Rammstein
Rammstein
MEN Arena
February 2, 2010
ARRIVING by 20 trucks and taking 10 hours to construct, the latest arena spectacular by German superstars Rammstein is probably the greatest rock show on the road.
Fronted by a man who sings like Boris Karloff and looks like a barbarian in fetish gear, Rammstein make techno-flavoured industrial metal known as Neue Deutsche Hrte. They also like to blow things up.
In the debut UK performance of their latest tour, everything was planned to perfection, executed with precision (even the mic stands were motorised, surely the BMW of band kit), and powered by pyrotechnics. Wars have been fought for less oil than was burned during this show.
Climax
In one set piece, a pretend stage invader in a black hoody was set alight. In another, singer Till Lindeman and the band's two guitarists wore flamethrowers on their faces, while Wiener Blut saw the stage strewn with eerie, laser-eyed dolls which then exploded.
The highlight of the show wasn't petrol-powered. During the tongue-in-cheek Pussy, the climax of the main part of the show, Lindeman mounted a giant cannon and soaked the first third of the packed crowd. Some staff looked less than amused. A tough move to follow? Not for Rammstein, who closed the encore with Lindemann dressed as a metallic, flaming demon for the stirring Engel.
If it seems as if the music seems incidental, it wasn't the bands dark, doom-laden dance-metal was utterly compelling throughout, a ceaseless assault of razor-sharp guitars, unrelenting beats and blood-curdling vocals.
Popular opinion has it that a foreign-language band needs to sing in English to appeal to UK audiences, but these Teutonic rockers have proved that's just not the case. Great showmanship and great explosions are an international language.
You must be logged in to rate this event
Register Now or Login to rate this
Comments (1)
You need to be logged in to comment. Login | Register
music isn't totally to your taste (for me it is) Go and see Rammstein
you won't regret it.
Total Theatre,