© CPU – Nathan Dobbelaere
By analogy with Basil’s well-known quote from the enduring Fawlty Towers collection, ‘Do not point out the controversy’ is maybe the perfect angle to take to an open-air Rammstein present in 2024. The tight sneakers that singer Until Lindemann and keyboardist Christian Lorenz have been in final 12 months are actually free once more. Investigations have been halted, expenses dropped and the German steam practice of the Dance Metallic simply thunders on undisturbed with a 3rd cease in our nation in as a few years. Folks generally say that the place there’s smoke, there’s additionally hearth, and that was the case with Rammstein in Ostend as regular. There was pitch-black smoke, a mess of fireside components and a band that used these results as a well-oiled machine as a reinforcing component for the steamroller that the present nonetheless is.
There’s extra to have a good time for the Germans and their loyal legion of followers this 12 months. For instance, the band is blowing out thirty candles this 12 months, which gave this efficiency the attract of a nostalgic party the place the gown code, like the colour of the confetti, was dominated by shades of black. Rammstein has at all times had a knack for embracing the darkness, and that was no totally different on one of many first summer season days of the 12 months. Earlier than the fuel faucet of the pyrotechnics was turned on, it was ABÉLARD’s flip to as soon as once more present the maintain music. With the perfect will on the earth, we can’t name the duo on the small B-stage behind their piano a assist act. They play some covers of Rammstein songs corresponding to “Zeit” on their ivory keys and on this manner accompany the hundreds of people who find themselves rapidly getting their beers or are queuing for a band shirt or different merchandise.
There’s one thing humorous and usually Rammstein regarding having two younger girls play lodge foyer variations of their songs, however following 3 times or so the punchline of that joke loses a few of its energy. After all, a big a part of the selection for ABÉLARD on that small B-stage has to do with all of the technical ingenuity that goes with that massive behemoth of a stage that had been constructed days earlier than, and that was utterly tailor-made to the Germans’ present. Nevertheless unexciting ABÉLARD’s taking part in was, it made for a mercifully quick change-over that allowed the present to start out with barely 5 minutes’ delay.
© CPU – Stijn Verbruggen
Anybody who thought that Rammstein would instantly burst out of the beginning blocks and set Ostend on hearth, was clearly not there the previous few occasions right here in Ostend and Brussels. The Germans at all times begin within the daylight and, as darkness falls, comparatively calmly stoke up the spectacle that everybody associates with the band. The loyal followers who had been bivouacked of their spots for hours knew this all too nicely and welcomed the sextet like a bunch of rulers, whereas they slowly began the descent to their devices in a carry in the midst of that spectacular stage. “Ramm4” opened the floodgates of heavy riffs and machismo and, with a textual content that primarily consists of titles of Rammstein songs, gave the viewers a pleasant prelude to what was to come back.
It’s a gap quantity that, fittingly for the band, presses its tongue firmly to its cheek, however it additionally instantly confirmed how a lot German Gründlichkeit goes with these concert events. With performances within the heavier style, you rapidly run the chance of the devices preventing like cats in a barrel, which ends up in a sonic mess if the sound combine is not arrange tightly. None of that at Rammstein in Ostend final evening, with a sound that strongly favoured the bass tones all through the efficiency, however was in any other case properly balanced. On this manner, you might possibly completely distinguish the guitars of Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers from one another, with out Lindemann’s vocals being snowed underneath. Fairly a couple of components go together with the Dance Metallic by Rammstein, they usually have been all fairly clearly distinguishable from one another.
The opposite feeling that sadly additionally came to visit us once in a while, like a chill on a heat summer season night, was one among déjà vu. Whichever manner you take a look at it, it’s Rammstein’s third go to to our nation within the quick time period that makes use of this stage setup and largely the identical set checklist. Songs corresponding to “Keine Lust” and “Wiener Blut” have taken the place of “Zick Zack’” and “Zeig dich”, however in any other case the rating of the songs stays largely unchanged in comparison with the earlier concert events in Ostend and Brussels . On this manner, we inevitably get the sensation that there’s little room for surprises, as a result of the German greats have been on the street since 2019 with variations on the identical present. Nevertheless, the loyal viewers didn’t let it get to their hearts and loved the craftsmanship that functioned as an alternative to spontaneity or shock much more.
© CPU – Stijn Verbruggen
The cynical feeling melted away like a Calippo in the summertime solar, as a result of a repetition of strikes at all times stands or falls by the facility of these strikes. In that respect, Rammstein in fact stays a band that has a couple of hammer blows in its arsenal. “Hyperlinks 2-3-4” managed to unleash the required power within the viewers because the second track. The track was written on the time as a type of center finger in direction of the accusations of Nazism that have been hurled on the band, however in Ostend it managed to fire up the keenness of a full meadow with the impetuous marching tempo. With songs like “Keine Lust” and “Asche zu Asche” the band took the viewers, who sang alongside phrase for phrase, additional by means of its thirty-year profession, to as soon as once more signal for a spotlight with “Mein Herz brennt”. Pathos and drama, aggression and tenderness, all condensed right into a track that has misplaced none of its influence in any case these years.
Successor “Puppe” is in fact a lesser God on the setlist, however the simplicity of that track was masked with the primary actual visible play of the night because of the massive pram, which was expertly set on hearth, similar to the earlier occasions. You need to hand it to singer Until Lindemann, he staggers throughout the stage and at occasions appears to be like drained, however that uncooked, imply rasp in his voice continues to sound honest and as soon as once more offers Rammstein that further villainous edge. Nowhere is Lindemann’s added worth for his band extra clear than within the one-two punch of “Wiener Blut” and “Zeit”. One track is difficult, terrifying and maybe the heaviest track within the oeuvre, however is then anointed with essentially the most delicate ballad that the Germans have of their portfolio. The truth that you consider the frontman in each instances says so much regarding his energy on that stage.
However in fact Rammstein is way more than Lindemann, there’s additionally Richard Kruspe, nonetheless a gifted guitarist and a very unhealthy DJ. Nonetheless, DJ Zven needed to get his second to throw that terribly unhealthy remix of “Deutschland” on the crowd, whereas the remainder of the band was dancing in light-up fits. It was a toe-curling intermezzo that was thankfully rapidly performed away when Kruspe put his guitar once more on and the track was began within the authentic model. It turned out to be the beginning sign for a powerful triumphal march in direction of the finals through which all of the predictable registers have been pulled out.
© CPU – Nathan Dobbelaere
Keyboardist Flake, dressed up all night as a type of solar god, was as soon as once more the scapegoat at “Mein Teil” and was expertly flambéed in a big cooking pot by chef Lindemann. The fuel faucet clearly needed to be turned on as darkness fell, as a result of the pyro results throughout “Du hast” and “Sonne” have been additionally overwhelming in a widely known manner. Until Lindemann, who shoots a rocket with an improvised crossbow that causes explosions all around the sq., and an abundance of fireside that’s spewed into the air, is the type of spectacle that apparently doesn’t get boring even following 3 times. After an extended interlude through which followers displayed their wonderful meats on the large screens and we huge tits After seeing the band move by, it was time to make use of the B-stage and let ABÉLARD accompany “Engel” as soon as extra, following which the band members, as within the previous days, sailed once more to the stage in a rubber dinghy throughout the ocean of folks with a younger girl and just a little boy from the viewers as stowaways.
The becoming “Ausländer” then offered a musical spotlight, partly because of the robust guitar taking part in of Kruspe who seized his second on the finish of the track. That Rammstein and the followers had lastly shaken off all accusations turned lastly clear with the re-entry of “Pussy” on the setlist. The cannon might look rather less like a penis, however it stays a big metallic phallus with which a grinning Lindemann offers nearly your complete entrance pocket with a stable layer of white foam. “Ich will” acquired tens of hundreds of fists within the air and resulted in numerous hoarsely screamed voices. As a closing spotlight, Oostende was offered with the proper calling card of the German band with “Rammstein”. The guitars of Landers and Kruspe became flamethrowers and Lindemann’s fire-breathing backpack made the frontman appear to be the world’s creepiest peacock. “Adieu” marked the ultimate farewell between band and viewers, and underneath swirling confetti and fading clouds of smoke the band thanked the gang earlier than taking the elevator once more to the Darkness.
© CPU – Nathan Dobbelaere
With two extra sold-out nights of fifty,000 ecstatic followers, it’s clear that the storm of controversy surrounding the band has lastly died down, and that ‘ja nein, Rammstein’ can as soon as once more be shouted out loud. We noticed a band at work that, though it was the third time in as a few years that they gave a variation on the identical present in our nation, may hardly ever be caught doing a routine. Nevertheless predictable in method, with a set that gave everybody the hits and results that they had purchased an expensive ticket for, Rammstein set the hearts of their followers on hearth. However, we now have the sensation that it has now had sufficient of the reworks of this present and we fervently hope that Rammstein will recharge their batteries and work on one thing model new earlier than it units the Belgian stadiums and competition fields ablaze as soon as once more.
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Setlist:
Copper 4
Hyperlinks 2-3-4
No need
Longing
ashes to Ashes
my coronary heart is on hearth
Doll
Wiener blood
Time
Deutschland
Radio
My half
You will have
Sonne
Engel
Foreigner
You scent so good
Pussy
I would like
Rammstein
Adieu
