Rammstein have been a must-see live band since they played afternoon festival slots in the mid-90s. While some of their fire-free SFX have led to a night in American jail for some members or frontman Till Lindemann cutting a hole in his cheek, it’s their enthusiasm for pyrotechnics that has everyone talking. After 20+ years of setting themselves alight one way or another, their current stadium tour has been commended as their biggest pyro production yet – no understatement when we’re greeted into MK Stadium by the charred twin peaks of their industrial stage set.
While arguably being the most innovative and extreme live band on this side of taste, this tour’s theatrics presents a camp, self-deprecating Rammstein; their infamous ‘Mein Teil’ performance being a stand-out example of this, with ever-hazed keyboardist Christian 'Flake' Lorenz waving the white flag of surrender while Lindemann is handed a bigger flamethrower than the last. At one point during the performance, Lindemann wears several flamethrowers shooting a peacock tail of flames from his back; the whole stage is ignited with bursts of flame. You’d think his bandmates would be keeping their distance but no, guitarists Richard Z. Kruspe and Paul Landers have flamethrowers too – they’re attached to their guitars. At the very back of MK Stadium, you can feel the heat on your face; the front rows have most likely lost their eyebrows.
With a set full of gags and spectacle, there is a lot to take in alongside the periodical explosions, fireworks and combustion. If the hundreds of amps didn’t make it clear this was going to be one of the loudest rock shows ever, Christoph Schneider’s first strike on the drum kit did. Sonically speaking, Rammstein are faultless. Playing a balanced two hour set of hard rock fan favourites (‘Sonne’, ‘Mein Teil’, ‘Du hast’) and newer, mainstream-sounding releases (‘Ausländer’, ‘Radio’) an exhilarated Rammstein enraptured the 30 000-strong audience through showmanship on a level no one else can rival. This is a band fully committed to putting on an unforgettable experience that keeps crowds coming back for more. To put it simply – it’s lit.
Rammstein played:
Was ich liebe
Links 2-3-4
Tattoo
Sehnsucht
Zeig dich
Mein Herz brennt
Puppe
Heirate mich
Diamant
Deutschland
Radio
Mein Teil
Du hast
Sonne
Ohne dich
Engel (with Duo Jatekok)
Ausländer
Du riechst so gut
Pussy
Rammstein
Ich will
