NIN is back!

In case you haven't heard, Nine Inch Nails will start touring again this year.

I am very excited for this and am preparing my wallet for the serious beating it'll undoubtedly take when it comes time to obtain tickets when the dates are announced. Well, a bigger beating than it normally takes. The beatings are frequent with bills and food. You know: the necessities. I've often joked about how if Trent Reznor decided to bring Nine Inch Nails back for touring, I'd spend the rent money on tickets instead of the bills and you know, the rent. "Sorry, chief, it's Nine Inch Nails!"

What was once a joke is probably going to become a reality. I just hope that it doesn't actually mean I can't pay the rent. That would really suck. But yes, the reason I'm excited for this is probably the same reason as to why I was so excited for the release of Skyfall last year.

Absence.

For a quick tangent and context, prior to "Skyfall" in 2012, the last James Bond movie released was "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. 4 years without a James Bond movie was a little odd but not entirely out of the realm of impossibility: the four year gap between "Die Another Day" and "Casino Royale" and of course, the five year gap between "Licence to Kill" and "GoldenEye". For a fan, these absences and gaps without new material are painful, to speak metaphorically.

The first time I saw Nine Inch Nails play live was in 2008, which was also the first time I ever went to a concert. I had been a big fan of the music up until then and was over the moon when a friend asked if I wanted to go. I immediately said yes and scrambled to gather money for my ticket.

To think back on those days when I couldn't grow a proper mustache or beard and was skinnier brings back fond memories of anticipation, faster heartbeats, and the aftermath of bruised palms and a lost voice. I cheered and shouted so loud I lost my voice that night. I also clapped so goddamn hard my palms were bruised. But it was so much much walking away wearing another NIN shirt on top of the one I was already wearing: a gray Year Zero shirt.

Now, for the absence. Trent Reznor obviously continued to work and be active and while his work in these 4 years was impressive (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), it wasn't enough to fill the hole that was left. Yeah, he's under no obligation to make music for anyone but fans will always clamor for more and mourn the lack of work. Probably because they've come to really appreciate the music or art, or in some cases have made some sort of connection with the music and somehow deduce that that connection has been severed when there is no new material. This doesn't make sense because you can always revisit and listen to the previous albums!

But now that NIN will resume touring and maybe new albums? One can always hope.

To think that I might see them again this year makes me grin like I haven't in quite a while.

I'll definitely be wearing at least one of my NIN shirts.