Nine Inch Nails reunite with original member Richard Patrick for surprise Filter cover

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor singing onstage
(Image credit: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

Trent Reznor treated Nine Inch Nails fans to a dream reunion at a gig in Ohio this weekend.

The NIN mainman brought former members Richard Patrick, Chris Vrenna, Charlie Clouser and Danny Lohner onstage near the end of the band’s show at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on Saturday September 24, for a six-song mini-set featuring older Nine Inch Nails classics as well as an unexpected cover of Hey Man, Nice Shot by Patrick’s post-NIN band Filter.

The four musicians had all been members of Nine Inch Nails at different times during the late 80s and through the 90s. Patrick’s presence, especially, was unexpected. The guitarist had joined the band following their debut album Pretty Hate Machine before leaving acrimoniously in 1993. He subsequently formed Filter,  scoring a hit single with 1995’s Hey Man, Nice Shot and notching up platinum albums with Short Bus (1995) and Title Of Record (1998).

The onstage reunion wasn’t a complete surprise. Reznor and his ex-bandmates had taken part in a Q&A the previous day during The Nine Inch Nails Fan Day, itself part of the belated celebrations marking the band’s induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2020.

The following night, Nine Inch Nails played a 17-song set before inviting Patrick, Vrenna (who played with NIN on and off from 1998 to 1997), Clouser (who was a member from 1994 to 2001) and Lohner (1995-2002) on to the stage. 

The reunited line-up played Eraser, Wish, Sin, Gave Up, Hey Man, Nice Shot (with Patrick on vocals) and Head Like A Hole.

Watch footage from the show below.

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