Trent Reznor is one the few ‘90s icons to retain his sense of hotness and anarchy, and it truly feels like he’s managed to get older (he’s 53) without turning into a massive douche, or a Republican. Over the past three years, Reznor has given a series of thoughtful interviews about subjects ranging from Donald Trump (“a complete f–king moron”) to Taylor Swift and the music industry at large. Trent hates the Republican Party with a deep and abiding passion, and he’s made that completely clear. But somehow, Ted “Zodiac Killer” Cruz didn’t get that memo. While Trent was performing a show in Irving, Texas, he mentioned that Ted Cruz had tried to get on the guest list for the show.
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor had two words for Sen. Ted Cruz when the GOPer apparently asked to be put on a guest list for a show in Texas this week.
“He was bugging to be put on the guest list and I told him to f–k off,” the 53-year-old musician told the crowd at a show in Irving on Tuesday, according to a video posted to Reddit.
Reznor claimed Cruz attended one of the industrial rock band’s concerts “several years ago.”
“He drank all the beer and was just a pain in the ass to be around,” Reznor said.
The staff at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory also turned up the lights for Reznor so he could check the crowd to see “who voted” for Cruz in the 2018 midterms.
“Raise your hand, guys, nothing to be ashamed of, all right, just checking,” he says in the video.
A lot of musicians/artists would never do this mid-concert, or name names in public whatsoever. Because “Republicans buy CDs too” or “Republicans buy concert tickets too” or whatever is said in the name of capitalism. It actually upsets me to think that Ted Cruz enjoys Nine Inch Nails. It’s likely that Cruz doesn’t understand any of it, but still… WHY? Trent Reznor’s deep emotional core is anti-establishment and Ted Cruz is the spineless establishment. Also: I laughed at the idea of Ted Cruz standing backstage, drinking all the beer and acting like a pain in the ass.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and WENN.
My FAVORITE thing about Trent is how he worked with so many ICONIC R&B artists in the 90s when he was just starting out…him…Dallas Austin…and Chuckii Booker were TIGHT AS HELL!
My guy…who met him several times over the years when he managed a record store…always said that Trent was one of the smartest folks he ever had the pleasure of talking too…and decent to boot…
And the music…LAWD…the music…once I got over the Al Jourgensen doppelganger thang (hey…I’m from Chicago and Al used to let me hang out at Wax Traxx when I was a kid…so I couldn’t HELP the initial distaste)…I fell in LUB with NIN…and that continues…especially his movie scores!
You should write a blog, if you haven’t got one already. You have almost as many good stories as Questlove. (Maybe more… I bet we haven’t heard them all yet.)
Am a massive NIN fan and yeah his music scores with Atticus Ross are sublime. I also love the remix they did of the Halloween theme, https://youtu.be/DAbDvqPFXvQ.
Reznor has been a pioneer for years – he ‘discovered’ Marilyn Manson, who is now up his own ass, is a talented musician.
These stories about Zodiac go all the way back to high school. Everyone says the exact same thing.
How can you go through life just thriving off being hated. That has to be exhausting at some point.
It surprises me that people like him are still able to get married and pro-create. Some women really have no standards.
After seeing the recent interview with Heidi, I will go with the old saying…There is a Summer’s Eve for every douche.
The sad thing is – when I read the interview with his wife that was covered on this site – I kind of felt like she regretted some of her choices. I can’t imagine being married to a public figure… much less one so hated. It must be exhausting to put everything on hold in terms of what you want for someone else – especially when you’re dealing with the (deserved) blowback in the media. I mean – she made her choices, and she’s an adult. But man, it must suck.
And Cruz is just so strange. And then add the mime stuff on top of it… I just don’t get it. He creeps me out, makes me angry, and I feel sad just looking at him. He really is something else.
Y’all, I read that Heidi Cruz profile, and I she seems like an intelligent and talented woman (though I’m sure I wouldn’t like her politics). The whole time, I just kept thinking, “Really? HIM?” So mystifying. She did say when she met him she thought he looked like a 50’s movie star, and all I could think of was Grandpa Munster. To each their own, I guess.
OMG @Tiffany and @Sadezilla you both made me laugh so hard. I wonder if she’ll ever jump ship, @Erinn yes, it must be exhausting.
Saw NIN in concert back in ’99. Watching Trent Reznor, all I could think was “ROCK STAR.” I’ve never seen anyone chew up the stage the way he did. Great performer, and obviously very passionate about his craft.
He still puts on an amazing show. I saw him on the NINJA tour back in… 2009?… with Jane’s Addiction (my two favorites in one place!). Then I just saw him again at River City Rockfest in San Antonio back in September. I actually flew out there for less than 24 hours just for that show. It was incredible even though we were absolutely exhausted by the time NIN hit the stage. We’d already seen Living Colour, Suicidal Tendencies, Disturbed, Clutch, Joan Jett, Bush, Primus, and STP that day. Exhausting but so worth it.
My future husband is hot.
When I was reading Harry Potter, he is who I pictured as Snape. Which could explain my love for that character from the beginning
Ted Cruz and NIN is an oxymoron. Jumbo shrimpish.
Pygmy mastodon-ish.
Trent writes some deep, dark, emotional things that can be listened to on a totally superficial level and come across as, well, creepy. I am 100% positive Cruz is into the superficial creepiness.
My goodness Trent Reznor has maintained his hotness.
Trent is so gorgeous and cool. He and Chris Cornell were my dream lovers back in high school in the 90’s. Closer would’ve been our song
I love Reznor so very much. Saw him in concert in ’08 and, unlike many musicians that have been around as long as he has, all the fire, passion, spontaneity, & real-ness was still there as strong as ever. You could tell that he still truly enjoyed performing the music. (There’s nothing i hate more at a concert than when the performer is just “going through the motions”.) And he’s so intelligent and interesting; I’m always happy to read about what he has to say. It’s great that he achieved personal happiness (he’s a proud husband and father to young kids and has been sober for over a decade) and a new highly-successful career scoring films. He’s (IMO) the ultimate success story of how to still have a successful, fresh, respected, and lucrative career in the music industry after being around for 30 years (as opposed to turning into a has-been “nostalgia act” like many of his fellow ’90s bands).
What Ted listens to NIN? I thought he listened to 50s music along with his “50s matinee idol looks.” That statement was clearly from Heidi. He looks like a goon from a bad 50s movie.
right??? doesn’t that clash with his conservative Christian base?
Cruz was so hated at Harvard that his freshman roommate got invited to senior parties. That’s how sorry everyone felt for him.
Princeton (he went to Harvard Law after that). His Princeton roommate Craig Mazin is a great follow on twitter, even if you’re not into hating on Ted Cruz.
Yes, I knew it was Princeton..I don’t know why I typed Harvard. Mazin is hilarious!
Am I the only one who is really really disturbed and disgusted at the image of Ted Zodiac Cruz drunkenly singing along to “Closer”?
Reptile, surely?
Isn’t this just like when tha alt-righter Nazi tried to claim Depeche Mode. Or when David Cameron went on about listening to The Jam’s Eton Rifles until Paul Weller told him to STFU.
They all like to try it. Fortunately some artists know better, and aren’t here for that f***ery.
Kinda like Paul Ryan and his thing with Social D.
I love Trent and will forever and always. Ted Cruz needs to go away forever and always.
Did anyone else read the headline and assumed they went to high school or college together and that’s what Trent Reznor was referring to? Never in my wildest imagination would I have pegged Ted Cruz as a NIN fan.
Pretty Hate Machine was my gateway to adolescent angst. I loved that CD (lol) so much!!
I like that Trent is happily married for the last 10 years with four kids! He seemed so tormented for years and came out on the other side. He’s still has his edge and creativity. He’s hot dad bod now.
that pic with him in boots n shorts… YUMMM!.. AXL! this is how ur supposed to age!
Trent is awesome. I love that he’ll always give zero f*cks calling out zeroes like Cruz.