SPILL LIVE REVIEW: NINE INCH NAILS @ TD COLISEUM, HAMILTON

NINE INCH NAILS

@ TD COLISEUM, HAMILTON

FEBRUARY 18, 2026

Following a monumental return to the stage and the release of the soundtrack for Tron: Ares, Nine Inch Nails in currently in the midst of the second leg of their acclaimed Peel It Back Tour. Having played Toronto last summer, the North American tour, that runs until mid-March, returned to Canada for a pair of dates, including a stop at Hamilton, ON’s TD Coliseum for yet another unforgettable performance.

The Peel It Back Tour is a massive production that includes two stages and a DJ booth by the soundboard. Doing away with conventional opening and headliner sets, the show opened with a trance like DJ set from Boyz Noize. Running for exactly an hour, this first set bled directly into the first phase of Nine Inch Nails’ performance, with a curtain dropping from the small stage in the middle of the floor, revealing Trent Reznor at a piano. Performing “(You Made It Feel Like) Home” and “The Line Begins To Blur”, members of the band gradually joined him on stage, culminating with “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now).”

From here, the band reunited on the main stage, performing a blisteringly heavy and truly relentless set that opening with “Wish” and “March Of The Pigs,” and went on to include “Reptile,” “Heresy,” and “Copy Of A.” The symbolism behind the presence of long-time collaborators Robin Finck and Atticus Ross should be highlighted. Finck, representing the raw, visceral roots of the band, and Ross, a reflection of their compositional work, flank Reznor at the front of the stage, almost visibly reflecting the flow of the show as different vignettes that demonstrate the essence of Nine Inch Nails.

Reznor, Ross, and Boyz Noize would head to the centre stage briefly for an electronic set. Here, the trio would construct beats live, building soundscapes and expanding upon existing arrangements of “She’s Gone Away,” “As Alive As You Need Me To Be,” and, most notably, “Closer.” Even when engaging in an entirely digital process, the intensity and energy of the set continues to develop. While brief, this segment remains an incredibly unique element of the tour and ultimately speaks to the range of the band as both songwriters and performers. Returning to the mainstage, the band closed out their show was another formidable set that included “The Perfect Drug,” “The Hand That Feeds,” “Head Like A Hole,” and the ever emotional “Hurt”.

Having previously seen Nine Inch Nails in Toronto last year, I will admit that I was skeptical if Reznor and company could recreate a spectacle to such an astounding degree now that the flow of the show had already been seen. While I had no doubts of the quality of their performance, I foolishly questioned if the opening of a solo Reznor on a piano emerging as the curtain fell in place of a beat drop at the end of Boyz Noize’s set would be just as impactful despite knowing what was to come. The answer is a resounding yes. Nine Inch Nails prove that the power behind their set lies not in their production, but rather their songwriting, their performance, and their damn near rapturous intensity. The Peel It Back Tour remains a crowning achievement that sees Reznor continue to push against his legacy status and should continue to be regarded among the greatest concert experiences.

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