The intensity of Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor is so strong you can really feel it radiate through a gigantic stadium, and that is a gift. This intensity even poked through an awe-inspiring and strange electrical curtain used through much of the show.

Reznor has composed – and I use this word on purpose instead of written – essentially classical and terror-laden songs of pain and beauty. Listen to Downward Spiral and notice the leitmotiv that Closer carries. Go back to Pretty Hate Machine, one of the best albums ever as far as I am concerned, and feel what the songs convey. Pretty Hate Machine came out in 1989 and has absolutely maintained its relevancy and importance – as has Nine Inch Nails. If, for whatever silly reason, you stopped listening after the debut you've missed a lot.

The vocals were the clearest I have ever heard at a concert. You could hear every word no matter how loud the instruments were. Reznor's delivery was aggressive and brutal – at other times a whisper – and he managed to get every single line across with his body as well. Several times he stood with his arms outstretched and also raced across the large stage with a bold energy. I remember watching him walk from the back of the stage to the microphone as Closer began, then drop to his knees, then begin singing the opening line while pulling himself up by the microphone. This seemed so intricate and yet so simple – but the opening lyric is You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you and his emphasis in the lyric I want to fuck you like an animal was so strenuous.

Other standouts of the 2 hour set for me were The Warning,The Beginning of the End and The Good Soldiers, tracks from 2007's Year Zero as well as With Teeth's Only and The Hand That Feeds. March of the Pigs from Downward Spiral was appropriately violent – as was Wish from Broken, and Head Like a Hole and Terrible Lie off Pretty Hate Machine were superb. They changed the beat somehow in Head Like a Hole, or maybe it just sounded different so loud, but Josh Freese's drumming was really amazing. Nearly everybody sang along with Hurt – and that is something to hear. I enjoyed hearing men yelling for Trent throughout the show. The material off The Slip starting off the show, 999,999,1,000,000,Letting You and Discipline confirm there's still greatness on its way.

The stage itself used what appeared to be chains or glass rods (I am not sure how they did this) that showed changing scenes – my favorite was a beautiful bamboo garden during the Ghosts and Piggy section. I also liked the warped live video footage of Reznor singing. He's backed himself up with an elegant group of musicians, including Alessandro Cortini on synth, Josh Freese on drums,Ima Robot's Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass and the return of Robin Finck on guitar. They were all compelling – that's rare.

With a triple bill of Monsters Are Waiting, Stellastarr*, and Editors I needed to stake my place early right in front of the stage to get pictures. The show was sold out and I didn’t feel like the audience would have let me back up to the front if I had left for one moment, so in total I stood about three and a half hours. Festival-goers can snicker at what appears to be my lack of fortitude. And it was scorching in Chop Suey (don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely venue), leading to a mammoth thirst on my part. Those are the only down sides from the show. Well there is one other to come up later. Not one of these issues was the fault of the bands, who were all just brilliant.

After listening to Monsters Are Waiting I was curious to see them live. Their music has such a vim and drive to it I wondered if they would duplicate it live. In fact, the four-piece, often called sexy - well they are that - played marvelously together and charmed with tender and sensual vocals from Annalee, slinky bass playing and sparkling guitar playing by Andrew and Jonathan respectively, and drummer Eric’s responsive drumming (They seem to prefer being known by first names only.) Songs like Fascination and Ha Ha were particularly groovy live, and their set closer, the lusty Christine saw the band go quite mental - in the best way possible. I am in awe of bassist Andrew’s ability to play guitar, after he and Jonathan switched places, while nearly stretched out on the floor.

Meanwhile it got hotter and the woman next to me still wore a sweater - a sweater I ask you! When Stellastarr* came on I was really starting to hurt for water but was stubborn and I kept my place even when another photographer burst his way in and out of the crowd with impunity. For some reason crew from backstage periodically came out and mopped up water on the stage floor.

I’ve admired Stellastarr* since I saw them open for the Raveonettes in 2003. There’s something loveable about them and the other two bands of the evening and I just can’t place my finger on what it is. Perhaps it’s singer/guitarist’s Shawn Christensen’s tortured and disturbing presence, or Michael Jurin’s culinary guitar work, or the centered drumming by Arthur Kremer. Or it might be the bass playing, some of the most sophisticated bass playing you will ever hear, coming from the seriously foxy Amanda Tannen. It’s probably all these things. And each time I have seen Christensen I feel like he must fall apart every night. He seemed to break down in earnest. This was good stuff and made me flinch. After they finished the classic My Coco - a guy yelled, ‘Again!’. This got a smile from Tannen, who really seemed to play joyfully.

Editors headlined and even though I had been listening to their cd and really loving it I was a bit concerned about the hype around the band. By that point, after seeing shows by bands who would more than capably headline, I had decided they needed to be something special for me to stay in the front through their entire set. I was not disappointed - only more than a bit thirsty, which was when I realized that a pipe above the stage was leaking, and that was where the mystery water came from. It was slightly distracting let alone quite dangerous around the plugged in equipment. I was tempted several times to jump on stage to get some of the water. Guitarist Chris Urbanowicz’s (joking and very funny) comments such as ‘Don’t panic’ and ‘I’m going on’ were very apt.

At one point singer Tom Smith knocked out the speakers leaping around the stage - I had never seen this happen at Chop Suey before and I enjoyed the danger. Smith, trapped like an animal, seemed to want to climb the walls.

They are a beautiful band and I fell in love them from the start of their set. Songs such as Blood and All Sparks are pure wonders. I was deeply touched by Camera, and Fingers in the Factories was aggressive and salty. Several audience members were already familiar with the songs and that gave me hope that important music has made it. Smith’s resonant vocals recall more of Jim Morrison rather than Paul Banks. Ed Lay’s drumming stunned me. And Russell Leetch’s bass and Urbanowicz’s guitar playing joined in perfect sounds and grace.