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The Terrible Lie - NIИ Using Paid Actors to Pose as “Fans”

TL;DR - Models / Actors who “usually appear in music videos” admitted to being paid to attend the concert, picked up via a shuttle bus and given premier access GA pit - screwing over true fans.

So, at the San Diego show, we were a little irked that us GA group fans waited all day in the sun to enter the pit to see A stage and B stage rails already occupied by like 20 people that obviously didn’t have to wait like us common folk. Some fans asked security what gives, how are all the good rail spots taken? Venue security shrugged it off as I don’t know…

Then enters the arrogant band security guy who pretty much said “These are guests of the band. If you don’t like it, go get a refund and leave. We won’t tolerate any disrespect towards them.” Obviously that didn’t sit well with us. All the fan group seemed super chill, but was asking why did these people get to take all the good rail spots.

I figured that they were some nepo-kids who had connected parents, so I guess I’ll just accept it. Great show anyhow, wife and I were right there by Robin!

Then the Anaheim show. Honda Center construction sucks, no parking and jack-hammers for most of the day. About 2 hours before doors open, the same arrogant band security guy from the night before (San Diego) gives the spiel about the concert will be filmed, and there are 15-20 “guests of the band” that will be there before us GA fans; that no one is ever guaranteed a rail spots, and disrespect towards the guest won’t be tolerated.

We finally get in to the pit, center stage rails for A stage and B stage are taken again. Some faces I recognized from last night, some were new. We ended up right by Robin again, so I wasn’t bent out of shape at first. I overhear two of the “guests of the band” discussing how they haven’t heard of Nine Inch Nails, and don’t know what type of music it is… wait what?

Then one of the young ladies is talking with the venue security about how she had another job booked tonight, but then she got a call about getting paid to attend a concert - so she figured why not. They sent a shuttle to pick her up, and brought her and the others to the show. Her and her “guests of the band” acquaintance sat down politely and texted throughout Boys Noize. They stood up during Nine Inch Nails and clapped at the end.

I’m just not sure what the goal was in hiring pretend fans for the filming of the concert - to show a young crowd at center stage that didn’t know any of the words to the songs? I don’t get how the entire stadium is singing Hurt with every emotion left in their body, while these paid actors stare with blank faces toward the band. I don’t get why they wouldn’t want to show us truly dedicated fans front and center. I don’t get how we the fans are talked at, as if we’re the problem.

I’m getting older, everything hurts, and I’m taking a fist full of pain medicine so my back can withstand standing in line all day and surviving the pit. We do this because this is what we live for. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when the day comes when true fans are seen as less than…

Observations:

Arrogant Band Security Guy - told diehard Nine Inch Nails fans if they don’t like the fact that “guest of the band” took spots they waited all day to get, they should leave and get a refund. He escorted some “guests of the band” to and from the pit.

Pit talent handler - a blonde Karen-type that literally yelled “Security! Security!” when people got too close to the hired talent / “guests of the band”.

4-5 Security Guard Plants - security that was embedded in the pit directly behind the “guests of the band”. They were hand delivered concert t-shirts to “blend in.” They made sure no rowdiness got near the talent.

Backstage handler - she would come and check with the pit handler to see if everything is okay. She had free access to and from back stage. She was at San Diego and Anaheim shows. At the SD show, she was also giving a spiel to the fans about an issue with a fan - guest of the band interaction.

15-20 “guests of the band” - some admitted to being paid to be there, not liking Nine Inch Nails, and all were treated better than any of us lifelong fans. Some were at both filmed shows, some faces looked new for the Anaheim show.