Thanks for the interest in the final NIN shows! We sold out amazingly fast and I'm sorry for those that tried to get tickets but couldn't. Regarding the way we sold the tickets (through nin.com and TicketMaster) - we're trying our best here. Please let me know how the paperless TicketMaster shit goes from a user perspective - I got talked into it.

As far as NIne Inch Nails goes, these are the last shows for the foreseeable future. I've explained the reasons in various interviews so I won't go into it further here. I am NOT stopping making music or working on things - NIN is just not touring anymore. Nin.com will remain active and alive with lots of updates planned.

Blackberry NIN app / Android: the Blackberry version has been much more difficult than expected and will obviously not be done in time for any NIN shows. It's not dead, but it's not right around the corner. Android - the priority was on the BB version, so don't hold your breath. Apple 3.0 bug-fix: finished for over a month but rejected by Apple a second time for reasons so stupid it's not worth going into.

Twitter: Yes, I deleted my account and I'll explain why since somehow someone apparently thinks this is newsworthy.
Twitter seemed like an interesting way to quickly reach a large number of people, and people that seem to exist outside of the nin.com world of fans. For a while, I found it useful to read replies and get a sense of what people are thinking / saying, and this worked well for a while. As I've mentioned in other letters, the key to understanding your audience / fan-base is to engage them and understand them. The results of me doing this with NIN include the way we sell tickets on nin.com, the way we've distributed the last records, the multitracks available for free download for you to remix, the Creative Commons licensing, the open camera / recording policy for live shows, no fan-club fees, the tour music samplers, the open design of nin.com, etc etc etc. I could keep going because pretty much everything we've been doing with NIN lately has been based upon what you as an audience think would be a cool way to do it.
Most of these policies and approaches have nothing to do with Twitter, but it was another tool to see what people think about things and get feedback.
Then... around the time news broke of my engagement, a faction of troublemakers showed up whose sole intent was to disrupt, harass, insult and incite. Let me explain to you why simply blocking on Twitter was not a solution. If you are interested in someone on Twitter, you can follow their updates. I've noticed however many people want to see the replies that user gets to have a sense of a thread of information / thoughts. You do this by searching the user's name you're interested in. When I started getting relentlessly reply spammed by these few individuals with harassment ranging from hoping I overdose to calling my fiancee racist slurs hundreds of times a day, YES - I could (and did) block them, but everyone else reading my replies sees ALL of that nonsense. So, I am providing a platform for this rubbish to be broadcast to my fanbase, which I am not going to participate in. I discussed this with some friends at Twitter who acknowledged the problem with a "yeah, um, we're thinking about doing something about that - people are complaining" response. Not good enough. As I've said, Twitter's interests lie in getting the most users and hype possible, then cash in for the big sale - and fair enough, they've come up with an interesting product.
Last night, I had the pleasure of trying to explain this message to an understandably upset Veronica De La Cruz:
@AndreaUrbanFox someone got balls at last! Hey, can I have some of that #Eric money? The dude's dead, he doesn't need it lol
Really?
She saw this message because anything with the #Eric hashtag appears on weloveeric.com. I tried to explain to her this person is just a lonely, obsessed, delusional, bitter "fan" who recently posted how the celebrity she'd most like to date is ME. She spends countless hours a day obsessing over me, my fiancee and NIN resorting to ANYTHING for attention. In a reasonably moderated community, these people can be made to vanish - on Twitter, it's a free-for-all - hence they flock there. It depresses me to think my art and life's work can attract this kind of scum, and trying to explain to Veronica why someone would stoop to that level of ignorance for attention - and it's someone that because of me is in her world causing her pain... well, it sucks. If that was your intention you trolling, cowardly pigs - you've succeeded.

Moving on.

Although this tour has been fairly brutal in terms of length, travel and schedule - we as a band are very much looking forward to playing these last shows and we never take for granted the support you've shown and proven over the years. My best work is yet to come - watch and see.

Thank you.
Trent



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 11:28AM by rob_sheridan.

Thank YOU.

All the best for the future.

Thanks a lot for this. You summed up a lot of loose news elements floating around. Best of luck with all of your endeavors.

And as far as your best work is yet to come - I don't doubt it. A group had been recently discussing that the post 2005 stuff is some of the best music you've put out. Thanks again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 10:55AM by RodrigoD.

It's too bad some people are so stupid as to think they can post shit like that. I was sad when you left Twitter, it was a nice chance to get to know the man behind the music, and I think I appreciate all you've done more now that I know a little about you as a person.

Thank you for everything you've done Trent, you're more than an inspiration. I am very much looking forward to these last few shows, and whatever you end up doing after NIN stops touring!

I know you might not be reading message board replies, but thanks for this update. You'd think the people running Twitter would do something about unfiltered replies - all it does is make them lose members. I've considered deleting my Twitter account for some time now and can't seem to bring myself to do it, but good on you for doing it - it sucks that there's still people stirring up trouble beyond that, though.

I'm looking forward to seeing you guys (and having my face melted) at the Wiltern. Thank you for the memories and soundscapes so far.

And, you're welcome!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 11:15AM by Yoshata.

Thanks Trent. I rarely reply to these kind of things. However something like this, I can really understand. No one can really blame you in any capacity (except the rabid fanbase with severe insecurity issues and personality disorders naturally).

Honestly, something like Twitter, you may as well be sinking in a vat of shit. Or you could choose to get out before it drowns you (which you clearly did).

The entire internet community is that sinking shithole. People harassing you, your fiance, and bullshit comments towards Eric because they're anonymous. It's such a pathetic low there's no point in even wasting the breath or giving them the attention. 90% of the time they only do it because they can get and clearly need the attention no one gave them as a kid. When the whole internet is their audience they're in their prime. That right there is their 15 seconds of fame and probably their greatest 'achievement' of their lifetime. Which is so incredibly sad. They'll get what they deserve acting like that eventually.

However, there's always gold somewhere despite it all. It can be found but where the hell is it at this point?

Shame some people have to ruin things for everyone, but never mind. I look forward to what is produced in the future.

trent_reznor posted:

Although this tour has been fairly brutal in terms of length, travel and schedule - we as a band are very much looking forward to playing these last shows and we never take for granted the support you've shown and proven over the years. My best work is yet to come - watch and see.

Thank you.
Trent

I have never seen you tour, and I guess I never will, but reading your last paragraph makes me incredibly happy. Everything you have done so far, The Fragile, Ghosts I-IV, Year Zero, The Downward Spiral etc. has exceeded expectations for any music by anyone, you are the best their is, no doubt about it. Knowing you plan to create something, be it music, film, video game, and it to be your best work excites me to no end. I'll be eagerly expecting it no matter when your next project comes out or how old I am.
Best of luck to you for the remaining tour dates and in your marriage. You deserve the best, enjoy your time off to the fullest =)

savagestar posted:

Trent, I just want to say a huge "thank you" for anything you've done so far for us. Now that I finally saw NIN for the first (and I really hope not last) time, I got to truly understand what your work means to me. It's become part of my life and it was you who spoke to our hearts through your words and music.

You finally let us see who's the person behind the music and maybe some people weren't ready to face the truth, that you're as human as all of us. With his weaknesses and virtues.

You know what's best for you, but you have to know also that there are people online AND offline that value and appreciate you for what you've offered to us.

Some call us NIN fans obsessed and over reacting. Maybe it's true up to a certain extend, but we definitely mean no harm. As for those who attack and harass you, they obviously have nothing better to occupy themselves with.

I'm so happy to hear you have more for us, just whatever you do be happy. I like positive Trent!

Again, thank you for finally coming to Greece and coming to our lives with your music.

Decent human beings should. I agree with ya' on this one!

Thanks for everything, Trent. I won't be able to make the last shows, but I still wish you the best of luck.

Thank you Trent. I am looking forward on what you have planned next.

Thanks for the tour, I wish I could get to the US for one of the last ones but it just isn't possible... Manchester UK was incredible though.

As for twitter, I totally understand, it can be annoying even when you're just some unknown person.. Unfortunately this sort of thing is likely to happen whenever you try to interact with fans and people at large on such an open, unmoderated platform.
Hopefully you see that the vast majority of your fans are not like this at all however, and wish only wonderous things for the both of you...

Thanks again, and I look forward to future developments with NIN...

Thanks for the explanation. I wish you didn't have to delete your twitter because I enjoyed your updates, as did most of the people reading them.

Come back!

Thank you for the update and explanations, Trent. There are a lot of us who really do get it...so just ignore the whiners and complainers.

I wish you the best of luck in everything you do...and love, life and happiness.

Lisa


eta...about Twitter...this is why we can't have nice things



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 11:44AM by OMS.

Eternal thank you's.

I agree completely re Twitter, and those people are disgusting, sad people not worth your time.
It was fantastic meeting you in Manchester, amazing seeing you live and I wish you all the best with the future.
The NIN/JA tour (along with all your work) has been fantastic and I just wish I could get to one of the final shows! I will look forward to your future endeavours!

All the best.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 11:41AM by CLeek.