Architecture of a live music show - NIN

In the family of scenography, I ask for the best live music show ever? No hesitation, the last Nine Inch Nails tour!

Putting aside the music (which, by the way, is great!), the scenography of their summer tour is literally breathtaking. I wanted to post about it because there is a lesson here for architects. There are so many different actors in the show development, so many crossed fields, so many tiny details to build this unique and outstanding performance. The artist is not an “out-of-the-world” dreamer. He’s more like a craftsman, with a crazy project in his head, who builds it in real, with all the technical details necessary to make it as strong as a rock.

The best part of it is that what you see emphasizes the music played. It’s not about adding a nice visual layer to make a more lively concert. Everything is wrapped up in a general concept, in a specific world, supported by both sound and visual. The result - I’ve seen NIN at a festival this summer - is really amazing! The effect on the public is awesome; you feel like being caught on a sensorial journey.

I guess I’ll stop here and let you watch the making of video, you’ll make your own point out of it!