Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor reflects on the lessons learned – both on a human level and as an artist – from his idol David Bowie.
Ahead of this weekend's A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day! concert stream featuring Trent Reznor (among many other amazing guests), the Nine Inch Nails leader has paid tribute to David Bowie – not just as a musical influence, but as a friend and mentor.
Speaking to Consequence Of Sound about the Thin White Duke's impact, Trent reflects that he often looked to Bowie in NIN's early days as he grappled with success and wanting to stay true as an artist: "There was that kind of influence from a distance, a fan level, aside from the music emotionally connecting with me," he explains.
As the pair got to know each other when Nine Inch Nails supported David Bowie on the Outside Tour between 1995-96, Trent soon realised he didn't need to be "terrified and intimidated" by his hero.
Read this: 7 things we learned about Nine Inch Nails' Hurt from Netflix's Song Exploder
"What really left the biggest impression on me was there I was in a bad state of addiction and kind of going down the toilet," he admits. "And he was on the other end to have come out of it. And there were the few kind of big brother / fatherly times where he’d call me aside and kind of get on my shit: You need to get your shit together. It doesn’t have to end up down there. He didn’t say this, but look at where he was. He was happy. He was still taking chances."
Trent adds that he still thinks about Bowie "all the time", and listens to his music regularly.
"I’m grateful that our lives intersected, and I’m grateful for – whether he knew it or not – how much he helped me in those dark times before I chose to get my shit together," reflects Trent. "And I can hear his voice. He penetrated through the layers of bullshit that I’d built around myself. I’m grateful for that."
