Coachella 2026: Nine Inch Noize revamps industrial rock for a ghoulish rave

by

Trent Reznor might never escape those ghouls.

It was hard to predict what Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize would deliver at their Saturday performance. They’d recently toured together, with Boys Noize joining Nine Inch Nails for a techno and synth-focused section of their shows. The big question was how that collaborative energy would translate to a full set in the Sahara Tent.

This striking and unusual scene demonstrates the potential of the Sahara Desert for anyone willing to exploit it.

Trent Reznor, along with his bandmate Atticus Ross and Boys Noize, played a set from a platform in the middle of a large, raised stage. They took songs from Nine Inch Nails’ catalog – like “Closer,” “Heresy,” “The Warning,” and “Copy of A” – and reimagined them with a club-like energy, using synthesizers and samplers in a visually striking, strobe-lit performance.

Coachella attendees were surprised to see a billboard announcing a new Nine Inch Nails album made with Boys Noize. Their performance showed just how important Boys Noize is to this collaboration. He brings intense, energetic beats, while Trent Reznor provides the foundational industrial sound from the 90s. Together, they created a sound that really worked for the festival’s electronic music stage.

Okay, so the Sahara tent at Coachella is usually where you find all the K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM acts, right? But this group? They used the space. Seriously, what came on stage after them was just… wow. It totally fit the massive scale of everything.

Around twelve dancers – though ‘dancing’ feels too graceful a word for their performance – moved around the band. They were covered in dirt and wore dark makeup, twisting and reaching, and sometimes sliding down the ramp as if falling into some dark abyss. It felt like the band Nine Inch Nails was performing for monstrous creatures from a horror movie, but strangely, it was also captivating.

Trent Reznor was joined onstage by his wife and bandmate in How To Destroy Angels, Mariqueen Maandig Reznor, and another musician. They clearly enjoyed performing together, harmonizing on vocals. It must have been an incredible experience – singing lines like “GOD IS DEAD AND NO ONE CARES” alongside his wife while the audience enthusiastically reacted.

Nine Inch Nails has always been about change. The lineup shifts, the music evolves with new technology, but as long as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are collaborating with their signature blend of beauty and aggression, the band can go in any direction. With their busy careers composing film scores, it’s uncertain how long Nine Inch Nails will continue to tour. Honestly, I hope this Coachella performance becomes legendary as a unique, unforgettable event.

If you’ve been a fan of this band for years, you owe it to yourself to experience what this current lineup can create.

Read More

2026-04-12 21:02