List of Nine Inch Nails Band Members - Former Live Members

Former Live Members

Chris Vrenna

Active: 1988–1991, 1994–1997

Instruments: keyboards, samplers (1988), drums

Live-release contributions: Closure (1997)

Studio-release contributions: Pretty Hate Machine (1989), Broken (1992), Fixed (1992), The Downward Spiral (1994)

Alongside Trent Reznor and Ron Musarra, Chris Vrenna was a member of the original three-piece band formed in 1988 to support Skinny Puppy on tour. After Nine Inch Nails was dismissed from the tour, Vrenna replaced Musarra on drums, and subsequently played with the band until 1991, when he had a brief fall out with Reznor. Vrenna and Reznor later reconciled, and Vrenna rejoined the band in 1994 for the Self-Destruct tour. The pair had a final falling out in 1997.

Ron Musarra

Active: 1988

Instruments: drums, samplers

Release contributions: none

Ron Musarra was the drummer of the 1980s band Slam Bamboo, which Trent Reznor was also the keyboardist of. After leaving the band, Reznor and Musarra — along with Chris Vrenna — were members of the original three-piece band formed in 1988 to support Skinny Puppy on tour. Nine Inch Nails were reportedly poorly received, however, and were asked to leave the tour after 10 dates. For subsequent live performances and tours, Chris Vrenna, originally contributing on keyboards, replaced Musarra on drums. Musarra was thanked in the liner notes of Pretty Hate Machine.

Richard Patrick

Active: 1989–1993, 1996 (one performance)

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

Following the live-band's first performances in support of Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails was asked to provide support for Jesus and Mary Chain on their Automatic tour in early 1990. Expanding from a three-piece to a four-piece band, Richard Patrick was added on guitar. Patrick played with the band through the conclusion of the Pretty Hate Machine tour in 1991, including a performance at Lollapalooza. After touring briefly in support of Guns N' Roses, Patrick left the live-band to form Filter. Patrick was briefly reunited with Nine Inch Nails in 1996 during the Nights of Nothing showcase tour, as he contributed guitar to a performance of "Head Like a Hole" during Nine Inch Nails' set on the last of three dates.

Gary Talpas

Active: 1989

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: none

Gary Talpas briefly replaced Chris Vrenna on keyboards, so that Vrenna can move to drums. He was only present during the Pretty Hate Machine promotional tour. Its unknown whether he was actually playing; however, Talpas was NIN's art director for a number of years, including creating the widely-known NIN logo.

Nick Rushe

Active: 1989-1990

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: none

Following the live-band's first performances in support of Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails was asked to provide support for Jesus and Mary Chain on their Automatic tour in early 1990. Nick Rushe was added to the live-band on keyboards, since Gary Talpas wasn't meant to be an on-stage member. Rushe was only part of the live-band for the Automatic tour, some 34 performances over three months, and was later replaced by David Haymes for subsequent tour in support of Peter Murphy.

David Haymes

Active: 1990

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: none

Following Nine Inch Nails' tour in support of Jesus and Mary Chain in 1990, the live-band again toured in support of Peter Murphy on the Deep tour. David Haymes took over keyboards and played with NIN briefly before being replaced by Lee Mars.

Lee Mars

Active: 1990–1991

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: none

Lee Mars contributed briefly to the live-band as their keyboardist, replacing David Haymes. He stayed with the band until 1991 when James Woolley was brought in. Mars performed with Nine Inch Nails for less than a year, but in that time played with the band during their first tours as headlining act.

James Woolley

Active: 1991–1994

Instruments: synthesizers

Release contributions: Closure (1997)

James Woolley replaced Lee Mars on keyboards in 1991. Woolley's tenure with the band included their 1991 Lollapalooza performance through the beginning of the subsequent Self-Destruct tour in 1994.

Jeff Ward

Active: 1991

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

Jeff Ward briefly replaced Chris Vrenna as drummer for Nine Inch Nails when Vrenna left the band mid-tour due to a fall out with Reznor. Ward's brief tenure with the band included their 1991 Lollapalooza performance and as a supporting act on tour with Guns N' Roses. Between tours, Ward committed suicide in 1993, and Vrenna returned to the band taking Ward's place.

Robin Finck

Active: 1994–2000, 2008–2009

Instruments: guitar, synthesizers, vocals

Live-release contributions: Closure (1997), And All That Could Have Been (2002), Another Version of the Truth (2009)

Studio-release contributions: "Discipline" (2008), The Slip (2008)

Robin Finck replaced Richard Patrick, the live band's original guitarist, for the Self-Destruct tour in 1994. Between tours, Finck performed briefly with Cirque du Soleil and then with Guns N' Roses. Following a four-year touring hiatus, the Nine Inch Nails live-band reformed in 1999 for the Fragility tour, again featuring Finck contributing on guitar. At the conclusion of the Fragility tour in 2000, Finck returned to Guns N' Roses, and was replaced by Aaron North for Live: With Teeth in 2005. There are various reports that suggest there was anamosity between Finck and Reznor during the Fragility tours, which may have led to Finck declining the invite to the following tours. In 2008, Finck rejoined Nine Inch Nails, playing on The Slip and joining the live band for the Lights in the Sky tour and the following Wave Goodbye tour. Finck has contributed on the most tours of all the past live members, playing for the Self Destruct, Fragility, Lights In The Sky and Wave Goodbye tours.

Danny Lohner

Active: 1994–2000, 2009

Instruments: bass guitar, guitar, and synthesizers

Live-release contributions: Closure (1997), And All That Could Have Been (2002)

Studio-release contributions: The Downward Spiral (1994), The Fragile (1999), Things Falling Apart (2000)

For the Self-Destruct tour in 1994, the Nine Inch Nails live-band was expanded into a five-piece band, adding Danny Lohner on bass guitar. Lohner played with the live-band through the Self-Destruct tour in 1994 and 1995 and the Fragility tour in 1999 and 2000. During his tenure with the band, Lohner contributed to a number of releases, including studio-albums The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999) Lohner was also a founding-member of the Nine Inch Nails side-project Tapeworm.

Charlie Clouser

Active: 1994–2000

Instruments: keyboards, synthesizers, theremin, occasional drums

Live-release contributions: Closure (1997), And All That Could Have Been (2002)

Studio-release contributions: The Downward Spiral (1994), Further Down the Spiral (1995), "The Perfect Drug", "The Day the World Went Away" (1999), The Fragile (1999), "Into the Void" (1999), "Starfuckers, Inc." (1999), Things Falling Apart (2000)

Charlie Clouser joined the Nine Inch Nails live-band in late 1994, replacing James Woolley on keyboards midway though the Self-Destruct tour. Clouser played with the live band through the remainder of the Self-Destruct tour, and the subsequent Fragility tour in 1999 and 2000. While a member of the live-band, Clouser contributed to numerous studio-releases, including The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999). Clouser was also a founding-member of the Nine Inch Nails side-project Tapeworm.

Jerome Dillon

Active: 1999–2005

Instruments: drums, guitar

Live-release contributions: And All That Could Have Been (2002), Beside You in Time (2007) (Live rehearsal footage)

Studio-release contributions: The Fragile (1999), Things Falling Apart (2000), Still (2002), With Teeth (2005)

To replace long-time member Chris Vrenna for the Fragility Tour in 1999, Reznor held open auditions to find a new drummer, eventually picking then-unknown Jerome Dillon. Dillon performed with the live band through the entirety of the Fragility tour, and was again featured in the band in 2005 at the start of the Live: With Teeth tour. However, during the band's first arena date, Dillon was forced to stop midway through a show and was subsequently hospitalized. His condition was later diagnosed as a non-life threatening cardiac disorder, a consequence of his thyroid medication. Dillon was initially replaced by Josh Freese, then Alex Carapetis, followed by Freese again on a more permanent basis. During Dillon's tenure, he contributed to several Nine Inch Nails releases, including studio albums The Fragile (1999), Still (2002) and With Teeth (2005), and live-releases And All That Could Have Been (2002) and Beside You In Time (2007); the latter of which was released after his split with the band.

Jeordie White

Active: 2005–2007

Instruments: bass guitar, guitar, and synthesizers

Release contributions: Beside You In Time (2007)

Prior to the Live: With Teeth tour in 2005, Reznor held open auditions to replace live-band members who had left the group during the five years between tours. Jeordie White was auditioned and chose to replace Danny Lohner on bass guitar. White played with the group through the Live: With Teeth tour and the following Performance 2007 tour. Before joining Nine Inch Nails, White had been a part of Marilyn Manson (then playing under the pseudonym of "Twiggy Ramirez") while they acted as supporting band for Nine Inch Nails during the Self-Destruct tour in 1994.

Aaron North

Active: 2005–2007

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: Beside You In Time (2007)

Prior to the Live: With Teeth tour in 2005, Reznor held open auditions to replace live-band members who had left the group during the five years between tours. Reznor reportedly had trouble finding a guitarist to replace Robin Finck until auditioning Aaron North. North played with the group through the Live: With Teeth and the following Performance 2007 tour.

Josh Freese

Active: 2005, 2005–2008

Instruments: drums

Live-release contributions: Beside You in Time (2007), Another Version of the Truth (2009)

Studio-release contributions: Year Zero (2007), "Capital G" (2007), The Slip (2008)

During the Live: With Teeth tour, drummer Jerome Dillon was forced to stop midway through a show and was subsequently hospitalized. Josh Freese initially replaced Dillon for two shows before Alex Carapetis joined the band for the remainder of the arena tour. Freese eventually replaced Carapetis and joined the band on a more permanent basis. Freese played with the band through the remainder of the Live: With Teeth tour, the following Performance 2007 tour, and the subsequent Lights in the Sky tour. Between tours, Freese contributed instrumental performances to a number of Nine Inch Nails studio-releases, including Year Zero (2007) and The Slip (2008). Before joining Nine Inch Nails, Freese had been a part of A Perfect Circle while they acted as the supporting act for Nine Inch Nails during the Fragility 2.0 tour in 2000. He announced his departure from the band in late 2008 and was replaced by Ilan Rubin.

Alex Carapetis

Active: 2005

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

During the Live: With Teeth tour, Jerome Dillon was forced to stop midway through a show and was subsequently hospitalized. Josh Freese initially replaced Dillon on drums for two shows before Alex Carapetis joined the band for the remainder of the arena tour. Freese eventually replaced Carapetis and joined the band on a more permanent basis.

Rich Fownes

Active: 2008

Instruments: bass guitar

Release contributions: none

The Nine Inch Nails official website originally announced in 2008 that Rich Fownes would be joining the live-band for the Lights in the Sky tour on bass guitar. Before any scheduled performances, however, it was revealed that Justin Meldal-Johnsen would instead be contributing on bass guitar. The circumstances of the replacement were not made public.

Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Active: 2008–2009

Instruments: bass guitar

Release contributions: The Slip (2009) (Live rehearsal footage on the DVD of the CD/DVD release), Another Version of the Truth (2009)

Prior to the Lights in the Sky tour, it was originally announced that Rich Fownes would be joining the live-band on bass guitar. However, before any scheduled performances it was revealed that Justin Meldal-Johnsen would instead be contributing on bass guitar.

• Alessandro Cortini in 2007 playing with Nine Inch Nails

• Jerome Dillon in 2005

• Finck in 2006 playing with Guns N' Roses

• Rich Fownes in 2005 playing with The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster

• Josh Freese in 2008

• Meldal-Johnsen in 2007 playing with Beck

• Aaron North in 2007 playing with Nine Inch Nails

• Richard Patrick in 2006 playing with Army of Anyone

• Rubin playing with Lostprophets

• Jeordie White