Could you be seeing the beginning of the end for Nine Inch Nails road life?
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Frontman Trent Reznor surprised fans last Friday night (Feb. 27) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, suggesting the band may be done touring once the current “Peel It Back” run wraps up.
Speaking to the crowd at the BOK Center mid-set, Reznor reflected on the band’s early days in the city before dropping the unexpected comment.
“One of the first times we played here, maybe it was Cain’s Ballroom… like 80 years ago,” he joked. “We were playing Head Like a Hole, and I could see someone in the back screaming the lyrics back at me. I thought, ‘This is all I ever wanted in life, to connect with somebody like that.’”
Then came the moment that caught fans’ attention.
“I don’t know if we’re gonna be touring anymore after this,” Reznor said. “But I’m proud of the show we’re doing right now. And I’m grateful you chose to spend your evening with us.”
If that sounds familiar, longtime fans know Reznor has hinted at ending tours before. Back in 2009, the band branded their run as the “Wave Goodbye” tour and suggested it might be the last. The group eventually returned to the road in 2013 and has continued touring on and off ever since.
For now, Nine Inch Nails still have several dates left on the U.S. leg of the “Peel It Back” tour, including stops in Dallas, Glendale, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco before wrapping March 16.
After that, Reznor and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross will appear at Coachella under the name Nine Inch Noize alongside Boys Noize.
Even if touring slows down, the band isn’t disappearing. Reznor recently confirmed new Nine Inch Nails material is in the works, and he and Ross continue to stay busy composing film scores, including the upcoming TRON: Ares.
So while the future of their live shows remains uncertain, one thing’s clear. Reznor still has plenty left in the tank.
