PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Tonight’s show was the last night on the UK leg of the current Rammstein European tour. I’d been hearing great reports from friends who’d been to earlier dates on the tour so was definitely looking forward to seeing them. Getting to photograph them just made a gig I was looking forward to feel even more exciting.
Shortly before Rammstein were due on stage we were escorted into the arena and left to wait in a holding area to await Rammsteins entrance. The house lights went down and an eerie warning siren started as a huge metal bridge started to lower down from the ceiling. Running most of the length of the arena this was an impressive sight, particularly with the jets of CO2 billowing from it at regular intervals. When it settled into place it ran from the stage to a spot just above and in front of a mini stage in front of the sound desk. A couple of fans jumped up and swung along the underside of the bridge before eventually being pulled down.
Shortly after the bridge reached its resting place, a door at the back of the arena opened and Rammstein made their entrance – through the crowd ! A solemn looking procession led by one of the band holding aloft a flaming torch made it’s way down the stairs from the seating area and through the crowd to the mini stage, which once all the band members were in place, rose up to meet the bridge. The band then made their way along the bridge and the flaming torch was used to ignite flames at a couple of places on the stage – a bit like the olympic flame lighting ceremony.
Now it was time for the real show to begin ! They kicked off with Sonne, which really got the already excited crowd going. As you’d expect from a Rammstein show then there’s plenty of musical power, and more flames and pyrotechnics than you see at a bonfire night display. During the second song we were led to the edge of the photo pit ready to go in for the third song. While waiting there the heat was incredible as huge flames shot up from the stage and down from above, and I noticed steam or smoke coming of singer Till Lindemann’s jacket – now that’s hot.
The next three songs passed in a blur as we got our photos between bursts of CO2 sending smoke plumes up and flames roasting us. The flaming microphone stands were impressive – the fact that they were able to sing while their mic stands were on fire is impressive. After taking the photos it was back to the holding area to watch the rest of the show, and what a show it is. There is always something going on – whether it’s the huge stage lights that look like something salvaged from an industrial steel works moving up and down, the flames, the explosions, or just the bands performance, there is never a dull moment.
Keyboard player Flake is always entertaining. In his rather camp glittery outfit he isn’t content to stand and play the keyboards, but instead spends most of the show walking on a treadmill while playing. Sadly for him he usually gets tortured by Till as part of the show – on the last tour we had him thrown into a bathtub and having a shower of sparks poured onto him, but tonight’s torture was different. During “Mein Teil”, a song inspired by a German cannibal, Flake is thrown into a giant cooking pot while Till, dressed as a mad chef, uses a flamethrower to heat up the pot.
We’re also treated to one of the staples of a Rammstein show – for “Feuer Frei” the band don face mounted flame throwers and shoot huge jets of flame around while they play – it’s a stunning sight, and the heat even a few yards from the stage is intense, so I really don’t know how the band cope.
So what else do we get – flames, more flames, explosions, flaming guitars, a spark spraying bow, rockets and showers of sparks make this show like a pyromaniacs dream. But with Rammstein there is also comedy. We get the band being whipped as they crawl over the bridge by a blond-wigged Till, before his strap-on penis squirts liquid over anyone within 15 feet. We also get Flake taking a ride in a rubber dinghy over the heads of the crowd – and amazingly he simply has to point in a direction for the crowd to turn the boat and send him in the right direction. For “Amerika” we get confetti cannons firing confetti high into the air which fills the air over half the audience – a nice touch was the use of three cannons, each with different colour confetti, so we had red, white and blue (the colours on the US flag).
No Rammstein show would be complete without “Engel” and its accompanying pyrotechnics. Surely one of the most impressive pieces of pyrotechnics in any show by any band in the world, Till emerges onto the stage wearing huge angel wings which open out to a 20 or 30 foot wingspan as he sings, but it’s not long before small flames appear at the wingtips, and then huge jets of flames. This is an amazing sight that has to be seen to be believed, and while a youtube video looks good it’s nothing compared to seeing it in real life and feeling the heat from the flames.
To end the show we get “Pussy” with Till riding on a giant penis shaped cannon (there’s that humour again) that sprays foam over anyone within 20feet of the front.
A review simply cannot describe how impressive a Rammstein show is. Even if you know what to expect from having seen videos, you’ll still be blown away by the sheer scale of things. If you’ve never seen Rammstein play live before then you really need to get to one of their shows next time they tour. It’s important to point out though that although it’s the stage show that gets the most attention, Rammstein shows are not style over substance. When playing on the small stage with no pyrotechnics or anything else going on, they still impress as they’ve got the songs and they play them superbly well.
The music has so much power yet is crystal clear. It’s quite rare for a band that sings in a non-English language to achieve much success in the UK or US, but Rammstein have managed it. The arena, like others on the tour is sold out and packed full of fans, and for some songs – “Du Hast” in particular, they get a large percentage of the crowd singing along in German.
A truly amazing night – great music, great atmosphere and a great stage show – Rammstein have to be one of the best live bands ever !
Rating: 10/10
More photos….
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