Now he's cleaned up his act, and getting set to tour new NIN album Hesitation Marks, he appreciated Bowie's lesson all the more. Reznor tells the Guardian: "When we toured with Bowie, this was the Bowie that had come out the other side and was happily married. I was nearing the peak of my addiction, and his role to me was kind of mentor, big brother, friend � and also he'd give me kind of shamanish advice.

"He was playing everything from his Outside album and he said: 'You guys are going to destroy us on stage because we're not playing anything anybody wants to hear. Nobody really wants to hear this new album. What they want to hear is The Jean Genie and all the hits � but I don't have it in me to do that now.'