Nine Inch Nails remain one of the more innovative rock bands well into their decades-long career. Even with the two-headed monster that runs the ship, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, focusing on film scores, the Nine Inch Nails name still sends shockwaves through the rock scene, knowing that, whatever it is they decide to put their mind to, they’re bringing something special to it. Such is the case for their Peel It Back Tour, which began on February 5 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Following up on the first leg of the tour, which took place worldwide throughout 2025, Nine Inch Nails continued the trek in North America, starting with an extensive, career-spanning set in New Orleans.
The staging for the Peel It Back Tour is interesting, with the band bouncing between two stages: one for acoustic versions, remixes, and B-sides, and the main stage for the slew of hits held within NIN’s discography. Last night, the band kicked things off on the B-stage with “Something I Can Never Have,” a song that had not made its way to aPeel It Back setlist until last night, and “Non-Entity,” a tune the band hasn’t performed since 2009. The band then switched to the main stage for a string of hits like “Wish,” “The Frail,” and “Gave Up.” Tour opener Boys Noize then joined NIN on the B-stage, where they together covered “Parasite” by How To Destroy Angels, along with originals like “Vessel.” The 21-song setlist wrapped up back on the main stage, as NIN broke out another cover with David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans,” and more classics from their discography, like “Hurt” and “Head Like a Hole.”
The 2026 leg of Nine Inch Nails’ Peel It Back tour is officially underway, and the legends have a long road ahead of them. The band will head to Jacksonville, Florida, next, before making stops in Quebec, Boston, and San Francisco. You can check out their full tour schedule, the entire setlist, and some footage from night one below.
Tour Dates & Tickets: https://www.nin.com/
