Trent Reznor Says Kanye West and The Weeknd ‘Ripped Off’ Nine Inch Nails’ Live Shows
The evidence is compelling.
Trent Reznor may have just instigated a new musical beef, and this one crosses genres.
The Nine Inch Nails mastermind accused rap star Kanye West and R&B singer The Weeknd of ripping off his band’s live shows in this interview with BBC Radio 6 Music.
Did @kanyewest and @theweeknd "blatantly" rip off @nineinchnails' live show?
Weds, Noon BST: Nine Inch Nails' @trent_reznor and Atticus Ross spend some time chatting to @laurenlaverne.
💻📱 Listen worldwide https://t.co/Dd2jiILcDV pic.twitter.com/S7ChPCAwPG
— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) June 26, 2018
“I remember us watching a string of bands on Coachella from the comfort of our couch. And every band has a video playing behind them. And every band is synced up with a convenient, polite lighting package.”
“And I saw Kanye West blatantly rip off–and the Weeknd rip off– our tours production-wise, which I’ll say without any hesitation. And they know.”
The Coachella performance Reznor could be referring to, above, does bear a resemblance to this earlier Nine Inch Nails production designed by visual artist Rob Sheridan, who has served as art director for multiple NIN tours.
Later in the BBC interview, Reznor cited ’80s rock influences as inspiration for the pared down production of NIN’s current Cold and Black Infinite tour, which kicks off this September in support of Bad Witch.
“When I think back to the Cure, when I saw them for the first time in the mid-’80s, or Jesus and Mary Chain when we opened for them, and all I remember of that was smoke, maybe a color, a little bit of someone’s hair, and real, real loud guitars.”
He continued, “That’s exciting and I don’t see that happening much. So we went the opposite of the arms race we had been in of immersive, technological-based production…. It’s music being played somewhat sloppily with an element of danger and uncertainty and unpredictability.”
Reactions to Reznor’s allegations have been mixed.
https://twitter.com/ShooterJennings/status/1010610112283709445
So he’s responsible for the advancement in technology and everyone using screens in there tours…..right
— Sir Digō GōldWaTch (@General_URSUS) June 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/jetfury/status/1011702809459351555
The bitterness and hypocrisy is saddening. Kanye has long admired Trent for his talents and creativity. He is inspired and builds off of his production techniques. This is and forever will be the nature of artistic development.
— T.J. Cry (@TCry12) June 27, 2018
Don't think Kanye West has done anything original. It's not like they could even be flattered.
— D (@DMification) June 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/renegadegoogly/status/1011723188705923073
What's funny about this is Trent Reznor talks about @kanyewest and @theweeknd "ripping off" NIN's aesthetic and then proceeds to talk about how he was inspired by stage production from The Cure and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy in this?
— Dr. Robin Mazumder (@RobinMazumder) June 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/painted_blue/status/1011741773276819456
It’s not the first time Reznor has taken a shot at Yeezy. In a recent interview with The Guardian, he praised West’s past work but said that his most recent album, Ye, “sucked.”
“The guy’s lost his fucking mind… His record sucked, and that’s it. He has made great shit; he’s not in a great place right now.”
Your move, Kanye.
h/t: Pitchfork