Synopsis

Nine Inch Nails perform "Head Like a Hole" inside a cramped, cage-like stage as harsh lighting, stroboscopic cuts, and surreal imagery turn the performance into a chaotic industrial ritual. Trent Reznor and the band are shown in an increasingly unstable environment, surrounded by magnetic tape and fragmented visual effects. A spinning model head and shots of Reznor being drenched with water add to the video's abrasive, confrontational mood, matching the song's hostility toward greed and control.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video uses the "Head Like a Hole (Clay)" remix rather than the album version. A separate edit was made for Flood's remix and runs approximately 17 seconds shorter.

• It was released in 1990 and later appeared on Nine Inch Nails' 1997 video compilation *Closure*.

• The performance features Trent Reznor, Richard Patrick, Chris Vrenna, and guest drummer Martin Atkins.

• Filming took place at the original Exit nightclub at 1653 North Wells Street in Chicago.

• Reznor plays a Jackson Dinky guitar in the performance.

• The video exists in more than one edit, with differences in the closing cage imagery and other shots.