Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Live Nation (https://www.livenation.com/
Venue: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, AZ (https://www.desertdiamondarena.com/ )
Date: Friday March 6th, 2026
Tour: Peel It Back
Sorry about the photos, they were all taken with my iPhone from my seat.
This is the second time Nine Inch Nails (NIN) has passed through the greater Phoenix area with this tour. I am not a big fan of NIN, but I listened to their music through my children. My son went to the first NIN concert on September 16th of last year. He knows that really enjoy great stage productions and told me I had to see this concert. Well, he was right. It was one of the most unique stage shows I have ever seen and I saw Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Trans-Siberian Orchestra shows. I have broken down why we got to concerts into 6 categories and a spectacular stage show is one of them.
The concert was at the Desert Diamond Arena in the Westgate area of Glendale, AZ. I would assume there were over 10,000 people at the show. I was lucky enough to get ticket off the floor about 12 rows up and close to the main stage. The floor was divided into 2 sections, GA standing by the main stage and then a seated section on the back half of the floor. There were 3 different stages on the floor. The main stage was at one end, in the middle was a smaller square stage and at the other end of the floor (back) was a small stage.
I was worried that people were going to get into the arena late because the lines outside were huge. One line easily had over a thousand people in it just 15 minutes before the show was to start. I a short line and got in about 10 minutes before show time, a lot of seats and the floor was still empty. Exactly at 8PM, DJ Boys Noize appeared at the back stage and started an EDM performance. He played until 9PM which allowed everyone to get into the arena. He had the audience pumped up including 2 ladies just in front of me.
Just as he was completing his set, the center stage lit up and NIN frontman Trent Reznor was seated at a piano and played “Right Where It Belongs”. He was later joined by keyboardist Atticus Ross, as well as bassist Alessandro Cortini for the next 2 songs.
Then you start to hear the thunderous beat of a drummer and it was coming from the main stage. The main stage is completed covered by a curtain. The lights go out on the center stage and the 3 members run over to the main stage to join the drummer. When they get there, the crew raise the curtain surrounding the stage, but leave a netting. This is when the stage production really gets impressive. They used the netting to project patterns and images on it, along with the 2 large screens on each side of the stage. They had a crew member running around taking video which was projected on the netting and screens. At one time they had about 20 copies of Trent dancing on the netting and screens. It was really freaky.
After a few songs on the main stage, Trent with Atticus and Boys Noize returned to the center stage. The light cage over the center stage lowered and a pattern of flashing light engulfed both the stage and the audience.
After a few songs, Trent and Atticus returned to the main stage and there the band completed the concert. This time when they raised the curtain on the main stage, they also raised the netting.
Throughout the show the audience was hopping and singing along with a number of the songs, especially at the end. NIN started exactly at 9PM and ended the show about 2 hours later. They took no breaks and played directly into the encore. Trent started the encore and then suddenly stopped. He pointed down into the audience and told security to remove a group of people. I did not see exactly what happened, but I have been on the floor and at the fence for many shows and I assumed this group of people “Rushed” the fence, pushing people out of the way and crushing others at the fence. I saw security jump over the fence and ushered out about 6 people. They were physically removed from the arena. Then Trent and the band restarted the final song. I would like to applaud Trent for stopping the show and pointing out this crap. Too many times, this occurs and the fans that have been positioned up front are hurt because some idiots decide they deserve to be in the front now.
I normally get a photo pass to document the shows. But I was not allocated one for this show and for good reason. The first 3 songs were all done at the center stage and the lighting as far as photography was concerned was not optimal. Honestly, I don’t think I could have gotten any good shots. But it did allow me to see the entire show as an audience member so I could get the full effect of the performance.
Would I go see NIN again, in a heartbeat. EDM/Rock is not my preferred music style, but I came to really enjoy NIN’s mixture and started to really get into it. Is it a show you should see, YES. If you love EDM/Rock music or just want to see a spectacular stage production, then this is definitely a show to see. A word of caution, if you are affected by flashing lights, be warned, they use a lot of flashing light throughout the performance.
Nine Inch Nails (NIN) Setlist:
Act 1: Center Stage
(You Made It Feel Like) Home
Non-Entity
Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)
Act 2: Main Stage
Wish (Drum solo intro)
March of the Pigs
The Frail
Reptile
Heresy
Copy of A
Gave Up
Act 3: Center -Stage with Boys Noize
Vesse (with Boys Noize) (Remix)
Closer (with Boys Noize) (Remix)
Parasite (How to Destroy Angels cover) (with Boys Noize) (Remix)
As Alive as You Need Me to Be (with Boys Noize)
Act 4: Main Stage
Mr. Self Destruct
Less Than
The Perfect Drug
Burn
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole
Hurt
(Trent stopped the song before the second line to stop a fight in the pit; restarted afterwards)
