I feel like I should write the entirety of this review in capital letters. Literally everything about a live Rammstein concert is BIG AND LOUD.
The first thing to say is that taking earplugs is strongly advisable. Luckily gig goers were forewarned. The band's concert on June 26 in Coventry was so loud that it could be heard 11 miles away.
The German band rearranged their European stadium tour due to Covid and you could see how excited they were to be back doing what they do best - putting on outrageously entertaining, high energy shows.
The band opened their Cardiff gig on Thursday night by raising a giant Welsh flag to the enjoyment of the crowd. Throughout the stadium, black smoke poured out from the top of speakers billowing out of the stadium and across the city.
Coming from the Neue Deutsch Harte (NDH) sub-genre of rock that developed in Germany and Austria around the turn of millennia, a Rammstein gig is a true experience. Even if you are fairly apathetic to this kind of music, it is something everyone should experience at least once. Much like with the city of Las Vagas, which many people find unpalatable, even if NHD isn’t your cup of tea you will always leave with epic stories to tell.
The costumes (which change throughout the performance) were as varied as they were wild. The bassist Rideland wore a grim reaper style black cloak, keyboard player Lorenz had a gold suit and iconic lead singer Till Lindemann wore a classic NDH coat.
Things then take a turn for the dramatic with eye-catching staging an ongoing theme throughout the performance. Perhaps the most memorable was the giant penis cannon that the lead singer rode which shot foam out into the audience during the band's well-known song “Pussy”. In previous years the penis was not used with the group instead opting for a giant vagina. Other highlights include them setting a giant pram on fire (if you are a fan of pyro in your performances you are in for a treat).
It would also be remiss if we didn’t mention that at one point the band crowd surfed in dinghies. The first songs up came from their latest album Zeit but it wasn;t long before we got into some of the true classics. The soul-stirring Du Hast was accompanied by a light show with the epic Sonne proving one of the most popular with a crowd which was a real mix of ages (though black was definitely the main colour of choice).
Overall the concert is everything we need after being lockdown on and off for two years. Jumping around with sweaty strangers was probably not something many would have pined for before the pandemic. But there is a truly cathartic feeling to just losing your mind while angry Germans give their everything for your own entertainment.
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