Rammstein - live!

A late post today because yesterday evening we were in London watching Rammstein in concert. And Wow. Wow. What a show!

Most of the songs were from their new album Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da ("Love is for everyone"). I did do my homework and went and read the translations just so I'd know what it was I was singing along with. ("Ew!" I said a couple of times) Let's face it, this is Rammstein: their subject matter is frequently dark and sometimes downright disturbing (there's a song on the album based on the Josef Fritzl case, for example). But equally their songs are also often majestic and moving and heartbreaking. And they do great melodies. Somehow their extraordinary combination of industrial heavy metal and synth-pop dance riffs - along with vocals that make your hair stand up on end - works so well. I'm besotted. And boy do they know how to put on a live show.

"Other bands play - Rammstein burns!" There were plenty of jawdropping pyros last night: explosions, flares getting fired over the crowd, the keyboard player getting set on fire (twice), flamethrowers, and an angel with blazing steel wings.

Sometimes the circus antics verge on being a bit Spinal Tap ("We need lots of dolls hanging from the ceiling in nooses, to signify, you know, the death of innocence. Dolls WITH LASER EYES!! How cool is that, man?! And at the end of the song the dolls EXPLODE!!!").

And as for Till Lindemann's Big Pink Foam Cannon...

After extensive research in the lobby I can report that the Rammstein demographic in Britain is slightly overweight blokes in their thirties and forties. Which meant, despite my worries that we would be the oldest rockers in town, that we fitted in fine.

But I may never go see another gig again. I mean, what could possibly top this?

(All photos by my friend Roland, because my camera is rubbish)