Today marks what would have been the 74th birthday of the babe with the power of voodoo. To mark the occassion, collaborator and friend Trent Reznor has reflected on the legacy of David Bowie.
In an exclusive feature with Consequence of Sound, the Nine Inch Nails frontman has mused on the formative impact of David Bowie’s and how the wisdom of Bowie helped Reznor navigate the pitfalls of newfound fame.
Reflecting on the comeuppance of Nine Inch Nails following the release of A Downward Spiral, Reznor recalled the anxiety of transitioning from a place of financial precarity to making a living off his art. Anxiety that was fuelled by the yearning to experiment, push musical boundaries — whilst also “being able to pay the gas bill.”
“It creeps its way in, in various ways,” he explained. “So, I would turn back to the idea of Bowie and think for a minute: ‘Fuckk, that’s what being an artist is.’ So, there was that kind of influence from a distance, a fan level, aside from the music emotionally connecting with me.”
Nine Inch Nails were tapped by Bowie as the support act for his “The Outside Tour” in 1995. A tour that had a profound impact on Reznor as he was battling the throes of addiction.
“To get to be around him for the extent of that tour and actually see him in person and be terrified and intimidated and then find an actual human being behind it that did impossibly live up to whatever you projected on him,” Reznor said. “What really left the biggest impression on me was there I was in a bad state of addiction and kind of going down the toilet.
“And he was on the other end to have come out of it. And there were the few kind of big brother / fatherly times where he’d call me aside and kind of get on my shit: You need to get your shit together. It doesn’t have to end up down there. He didn’t say this, but look at where he was. He was happy. He was still taking chances.”
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Check out Trent Reznor and David Bowie collaborate on ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7APmRkatEU&ab_channel=wirytangent19
This year marks the five year anniversary of David Bowie’s passing. A performance evening set to honour the musical chameleon is set to take place at 6pm tonight.
Heavy-hitters from the music and entertainment industries will pay homage to the alien provocateur’s inimitable life as part of A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!
The evening will see performances from Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Yungblud, Billy Corgan, and more.
