BY RYAN LITTLE

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

You may not know the name Justin Meldal-Johnsen, but you're probably familiar with his work.

He's played bass on several Beck albums, recorded with everyone from Tori Amos to The Mars Volta, and toured with big names like Gnarls Barkley. He even co-wrote a few tracks with Macy Gray.

Last May, Meldal-Johnsen got a phone call he didn't expect, inviting him to meet with Trent Reznor, the creative force behind industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.

In light of his previous work, this might seem like a stretch. But for Meldal-Johnsen, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, he said in a recent phone interview.

"After meeting [Reznor] and finding out what his plans are for this tour and what his notions are for the future of the band, it was just completely like, 'I have to do this, I have to make the audition.' The next day I had the audition and I made it."

Shortly after accepting his new role, Meldal-Johnsen began furiously practicing the entire Nine Inch Nails catalog, adding about 70 songs to his arsenal. It was a daunting task, but Meldal-Johnsen enjoyed the challenge.

"I like rehearsals to be purposeful," he said. "I like to be there for 10 hours and stay there until my fingers fall off."

In fact, Reznor and company share the same work ethic. Despite all the images that might come to mind about the infamously dark frontman, Reznor is now sober and sharply focused on his work.

Meldal-Johnsen admitted, "My whole mental image of Nine Inch Nails was the dressing room destroyed, drugs on the table, whiskey, girls in bondage gear, the whole cliche. Turns out, none of that is in place. Everyone's a grown man, everyone is in their 30s, or slightly beyond in Trent's case, and we're here to do a job."

Whatever typical rock-star hedonism may have happened in NIN's past, the demands of the band's stage show have trumped it. The band performs next Wednesday at Charlottesville's John Paul Jones Arena.