This Friday (July 21), Nine Inch Nails will release their new EP Add Violence, the second in an ongoing trilogy that is led by driving recent single “Less Than”. But last night, as part of a warm-up gig before their appearance this weekend at FYF Fest in Los Angeles, Trent Reznor and company delivered a mid-set tribute to David Bowie by reimagining the late legend’s Blackstar track “I Can’t Give Everything Away.”
In introducing the song, via Stereogum, Reznor told the crowd at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena that Bowie, his collaborator and friend, was someone “very important to us, and me personally.” He detailed how he and the band helped process Bowie’s death by performing the song in the studio, and while it gave “closure,” the performance was never released or made public.
In addition to the Bowie cover, several NIN songs made their live debut last night, according to Setlist, including “Branches / Bones,” “The Lovers,” and the aforementioned “Less Than.” Classic NIN tracks like “March Of The Pigs,” “Head Like A Hole,” and show closer “Hurt” were also performed.
Watch the Bowie cover via fan-filmed video below. Featured image: YouTube/screengrab.