Last night I saw Nine Inch Nails as they were meant to be seen: in a premier live music venue, not in a shitty arena in the last throes of death.

It was at the Brixton Academy, considered one of the best live music venues in London, that my brother, my wife and I saw them last night. Five years ago we saw them at the soon-to-be-defunct Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, and it just wasn’t the same experience. There’s something about standing on the floor, shrouded in smoke, plastic cups banging into the backs of your feet as they drift drunkenly down the sloped floor, sweat dripping down your back and fully running down your forehead, the cheap beer from the pub round the corner weighing heavy on your bladder…it was just a completely different feeling.

And the venue itself is amazing. Great sightlines (even for short people like Nellie), great sound, beautifully decorated inside…just light years ahead of the rickety seats and neck-cricking discomfort of MLG five years ago.

The show itself: awesome. As good as five years ago, maybe better. Incredible energy. Trent doesn’t beat the shit out of his band like he used to, and it’s a good thing: the man is ripped now. The guitarist threw some shit around, but that was about it. The light show was pummelling, but at the same time threw some very cool shadows up on the walls (at the end of “With Teeth” it looked like Trent was beating himself on the head with a tambourine). All five of us enjoyed it. It was a great way to finish off the vacation.