Watch Nine Inch Nails Perform ‘The Perfect Drug’ Live For First Time
Nine Inch Nails‘ just-launched Cold and Black and Infinite Tour continues to provide fans with unexpected surprises as the band’s Tuesday concert at Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre featured their first-ever performance of “The Perfect Drug.”
Despite its standing as a fan-favorite from the Lost Highway soundtrack, Trent Reznor had long severed ties with the 1997 hit single that was nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.
“I’m not cringing about it, but it’s not my favorite piece,” Reznor said in 2005. “If they said play me, y’know, the top hundred songs you’ve written, that probably wouldn’t be in the top hundred.” Reznor also stated that the song’s complex drum work would be difficult to replicate onstage.
Even though Reznor was apprehensive about the track, Nine Inch Nails still delivered a confident rendition of “The Perfect Drug” live to open the encore portion of their Red Rocks gig.
The premiere performance of “The Perfect Drug” comes just days after Nine Inch Nails played their Broken EP in its entirety for the first time at the opening concert of their Cold and Black and Infinite Tour.