Nialler9 and The Big Romance present Listen Closely, a monthly listening party focusing on one album we love, on the last Wednesday of every month.
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)
Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 second album is a concept record about one man’s collapse: through addiction, violence, faith, suicide. Recorded in the Beverly Hills house where the Manson murders happened, the result is an industrial rock classic , a beautiful and brutal descent into self-loathing filtered through abrasive noise, EBM-inspired synth-punk and pop chaos.
Join Nialler9 and guest Dave Hanratty (No Encore) for a discussion about this modern classic record and a playback of the album on vinyl through The Big Romance’s high-quality Toby Hatchett soundsystem. We also chat about the artist’s discography, the album’s context, craft, production, lyrics and why the album matters for a live Nialler9 Podcast episode.
Tickets are limited to 45 people for this intimate event.
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Doors: 7:00pm. Arrive early for seats.
Album playback and chat from 7.45pm
Previous albums covered at Listen Closely parties:
- Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)
- Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (1993)
- Alanis Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)
- Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People (2002)
- Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (2008)
- Rosalía – LUX (2025)
- DJ Shadow – Endtroducing (1996)
- Massive Attack – Mezzanine (1998)
- Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (2004)
- Outkast – Stankonia (2000)
- My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz (2009)
- Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
- The Prodigy – Music For The Jilted Generation (1994)
- LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver (2007)
- Kendrick Lamar – good kid M.a.a.d. city (2012)
- J DIlla – Donuts (2006)
- Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation Of (1998)
- The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2001)
- Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever ago (2007)
- The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
- Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (2022)
- Boards Of Canada – Music Has The Right To Children (1998)
- Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear (2015)
- Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)
- Fiona Apple – Tidal (1996)
- Portishead – Dummy (1994)
- Laurie Anderson – Big Science (1982)
- Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)
- Sufjan Stevens – Illinois (2005)
- Four Tet – Rounds (2003)
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
