Concert Review: 30 Seconds to RAMMSTEIN!!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the kind words about the Blog – and even thanks for all the “so when is the next one coming?” comments. Glad to know you enjoy reading the posts, and still have an appetite for more...

As you all know by now, I had the privilege of attending both, the Rammstein, and U2 concerts in Jo’burg last month. And what an utter privilege it turned out to be.

I’ll relate the tale from the beginning...

It’s Friday, 19 November 2010 and I find myself in the Coca-Cola dome with the entire gang waiting on 30 Seconds to Mars to, what I inevitably knew would happen, bore us to death.

Before any of you make me eat my words, I'll shed some light... I’m not a 30 Seconds fan. I can enjoy one or two of their singles in one sitting before the pre-cursory saliva starts to build up in my mouth and I have to choke back the stomach content that wants to propel itself from my insides with such a force I would be the only Olympic gold medallist in the little-known sport of projectile vomiting.
“Then why were you there?” you may ask. Let it be known that I was under no duress, and attended by my own account. Let’s be honest – they are an internationally acclaimed ‘Rock’-band, and they were performing live in my back yard – how could I not attend?

Tomo Milicevic live on stage

Ultimately, the night ended in The Muppet, Vis and I sitting on our backsides, outside, leisurely enjoying a cigarette together with half the crowd waiting on the other-half to finish watching Jared Leto gyrating and spinning circles on stage, so we could go home.

Jared Leto - or his silhouette at least

Needless to say, I was totally underwhelmed by the show, and by the band - which seems to only consist of Jared. And on this occasion, Jared left the crowd to sing [almost] an entire song by themselves. I’m an avid supporter of crowd involvement, but I definitely don’t want to go to a rock concert to sing karaoke!

Jared performing in his one man band

There was one saving grace however... the words on the big-screens were self explanatory: “Rammstein, 11 February 2011- The Coca-Cola dome”. What a sight! As soon as the announcement appeared there was a rustle amongst the crowd, clearly a spark of interest was born.



The Muppet, JM & The Monger in our "uniforms"



So, we proceeded to hang a flyer of the Rammstein show on the fridge, organised fan-boy T-shirts, and anxiously awaited our chance to procure some tickets. The Muppet was quick out of the blocks and got us 2 Golden Circle tickets before they were sold-out. Time dragged on, and as the date drew closer and closer, the excitement started building. Radio stations were holding interviews, websites were predicting set-lists, and everywhere you look there were competitions for free tickets. The show was sold-out soon after tickets went on sale. Honestly, at first I was surprised by the strong uptake. It seems there are way more metal fans in and around this town than I expected, which was a very pleasant surprise indeed!

Being the keen metal fan that I am, I was surfing websites looking for some footage of other live Rammstein shows. Having seen the notorious “Buck Dich live aus Berlin” video clip, [watch it below] and their reputation for putting on a great show, I was expecting total debauchery on their part...

 

German flag covering the front of the stage just before the show started

... and did they deliver! I have never experienced something so over-the-top in my life! The lights dimmed, and the spotlights highlighted a massive German flag covering the front of the stage. With a huge roar from the crowd, and a bang that was audible from outer space, the flag dropped and the mayhem got underway... There was fire and fireworks and pyrotechnics and big bangs and props and an array of other mind-numbing and ear pounding visual effects to keep the crowd entertained and screaming at the top of their lungs. With their signature, military marching-beat thrown into the mix, one couldn’t help but headbang so hard that the effects on the neck would be felt long into the coming work-week.

Fire-breathing mouth-pieces worn by the band

The set-list was the perfect balance of old and new. I can’t think of one song they left out, and when “Pussy” started, I found myself securely within my element.

I must make special mention of Christian “Flake” Lorenz, their keyboardist. What an entertainer! His quirky and eccentric stage performance was definitely one of the highlights.

Christian “Flake” Lorenz crowd surfing in his dinghy

Flake ‘surfed’ the crowd in a rubber dinghy during the performance of “Haifisch”, while waiving a South African flag. And while performing “Mein Teil” he is ‘cooked’ in a cauldron by a flame-thrower wielding Till Lindemann. Fantastic!



Till Lindemann wielding his gas-guzzling flame thrower live on-stage

 The atmosphere outside the venue after the show was electric – with the general consensus being: “That was the best show ever man, EVER!!!”. I agree 100%. Every single piece of merchandise was sold-out, some fans even went as far as buying shirts off the backs of staff at R500 a shirt. The sound was fantastic, and the feeling of the pyro on your face was like standing in front of the gates of hell (bear in mind, Coca-Cola Dome is an indoor venue). I had never experienced a show that could even remotely compare, until that very Sunday (bloody, Sunday).

A shot of the crowd from where we were standing