2000.04.11 - Real Detroit Weekly - Pre-Fragility 2.0 Tour Interview (Robin)

Pre-Fragility 2.0 Tour Interview

As black as the night can get is  when Trent Reznor and the rest of Nine Inch Nails feels most comfortable. The peaceful solitude, the colour of black or maybe because it’s just more exciting than the daylight hours. Whichever it is, Reznor ‘s project needs no sunlight for success.

After exploding onto the scene with 1989’s Pretty Hate Machine, reznor has been declared the dark genius of his time -not only leaving his fans breathless with all the gloomed and obscure textures of unbelievable sound layered upon sound , but he practically reinvented the new goth movement. Imagery and style is what make Nine Inch Nails different from from all the rest. And it is the sheer brillance of Reznor which made this all happen.

There’s no disputing that Nine Inch Nails doesn’t exist without Reznor. And with 1994’s the Downward Spiral, and 1999’s The fragile, the legions of fans that adore this dark knight continue to grow , waiting for their opportunity to see his band  bring the live performance [Fragility V2.0] to their town.

Enter Robin Finck, touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails. Once known as Queenie. Once a member of the Impotent Sea Snakes. Finck is again reunited with Reznor after his stint with NIN in 1993 on the Self Destruct tour. Finck calls from Los Angeles after rehearsals.

RD / You guys are gearing up for Fragility V2O tour. How was the first leg of the tour?

RF/ We’ve been set up down here for almost a week now getting ready. The first part was pretty cool. We played the Big Day Out in Australia. While we were down there we played our own Nails shows in Japan. There were no openers : we played in small theatres and sumo wrestling arenas… It was interesting stating around 7 pm with no opening act. It was kind of awkward.

RD/ When did you become involved with NIN?

RF/ In ‘93, right after the completion of the recording of The Downward Spiral. I met Danny [Lohner] and the rest of them and we did the Self Destruct tour for what seemed like thousand years.

RD/ The live performances are on a completely different plain. Is it hard to get up for the shows? Do you have any pre-show rituals?

RF/ Hopefully, we’re going to have to take it in stride. Once we hurdle ourselves to the frontline, then we will what exactly it takes. I know it’s going to be a rigorous tour. I think we’re doing a lot of back-to-back shows, more than in the past. We’re going to play in North America before we go to Europe in June. We’re trying to fix a lot in.

RD/ How long are the shows going to be?

RF/ I can’t imagine playing for an entire two hours. It’s hard to say exactly how long we play. Sometimes the music just keeps on going. I’d say we play for about one hour and forty five minutes. Anything more like that, we are like wet wood on the pavement.

RD/ The shows are very physical and intense. Any major injuries?

RF/ No broken bones. I got a blow to the head  and received six stitches in Germany . It wasn’t fun. The guitar hit the top of my face and the welt completely split open. We were only two songs into the set and the next thing I knew I was being carried on a gurney into an ambulance. I was looking up at five people. I assumed they were doctors but they were all speaking German. I didn’ like that at all. Honestly though, it’s not really intentional but sometimes we do just get caught up in the moment. I don’t know. It’s like that.

RD/ Reznor’s a self proclaimed perfectionist. Is it easier working with him these days than it was in the past?

RF/ Trent is really intense when it comes to what NIN is. He always has been and I hope he will always be. Difficult, sometimes. Hit or miss for the most part, , we all kind of share the enthusiasm from the same place- understanding what NIN is. What we except and what we believe, it can be stressful for sure. But I know a lot of people who get stressed out of about a lot of different things.

RD/ How much input do you have in the creation process as far as the recording and imagery behind the band?

RF/ We all have put out two cents, nickel worth and sometimes even quarter. I’ll tell you this: when it comes down to five guys standing in a room trying to figure out how to play  track nine, we all look at each other and focus on how to approach this. We have to feel good as a whole on how we play this and a lot of the tracks are multitrack-  - a lot of the environment, the sounds we’re created in don’t bend themselves to a live performance.

RD/ David Carson was just in town showing some of the imagery NIN has used in the past. What can a new fan expect from the NIN performance this time around?

RF/ There is  a completely brand new production we are working on while we are rehearsing in Los Angeles. We are going to be playing new songs of the Fragile we haven’t played live before. New production, new lights and a new set. It’s going to be very different than “Self Destruct”. We are going to play what we know worked and still comfortable with. We ‘re going to take that and make an effort to create something new. It’s been a long time since we worked in the States.

RD/ Is it hard for you to wind down after the shows?

RF/ Actually while we are on the road, the band is constantly staying focused for the two hours before we are going to be on stage. The twenty four hours before the next performance are always spent preparing and gearing up for what’s about to come. It’s all about preparing for that escape. It [the live show] ‘s important to us . Afterwards I’m completely beat. N?o it’s not hard to wind down.

RD/ The Downward Spiral came out in 1994, and The Fragile in ‘99. The tours are long but is it hard for a musician to take a five years hiatus between albums ?

RF/ Well actually when trent was doing the record, I was touring with Cirque du Soleil, playing guitar with them. It was a completely polar opposite experience for me comparated to  NIN . I was with them for about a year and a half. I got a call from Axl. We’ve been working on the record but I will doubt that will come out any time time soon. The drummer in A Perfect Circle (Josh Freese ) was also working with us. That’s basically what  I was doing while trent was doing the Fragile. I had kept in touch with with Danny, Trent and Charlie and my work was through with Axl. My time with Axl was up. I was excited to come back to NIN. It was right for me. It was right for trent.The timing was uncanny.

RD/ Happiness in Slavery or StarfuckersInc?

RF/ (laughs) Happiness in Slavery

RD/ Rubber or leather?

RF/ Leather.

RD/ What’s your worst “Sin”?

RF/ worst sin? Ummmm…. ah… I think you stumped me on this one.

RD/ Who do you want to “fuck like an animal”?

RF/ (laughs) Ah … (laughs) … Twiggy Ramirez.

RD/ Twiggy?!

RF/ (laughs) Yeah;

RD/ I don’t normally watch HBO4S real Sex but I did happen to check out your old band The Impotent Sea Snakes on it.

RF/ I heard about that, we used to do some crazy stuff. Sometimes I still see them and hang out with them. We were all from Atlanta, my hometown, and I was with them on the road for about eight months. It was a blast. They’ve been doing it for a long time. That’s their life. That’s what they do.

RD/ Is that where the nickname “Queenie” came from?

RF/ Once upon a time, my nickname was Queenie. That was true, I haven’t heard that in several years. That was the first generation into NIN. That was different Robin, no eyebrows, crazy stuff.

RD/ So you’re happy with what you’re at now?

RF/ Oh yeah. This year is going  great. Personally before the year is over, I want to complete some of my own songs. Whatever outlet or avenue, I am not sure yet what it will be . But there will be some kind of a solution. This is my year.

RD/ What’s your scariest experience you’ve been a part of since being with NIN?

RF/ Watching Trent hit the bottom of the dwell.

RD/ Care to elaborate?

RF/ Not really.