europe, Pacific Rim and elsewhere."
On February 16, 2009, Reznor announced that the 2009 tour would be NIN's last "for a while." On April 30, 2009, the tour had been renamed from "NIN 2009" to "Wave Goodbye." On May 5, 2009, Reznor disclosed in an interview that this would be the last NIN tour for at least several years.
Backstage Passes
A series of backstage passes, with a meal with the band, were announced to coincide with a charity case for Eric De La Cruz, where NIN fans could pledge $1200/$1000 for the cause, with the larger amount for those who did not already have a ticket. This would give them a meal with the band, watch the soundcheck and talk to the band. There was also a $300 option, for a meet and greet prior to the show, or a general $10+ donation, simply to support the man. After the North America tickets sold out due to high demand, Reznor announced that signed copies of Still, Ghosts I-IV DE, The Slip (each with the message "X of 100 for EDLC. Thank you, Trent Reznor") and signed skateboards by Tony Hawk would be sold for $1000, in a limited quantity of 100 sets.[1]
On 2nd June 2009, Trent posted that over $850,000 had been raised, and that Jane's Addiction had come on board for the donation process, and were offering their own package of $1,000 per head for up to ten people to go backstage and see them rehearse in their dressing room[2].
The initial letter from Trent read:
"This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he’s on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we’re extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.
Eric’s situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.
Here’s what we’re offering – three options:
If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.
If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for soundcheck and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.
If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.
100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric’s fund.
I hope you’ll consider helping out with this.
Sincerely, Trent Reznor"
On 27th May, Reznor posted this:
"Thank you so much for you help with this cause. Due to your generosity, we've raised OVER $800,000 FOR ERIC IN JUST SIX DAYS!
This response has been overwhelming - so much so we sadly have to stop accepting any more VIP package donations for the North American NIN/JA shows. We simply can't accommodate any more people! We are still accepting multiples of $10 donations and all VIP packages for the headlining shows in the rest of the world. Starting hopefully tomorrow, we'll be offering a limited package of 1,000 collectable / signed complete skateboards generously donated from my friend Tony Hawk. For a donation of $1,000, you will receive one of these and a signed-by-me copy of NIN's rarest CD release, STILL.
Please consider helping if you haven't already - we're showing the WORLD the power of a strong and committed community, and we're quite possibly saving a life in the process. We still have a ways to go financially. Thank you all.
Trent"
On July 6th, nin.com was updated with a final post about Eric, reading:
"Sadly, Eric De La Cruz has passed away.
CLICK HERE[3] for to read a letter from his sister Veronica. Thank you all for your help and compassion with this.
Trent"
Line-Up
- Robin Finck: Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Justin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Trent Reznor: Vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Ilan Rubin: Drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals
Australia
On December 1, 2008, Nine Inch Nails announced the first leg of the 2009 tour, beginning in New Zealand and Australia. These dates included the first show in Auckland since 2000, and several dates headlining the Soundwave Festival across Australia.
Losing the elaborate visuals from the Lights In The Sky Tour, Nine Inch Nails was able to incorporate different songs into their set, including some songs that hadn't been performed in some time, including "The Fragile," "Non-Entity," "The Downward Spiral" (which hadn't been performed in over a decade).
Tour Dates
| Date/Location | Venue |
|---|---|
| 2009/02/17 Auckland, New Zealand | Vector Arena |
| 2009/02/21 Brisbane, Australia | RNA Showgrounds (Soundwave Festival) |
| 2009/02/22 Sydney, Australia | Eastern Creek Raceway (Soundwave Festival) |
| 2009/02/24 Sydney, Australia | Hordern Pavillion |
| 2009/02/25 Melbourne, Australia | Festival Hall |
| 2009/02/27 Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne Showgrounds (Soundwave Festival) |
| 2009/02/28 Adelaide, Australia | Bonython Park (Soundwave Festival) |
| 2009/03/02 Perth, Australia | Steel Blue Oval (Soundwave Festival) |
NIN/JA 2009
In 2009, Trent Reznor announced on NIN.com that they would be touring with Jane's Addiction in 2009. On March 3, 2009, the first dates of the tour—known as the "NIN/JA 2009 Tour" (pronounced as "ninja")—were announced. On March 5, 2009, Reznor announced via Twitter that Street Sweeper Social Club (featuring Tom Morello and Boots Riley) would be the opening act on the tour. This information was soon posted to the official site.
NIN played without Jane's Addiction at the Chicago and Bonnaroo shows.
Free Passes
On Twitter, Trent Reznor unexpectedly announced that there would be occasional ticket giveaways for all NIN/JA shows, including a backstage pass. Those interested were directed to go to a specific site (a randomised link from ninja2009.com), and 5 tickets were awarded at a time to whoever entered at the right moment.
Setlists
Due in part to the stripped-down production, the NIN/JA 2009 tour featured the widest array of Nine Inch Nails songs played on any tour, with only "March Of The Pigs", "Head Like A Hole", and "The Hand That Feeds" being performed at every show. The first show featured the debut of the songs "Metal", "I'm Afraid of Americans", and "Gone, Still", while the second night had the debut of "Lights In The Sky", as well as the return of the intro "Now I'm Nothing", which hadn't been performed since 1991 when Nine Inch Nails was featured on the first Lollapalooza Tour. The third show featured the debut of Saul Williams' "Banged And Blown Through," with Saul making a special appearance to duet the song with the band.
Songs that were reintroduced back into the set following years of absence included "Right Where It Belongs," "Not So Pretty Now," "I Do Not Want This," "Home," "The Way Out Is Through," and "Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)."
Tour Dates
| Date/Location | Venue |
|---|---|
| 2009/05/08 West Palm Beach, FL | Cruzan Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/09 Tampa, FL | Ford Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/10 Atlanta, GA | Lakewood Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/12 Austin, TX | Frank Erwin Center |
| 2009/05/14 Albuquerque, NM | Journal Pavilion |
| 2009/05/15 Phoenix, AZ | Cricket Wireless Pavilion |
| 2009/05/16 Chula Vista, CA | Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/18 Las Vegas, NV | The Pearl |
| 2009/05/20 Irvine, CA | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Irvine Meadows |
| 2009/05/21 Santa Barbara, CA | Santa Barbara Bowl |
| 2009/05/22 Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/24 George, WA | The Gorge |
| 2009/05/26 Englewood, CO | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre |
| 2009/05/27 Kansas City, MO | Starlight Theatre |
| 2009/05/29 Chicago, IL | Charter One Pavilion |
| 2009/05/30 Noblesville, IN | Verizon Wireless Music Center |
| 2009/05/31 Clarkston, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre |
| 2009/06/02 Toronto, ON | Molson Amphitheatre |
| 2009/06/03 Mansfield, MA | Comcast Center |
| 2009/06/05 Camden, NJ | Susquehanna Bank Center |
| 2009/06/06 Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center |
| 2009/06/07 Wantagh, NY | Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater |
| 2009/06/09 Columbia, MD | Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| 2009/06/10 Burgettstown, PA | Post-Gazette Pavilion |
| 2009/06/12 Charlotte, NC | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre |
| 2009/06/13 Manchester, TN | Bonnaroo Festival |
Europe
In March and April of 2009, Trent Reznor announced a series of tour dates at European festivals and venues outside of North America that would run through the summer of 2009. On May 5th Trent Reznor announced via Twitter and NIN.com that Danish band Mew would be supporting Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction across several European dates, filling Street Sweeper Social Club's role in the American dates.
Setlists
This leg of the tour featured shorter sets at the various festivals that were played, but generally featured most of the songs that were performed on the NIN/JA 2009 tour, with a few notable exceptions, such as how at the show on July 15 in London, England, Gary Numan joined the band onstage and they performed covers of "Metal" and "Cars," with Numan on vocals, as well as an intentional "quieter set", that was played at the Sonisphere Festival on August 2nd, which also featured the only non-US performance of "Lights In The Sky". The song "The Collector" was performed twice, on July 25th and on July 30th.
Tour Dates
Asia
Setlists
This leg of the tour saw the reintroduction of "Closer" back into the set, despite Trent Reznor previously saying in a fan interview that the song was not going to be performed in 2009. This was the typical setlist on this leg:
- "Somewhat Damaged"
- "Terrible Lie"
- "Heresy"
- "March Of The Pigs"
- "Piggy"
- "Closer"
- "Reptile"
- "The Becoming"
- "I'm Afraid of Americans"
- "Burn"
- "Gave Up"
- "La Mer"
- "The Fragile"
- "The Frail"
- "The Wretched"
- "Non-Entity"
- "Gone, Still"
- "The Downward Spiral"
- "The Big Come Down"
- "Wish"
- "Survivalism"
- "Echoplex"
- "The Day The World Went Away"
- "Dead Souls"
- "The Hand That Feeds"
- "Head Like A Hole"
- "Hurt"
Tour Dates
| Date/Location | Venue |
|---|---|
| 2009/08/05 Manila, Philippines | Araneta Coliseum |
| 2009/08/07 Tokyo, Japan | Summer Sonic |
| 2009/08/08 Osaka, Japan | Summer Sonic |
| 2009/08/10 Singapore, Republic Of Singapore | Fort Canning Park |
| 2009/08/12 Taipei, Taiwan | Nan-Kang 101—CANCELLED |
| 2009/08/15 Seoul, South Korea | ETP Festival |
North America
On July 7th, 2009, Trent Reznor posted this on nin.com:
"Getting right to the point, we're going to play a handful of shows in NYC, Chicago and LA starting August 22nd. They will be informal affairs in medium to small venues with longer set-lists, possible special guests, cool openers and other surprises. Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets due to a limited allotted set length and many shows were in daylight - it just didn't feel right to end NIN that way. An offer to headline a festival (being announced soon) set the idea in motion to play some FUN shows to end this up with. If we can get it together we'll film these shows, too."
Tour Dates
| Date/Location | Venue |
|---|---|
| 2009/08/22 New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 2009/08/23 New York, NY | Webster Hall |
| 2009/08/25 New York, NY | Terminal 5 |
| 2009/08/26 New York, NY | Terminal 5 |
| 2009/08/28 Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom |
| 2009/08/29 Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom |
| 2009/08/30 Toronto, ON | Molson Amphitheatre (Virgin Fest Canada) |
| 2009/09/02 Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium |
| 2009/09/06 Los Angeles, CA | Echoplex |
| 2009/09/08 Los Angeles, CA | Henry Fonda Theater - RESCHEDULED from September 3, 2009 |
| 2009/09/10 Los Angeles, CA | Wiltern Theater - RESCHEDULED from September 5, 2009 |