Robin Finck
Encyclopedia
Robin Finck is an American guitarist of Nine Inch Nails
and former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses
. He is one of only a few artists who has played in two different bands listed on VH1
's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"; Nine Inch Nails (ranked #43) and Guns N' Roses (ranked #9).
and played with several unsigned bands based primarily in the Atlanta
area, including acts such as Prowess, Bat Your Lashes, Sik Dik (bandmates of which included Steve "Holiday" Childress and Michael Allen, currently of The Goodies and Greg Thum), and Impotent Sea Snakes
.
He joined Nine Inch Nails
as part of their touring band in 1994-95 for their Self-Destruct and Further Down the Spiral tours following the departure of previous guitarist Richard Patrick
. Finck appeared with Nine Inch Nails at Woodstock '94
, and saw his first official release with them, the Closure
video, released in 1997. Once the tour was completed, he took a job playing for the circus troupe Cirque du Soleil
in the original tour of Quidam
. In 1997 Finck signed a two-year contract with Guns N' Roses
as the replacement for Slash
(who had quit the band at the end of the previous year) and began work on what was ultimately to become the band's long delayed album Chinese Democracy. When the two years were up the album had not been completed, although the song Oh My God was released on the End of Days soundtrack. Whether or not Finck played on the song is in dispute; GNR vocalist Axl Rose
says he did while Finck himself says he did not.
Finck rejoined Nine Inch Nails as the band embarked on their Fragility v1.0 and Fragility v2.0 tours in support of the 1999 album The Fragile
. These tours were recorded and released as the live album/DVD, And All That Could Have Been
, which marked Finck's second release with them. He also played on a studio-recorded version of The Day The World Went Away
on the companion album Still, which was included with the deluxe version of And All That Could Have Been and later made available as a standalone CD through nin.com. Shortly after the tour ended in 2000 he returned to Guns N' Roses, playing four shows with them in late 2001 followed by a brief tour of Europe and Asia in mid-2002 and a live appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. A planned US tour was meant to continue through the remainder of 2002 but was called off by the promoter after two cancelled shows led to rioting by fans. Around this time Finck and then-bandmate Buckethead
contributed to the soundtrack of the John Carpenter movie Ghosts of Mars
, playing alongside members of thrash metal group Anthrax
and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai
. After his touring obligations with GNR were fulfilled he joined the LedZAriel production (a performance by acrobats set to the music of the band Led Zeppelin
).
Finck was invited to rejoin NIN to tour in support of their 2005 album With Teeth
but chose not to and the position was filled by Aaron North
. In the summer of 2006, he toured Europe with Guns N' Roses playing in front of over 700,000 people. They finished up by touring North America for the remainder of the year, and went to Mexico, Australia and Japan in 2007.
On April 4, 2008, it was announced via nin.com that Finck would be rejoining Nine Inch Nails
as a member of the live band http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robin_Finck_Victoria.jpg. He subsequently contributed to the Nine Inch Nails
album The Slip
, earning a performance credit alongside then-band members Josh Freese
and Alessandro Cortini
.
In November 2008 Guns N' Roses' long awaited album Chinese Democracy
was released. Finck has a co-writing credit on the song "Better", which was later released as a single. He also played guitar on every track, performed 7 of the guitar solos and has additional credits for keyboards, arrangements and pre-production. He chose to remain with NIN after the album's release and, as of March 21, 2009, has been replaced as the lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses by DJ Ashba
. The official Guns N' Roses
website states that "Robin continues to be part of GN'R, by virtue of Guns' history and his involvement in Chinese Democracy".
Following the departure of NIN live band members Alessandro Cortini
and Josh Freese
at the end of 2008 Finck and bassist Justin Meldal-Johnson re-grouped http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Meldal-Johnsen_Victoria,_BC_2008_.jpg with band leader Trent Reznor
and new drummer Ilan Rubin
and the 4-piece band completed an 8-date tour of Australia and New Zealand between February and March 2009. Finck continued to perform with the band throughout the 2009 Nine Inch Nails
/Janes Addiction (NIN|JA) tour, with shows throughout North America http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trent_Reznor_and_Robin_Finck,_Santa_Barbara,_California.jpg, and the subsequent Wave Goodbye tour through Europe and Asia. The band then returned to the US to play a series of shows culminating in the final live appearance of Nine Inch Nails.
In October 2009 Finck and former Guns N' Roses bandmates Axl Rose, Tommy Stinson
and Buckethead were named in a lawsuit by electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss
's record labels Independiente and Domino alleging that they had committed copyright infringement by using portions of his compositions in the song "Riad 'n the Bedouins". Finck appears on the 2010 album The Lady Killer
by artist Cee-Lo Green, performing guitar on the track "The Lady Killer Theme (Outro)".
Bianca Sapetto, by whom he has a daughter. They met while working in Cirque du Soleil
. Besides being a musician he also creates artwork and displays some of his own drawings and photos on his website. In 2007 he contributed artwork in the form of ink drawings to the album Frames
by Oceansize
at the request of their guitarist Gambler. In 2003, Finck was credited as one of the writers of a production called "My Birthday Party", which incorporated acrobatics, storytelling, music, acting, and clowning. The show included actor Viggo Mortensen
and was performed at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica
, California
.
On the 23rd of February 2009 session drummer Josh Freese
, who has been a bandmate of Finck's in both Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails, announced that as part of the pricing strategy for his new solo album Since 1972
a one-off package costing $75,000 would include "a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN" followed by a visit to Robin's place afterwards where "his wife will make you raw lasagna".
Finck is known for his theatrical appearance when performing, making use of makeup, costumes and clothing to enhance his stage presence. He has also been known to break out into eccentric dance moves during songs with various facial expressions. Between tours and appearances he frequently makes radical alterations to his image, and is particularly famous among fans for his many distinctive and often unusual hair styles. Axl Rose
has described him as leading "one of the most different lives I know of starting with the trapeze in his backyard to the tv in his closet"
guitars and uses different versions of the guitar that are built from a variety of woods and equipped with numerous pickup combinations (in 2006 he was photographed at the New York City Gibson Guitar showroom collecting a Custom Les Paul Standard '58 Reissue for use on tour with Guns N' Roses). Many of them have been customized and he often moves the pickup selector switch from the top of the guitar's body, as he has said the standard configuration is obstructive. After re-joining Nine Inch Nails
in 2008 he began using several other guitars on stage, including Jerry Jones baritone guitars (similar in shape to Danelectro
guitars), Fender Jazzmaster
s, Fender Telecasters and Gibson ES-355s.
In 2009 Finck signed with Schecter Guitar Research
as an official endorsee and started using a number of Schecter guitars while touring with NIN, including custom versions of the PT Fastback and Ultra III. He also ordered a custom "Tempest Classic" guitar with gold top finish, an in-built compressor and a wah effect in place of the two tone controls. In late 2009 Schecter issued a press release which announced a limited edition Robin Finck signature guitar based on the Ultra Cure and Ultra III models was entering production. Finck is also listed as a user of Godin guitars on the company's official website and can be seen playing Godin guitars on the Nine Inch Nails live DVD And All That Could Have Been
.
He uses a broad range of guitar amps (various models by Marshall Amplification
and Mesa Boogie
) and effects (including the BOSS
DD-5 Digital Delay, Jim Dunlop wah-wah and RockTron Vodoo Valve) and is known to work very hard to re-create studio tones and textures when playing on stage. He frequently shoves the body of his guitar up against the speakers of his amplifiers during live performances to generate feedback and increased distortion. For some NIN songs he has been known to use an e-bow
, as seen during the clip for "La Mer" on the And All That Could Have Been live DVD.
While his primary role in Guns N' Roses was that of lead guitarist, Finck is credited with playing some of the electronic keyboard
parts on Chinese Democracy
. Similarly, although he performs with Nine Inch Nails mainly as a guitarist he often plays other instruments on stage, including lap steel guitar
(with effects pedals mounted to the body of the instrument), ukulele
, mandolin
and keyboards/synthesizers. He also contributes backing vocals.
Contributions:
Contributions (on Chinese Democracy):
Contributions:
Contributions:
Contributions:
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. He is one of only a few artists who has played in two different bands listed on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"; Nine Inch Nails (ranked #43) and Guns N' Roses (ranked #9).
Career
Finck grew up in Marietta, GeorgiaMarietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
and played with several unsigned bands based primarily in the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
area, including acts such as Prowess, Bat Your Lashes, Sik Dik (bandmates of which included Steve "Holiday" Childress and Michael Allen, currently of The Goodies and Greg Thum), and Impotent Sea Snakes
Impotent Sea Snakes
The Impotent Sea Snakes were an American rock'n'roll band from Atlanta, Georgia known for their sexually explicit lyrics and performances and probably best known for their most high profile, publicized, and prolific touring period which lasted roughly from 1998-2004.The band put out three albums:...
.
He joined Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
as part of their touring band in 1994-95 for their Self-Destruct and Further Down the Spiral tours following the departure of previous guitarist Richard Patrick
Richard Patrick
Richard Patrick is an American rock musician. He is the frontman for the band Filter, a founding member of the supergroup Army of Anyone, and has served as a touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails....
. Finck appeared with Nine Inch Nails at Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
, and saw his first official release with them, the Closure
Closure (Nine Inch Nails VHS)
Closure is a double VHS set by Nine Inch Nails released in 1997. Closure is the 12th official Nine Inch Nails release. It consists of one tape of live concert and behind-the-scenes footage from the Self-Destruct tour and one tape of music videos....
video, released in 1997. Once the tour was completed, he took a job playing for the circus troupe Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
in the original tour of Quidam
Quidam
Quidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
. In 1997 Finck signed a two-year contract with Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
as the replacement for Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
(who had quit the band at the end of the previous year) and began work on what was ultimately to become the band's long delayed album Chinese Democracy. When the two years were up the album had not been completed, although the song Oh My God was released on the End of Days soundtrack. Whether or not Finck played on the song is in dispute; GNR vocalist Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
says he did while Finck himself says he did not.
Finck rejoined Nine Inch Nails as the band embarked on their Fragility v1.0 and Fragility v2.0 tours in support of the 1999 album The Fragile
The Fragile
In terms of narrative, virtually no references are made to the aspects depicted in The Downward Spiral. Like The Downward Spiral, The Fragile is a concept album, but, as a double album, is nearly twice the length of its predecessor. Reznor's vocals, for the most part, are much more melodic and...
. These tours were recorded and released as the live album/DVD, And All That Could Have Been
And All that Could Have Been
And All That Could Have Been is a double album released by Nine Inch Nails in 2002. The live album contains music recorded during the Fragility v2.0 US tour in 2000; Disc 1 is a live album of their normal set list of the time, while disc B contains a studio album titled Still containing...
, which marked Finck's second release with them. He also played on a studio-recorded version of The Day The World Went Away
The Day the World Went Away
"The Day the World Went Away" is a song by Nine Inch Nails, released in 1999 as the first single from the act's then-forthcoming album The Fragile...
on the companion album Still, which was included with the deluxe version of And All That Could Have Been and later made available as a standalone CD through nin.com. Shortly after the tour ended in 2000 he returned to Guns N' Roses, playing four shows with them in late 2001 followed by a brief tour of Europe and Asia in mid-2002 and a live appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. A planned US tour was meant to continue through the remainder of 2002 but was called off by the promoter after two cancelled shows led to rioting by fans. Around this time Finck and then-bandmate Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
contributed to the soundtrack of the John Carpenter movie Ghosts of Mars
Ghosts of Mars
John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is a 2001 American science fiction action horror film composed, written, and directed by John Carpenter. The film stars Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall, and Joanna Cassidy...
, playing alongside members of thrash metal group Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
. After his touring obligations with GNR were fulfilled he joined the LedZAriel production (a performance by acrobats set to the music of the band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
).
Finck was invited to rejoin NIN to tour in support of their 2005 album With Teeth
With Teeth
With Teeth is the fourth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on May 3, 2005, by Interscope Records. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It was Reznor's first original studio album since The...
but chose not to and the position was filled by Aaron North
Aaron North
Aaron Wright North, born March 22, 1979 is the co-founder and former guitarist of punk band The Icarus Line, the former lead guitarist of the industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails and currently the vocalist and guitarist of the band Jubilee...
. In the summer of 2006, he toured Europe with Guns N' Roses playing in front of over 700,000 people. They finished up by touring North America for the remainder of the year, and went to Mexico, Australia and Japan in 2007.
On April 4, 2008, it was announced via nin.com that Finck would be rejoining Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
as a member of the live band http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robin_Finck_Victoria.jpg. He subsequently contributed to the Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
album The Slip
The Slip (album)
The Slip is the seventh studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on July 22, 2008. It was the fourth consecutive Nine Inch Nails release to be produced by frontman Trent Reznor with collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder...
, earning a performance credit alongside then-band members Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
and Alessandro Cortini
Alessandro Cortini
Alessandro Cortini is an Italian musician best known for touring and recording with the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from 2004 to 2008. Currently, Cortini is also the frontman for the Los Angeles based electronic-alternative band SONOIO. In addition, he was a touring member of The...
.
In November 2008 Guns N' Roses' long awaited album Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
was released. Finck has a co-writing credit on the song "Better", which was later released as a single. He also played guitar on every track, performed 7 of the guitar solos and has additional credits for keyboards, arrangements and pre-production. He chose to remain with NIN after the album's release and, as of March 21, 2009, has been replaced as the lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses by DJ Ashba
DJ Ashba
Daren Jay "DJ" Ashba is an American musician, producer, songwriter and CEO of Ashba Media. He is the lead guitarist in Guns N' Roses and Sixx:A.M. He is also known for his work with hard rock bands BulletBoys and Beautiful Creatures...
. The official Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
website states that "Robin continues to be part of GN'R, by virtue of Guns' history and his involvement in Chinese Democracy".
Following the departure of NIN live band members Alessandro Cortini
Alessandro Cortini
Alessandro Cortini is an Italian musician best known for touring and recording with the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from 2004 to 2008. Currently, Cortini is also the frontman for the Los Angeles based electronic-alternative band SONOIO. In addition, he was a touring member of The...
and Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
at the end of 2008 Finck and bassist Justin Meldal-Johnson re-grouped http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Meldal-Johnsen_Victoria,_BC_2008_.jpg with band leader Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
and new drummer Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
and the 4-piece band completed an 8-date tour of Australia and New Zealand between February and March 2009. Finck continued to perform with the band throughout the 2009 Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
/Janes Addiction (NIN|JA) tour, with shows throughout North America http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trent_Reznor_and_Robin_Finck,_Santa_Barbara,_California.jpg, and the subsequent Wave Goodbye tour through Europe and Asia. The band then returned to the US to play a series of shows culminating in the final live appearance of Nine Inch Nails.
In October 2009 Finck and former Guns N' Roses bandmates Axl Rose, Tommy Stinson
Tommy Stinson
Thomas "Tommy" Eugene Stinson is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N' Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect...
and Buckethead were named in a lawsuit by electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss
Ulrich Schnauss
-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
's record labels Independiente and Domino alleging that they had committed copyright infringement by using portions of his compositions in the song "Riad 'n the Bedouins". Finck appears on the 2010 album The Lady Killer
The Lady Killer (album)
The Lady Killer is the third studio album by American recording artist Cee Lo Green, released November 5, 2010, on Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T...
by artist Cee-Lo Green, performing guitar on the track "The Lady Killer Theme (Outro)".
Personal life
Since 2001, Finck has been married to acrobatAcrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
Bianca Sapetto, by whom he has a daughter. They met while working in Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
. Besides being a musician he also creates artwork and displays some of his own drawings and photos on his website. In 2007 he contributed artwork in the form of ink drawings to the album Frames
Frames (album)
Frames is the third studio album by British alternative rock band Oceansize, released on October 1, 2007 on Superball Music. The album marks the first appearance of bassist Steven Hodson, following the departure of Jon Ellis in 2005....
by Oceansize
Oceansize
Oceansize were a British rock band, formed in Manchester, England on 19th October 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart , Steve Durose , Richard "Gambler" Ingram , Mark Heron and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass in 2006...
at the request of their guitarist Gambler. In 2003, Finck was credited as one of the writers of a production called "My Birthday Party", which incorporated acrobatics, storytelling, music, acting, and clowning. The show included actor Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
and was performed at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
On the 23rd of February 2009 session drummer Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
, who has been a bandmate of Finck's in both Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails, announced that as part of the pricing strategy for his new solo album Since 1972
Since 1972
-Personnel:*Josh Freese - all instruments and vocals Additional musicians*Warren Fitzgerald - guitar solo on "Blood On Your Knuckles"*Jason Freese - saxophone solo on "It's Fucked Up"...
a one-off package costing $75,000 would include "a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN" followed by a visit to Robin's place afterwards where "his wife will make you raw lasagna".
Finck is known for his theatrical appearance when performing, making use of makeup, costumes and clothing to enhance his stage presence. He has also been known to break out into eccentric dance moves during songs with various facial expressions. Between tours and appearances he frequently makes radical alterations to his image, and is particularly famous among fans for his many distinctive and often unusual hair styles. Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
has described him as leading "one of the most different lives I know of starting with the trapeze in his backyard to the tv in his closet"
Equipment
Finck is closely associated with Gibson Les PaulGibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
guitars and uses different versions of the guitar that are built from a variety of woods and equipped with numerous pickup combinations (in 2006 he was photographed at the New York City Gibson Guitar showroom collecting a Custom Les Paul Standard '58 Reissue for use on tour with Guns N' Roses). Many of them have been customized and he often moves the pickup selector switch from the top of the guitar's body, as he has said the standard configuration is obstructive. After re-joining Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
in 2008 he began using several other guitars on stage, including Jerry Jones baritone guitars (similar in shape to Danelectro
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
guitars), Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
s, Fender Telecasters and Gibson ES-355s.
In 2009 Finck signed with Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known as simply as Schecter, is a US guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1976 by David Schecter and originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson...
as an official endorsee and started using a number of Schecter guitars while touring with NIN, including custom versions of the PT Fastback and Ultra III. He also ordered a custom "Tempest Classic" guitar with gold top finish, an in-built compressor and a wah effect in place of the two tone controls. In late 2009 Schecter issued a press release which announced a limited edition Robin Finck signature guitar based on the Ultra Cure and Ultra III models was entering production. Finck is also listed as a user of Godin guitars on the company's official website and can be seen playing Godin guitars on the Nine Inch Nails live DVD And All That Could Have Been
And All that Could Have Been
And All That Could Have Been is a double album released by Nine Inch Nails in 2002. The live album contains music recorded during the Fragility v2.0 US tour in 2000; Disc 1 is a live album of their normal set list of the time, while disc B contains a studio album titled Still containing...
.
He uses a broad range of guitar amps (various models by Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
and Mesa Boogie
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
) and effects (including the BOSS
Boss Corporation
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-5 Digital Delay, Jim Dunlop wah-wah and RockTron Vodoo Valve) and is known to work very hard to re-create studio tones and textures when playing on stage. He frequently shoves the body of his guitar up against the speakers of his amplifiers during live performances to generate feedback and increased distortion. For some NIN songs he has been known to use an e-bow
E-Bow
The EBow or ebow is a hand-held, battery-powered electronic device for playing the electric guitar, invented by Greg Heet in 1969...
, as seen during the clip for "La Mer" on the And All That Could Have Been live DVD.
While his primary role in Guns N' Roses was that of lead guitarist, Finck is credited with playing some of the electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
parts on Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
. Similarly, although he performs with Nine Inch Nails mainly as a guitarist he often plays other instruments on stage, including lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
(with effects pedals mounted to the body of the instrument), ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and keyboards/synthesizers. He also contributes backing vocals.
With Nine Inch Nails
| Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Closer to God Closer to God "Closer" is a song written by Trent Reznor and featured on the 1994 Nine Inch Nails album The Downward Spiral. In mid-1994, the song was released as the second single from the album. Most versions of the single are titled "Closer to God", a rare example in music of a single's title differing from... |
1994 | Nothing Records Nothing Records Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992... |
| Further Down the Spiral Further Down the Spiral Further Down the Spiral is a remix album by Nine Inch Nails, and was released on June 1, 1995. It is the tenth official Nine Inch Nails release and is the companion remix disc to The Downward Spiral... |
1995 | Nothing Records Nothing Records Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992... |
| And All That Could Have Been And All that Could Have Been And All That Could Have Been is a double album released by Nine Inch Nails in 2002. The live album contains music recorded during the Fragility v2.0 US tour in 2000; Disc 1 is a live album of their normal set list of the time, while disc B contains a studio album titled Still containing... |
2002 | Nothing Records Nothing Records Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992... |
| The Downward Spiral The Downward Spiral The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released March 8, 1994, on Interscope Records. It is a concept album detailing the destruction of a man, from the beginning of his "downward spiral" to his climactic attempt at suicide... (Deluxe Edition) |
2004 | Nothing Records Nothing Records Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992... |
| The Slip The Slip (album) The Slip is the seventh studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on July 22, 2008. It was the fourth consecutive Nine Inch Nails release to be produced by frontman Trent Reznor with collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder... |
2008 | The Null Corporation The Null Corporation The Null Corporation is an independent record label which releases the work of Nine Inch Nails and How to Destroy Angels. The Nine Inch Nails albums, Ghosts I–IV and The Slip, have been released in physical formats under the Null Corporation imprint... |
Contributions:
- Closer To God - "Memorabilia" (Soft CellSoft CellSoft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
cover) - Further Down the Spiral - Remixes
- And All That Could Have Been - Live Performances
- Still - "The Day The World Went Away"
- The Downward Spiral - "Hurt" Live
- The Slip - Performance
With Guns N' Roses
| Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Democracy | 2008 | Geffen Records Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... |
Contributions (on Chinese Democracy):
- Lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
on all tracks - Guitar solos on "Chinese DemocracyChinese Democracy (song)"Chinese Democracy" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the title track from their sixth studio album of the same name. The song was released as the band's twenty-first radio single on October 22, 2008 and was released on the iTunes Store on November 9, 2008...
", "BetterBetter (Guns N' Roses song)"Better" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their 2008 sixth studio album Chinese Democracy. It was released as the second single from the album, after "Chinese Democracy", on November 17, 2008.-Background:...
", "Street of Dreams", "There Was a Time", "Catcher in the Rye", "I.R.S." and "This I Love" - Acoustic guitar on "Sorry"
- Keyboards on "Better" and "If the World"
- Co-writer, arrangements, drum arrangement, digital editing and initial production on "Better"
Miscellaneous
| Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Ghosts of Mars (Film Soundtrack) | 2001 | Varese Sarabande |
Contributions:
- 02. Love Siege
- 03. Fight Train
- 07. Power Station
- 12. Ghost Poppin'
| Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Frames Frames (album) Frames is the third studio album by British alternative rock band Oceansize, released on October 1, 2007 on Superball Music. The album marks the first appearance of bassist Steven Hodson, following the departure of Jon Ellis in 2005.... by Oceansize Oceansize Oceansize were a British rock band, formed in Manchester, England on 19th October 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart , Steve Durose , Richard "Gambler" Ingram , Mark Heron and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass in 2006... |
2007 | Superball Music |
Contributions:
- Album artwork - ink drawings
| Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| The Lady Killer The Lady Killer (album) The Lady Killer is the third studio album by American recording artist Cee Lo Green, released November 5, 2010, on Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T... by Cee-Lo Green |
2010 | Elektra Records Elektra Records Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009.... / Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:... |
Contributions:
- 14. The Lady Killer Theme (Outro)