Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age had one of the most coveted Grammy performance slots. Immediately after the unveiling of album of the year, the Grammys were set to end on a grand finale that celebrated all things rock. Instead, moments after Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails took the stage, the Grammys and CBS cued up the credits.
“Music’s biggest night ... to be disrespected,” Reznor tweeted shortly after the show. The rest of the tweet isn’t safe to print for a family newspaper (or its website). Reznor, we can assume, didn’t take too kindly to being used as walk-out music.
The NIN performance has been hyped for days as the one that will close the ceremony. ‘This is how we rock ‘n’ roll,” shouted Grammy host LL Cool J to introduce the all-star rock pairing.
Cameras turned to reveal Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and NIN’s confrontational, fence-like lighting, and thus began a more guitar-enhanced rendition of Copy of A. The stage setup ultimately opened up to reveal Dave Grohl and Queens of the Stone Age.
Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails was able to perform its throbbing Copy of A, although during Queens of the Stone Age’s performance it became clear that this was going to be used as outro music. Nearing the end of My God is the Sun, credits began to roll, an airline commercial flashed and the network cut to a promo.
Rock ‘n’ roll couldn’t get much respect when it came to the actual awards, either. French electronic duo Daft Punk took album of the year for its Random Access Memories, and the act was also awarded record of the year for its Get Lucky. Song of the year went to Lorde’s Royals, and best new artist went to Seattle hip-hop due Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
Dig deep into the rock categories and things don’t get much better. Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day, the live album documenting the surviving members’ 2007 reunion in London, took the rock album prize. In fact, much of the category looked like it was the 1970s all over again, with Black Sabbath, David Bowie and Neil Young & Crazy Horse among the nominees.
Reznor has generally viewed the Grammys with distaste. There’s a relatively famous quote often connected to Reznor that the Grammys make him “hate” music. The line is often attributed to the NIN’s’ official website.
A Grammy spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment on Sunday night.
But as far as Grammy drama goes, this is relatively light. Sunday’s Grammys came with some potent social commentary, first from Lorde and her class-conscious cut Royals and later from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Thirty-three couples, gay and straight, were wed during the performance, which also featured Madonna and an officiating Queen Latifah.
