Excitement, criticism and scandals belong to Rammstein like hard guitar riffs and fire magic. However, the current discussion about how to deal with young women and wild after-show parties has reached a new dimension.
Even the name of the band is provocative. It goes back to Ramstein Air Base, where 70 people died in a blazing inferno during an air show in 1988. With the second “M”, Rammstein simply made a mistake, according to its own statements. The Berlin band around Till Lindemann has hardly left out a scandalous topic in the almost 30 years since it was founded.
While many disputes in the past were first publicly ignored, then dismissed or laughed away, this should no longer be enough. Several women have made allegations against Rammstein frontman Lindemann, some anonymously, in the past few days. The women describe situations that some of them would have found frightening. Young women were selected during concerts and asked if they wanted to come to the after-show party. According to some women, sexual acts are said to have occurred.
Rammstein: “Condemn any kind of abuse”
In a statement by Rammstein, it was said that the allegations hit her very hard and that she was taken extremely seriously. “We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows – in front of and behind the stage.” The letter went on to say: “We condemn any kind of transgression and ask you: do not participate in public prejudice of any kind against those who have made allegations. They have a right to their point of view.” But the band also has a right – namely not to be prejudiced either.
The band’s surroundings reported a depressed mood, thoughtfulness, even “shock stiffness”. With the Munich concerts as the start of the Germany part of the European tour, Rammstein is in crisis. The concerts, designed as a gigantic spectacle, should continue. It seems unclear to those involved how the band should manage the pressure.
No Row Zero at upcoming concerts
There are already consequences for the upcoming concerts. In the so-called Row Zero, the security area immediately in front of the stage, there should no longer be any groups of guests. For the past four years, small groups of mostly very young, often conspicuously dressed women have been seen on the right and left edge of the stage.
The concept for the after-show parties has also changed, according to those close to the band. There shouldn’t be two parties anymore – a big one for fans and band, a small one for Lindemann and women. In the future, if at all, only a celebration after the concerts. There are still different information for Munich. The new concept will also affect the invitation for Rammstein fans who like to take selfies with the musicians on such occasions. That is now “stupid for everyone”, Lindemann is quoted as saying.
Some fans are already turning away from the internationally acclaimed band in disappointment. Corresponding posts can be found on the Internet. In addition, tickets for the actually sold-out concerts are offered via resale platforms. However, it is unclear whether this is unusual in scope.
Awareness concept for concerts
The band commissioned an awareness concept for the concerts. Already planned for the appearances in Denmark, it is now to be realized in Munich. Six employees are supposed to be on the lookout for abnormalities in the stadium in connection with security. There should also be a safe space area where those affected can withdraw.
The current debate also has consequences away from the stage: the band has been investigating the area since the start of the tour in Vilnius. There should already be witness statements. A law firm interviews crew members, the security team, the band. Women who may be affected should also be interviewed. According to the information, it is still unclear whether the first results should be published this week.
The decisions for consequences are said to have been made according to the six-to-zero principle, which was unanimous among Lindemann, Paul Landers and Richard Kruspe (guitar), Christian “Flake” Lorenz (keyboard), Oliver Riedel (bass) and Christoph Schneider ( drums) stands. Some time ago, Lindemann described the decision-making process in the band in an interview with dpa: “I work with five people, so opinions sometimes differ. There are always a lot of discussions and fights about which direction to go, about which Themes about pretty much anything.”
Controversial videos in the past
The musicians usually provide material for discussion about the band together. There was massive criticism for days, for example, when in 2019 the video teaser for the song “Deutschland” showed band members in a very short sequence in concentration camp-like clothing during an execution. In the complete video, the scene was embedded and comparatively reflected. Another video with material by Nazi icon Leni Riefenstahl is still controversial today.
How the six men deal with the subject of women and sex is also repeatedly discussed. The musicians recreated porn scenes for the “Pussy” video. In the concert version of the song, Lindemann has been spraying the audience with a huge, penis-shaped foam cannon for years. Sado-Maso practices – including homoerotic ones – are always part of stage shows or videos.
Debate on poems by Lindemann
With his solo projects, Lindemann often goes even further. His volume “100 Poems” was under discussion in 2020. Namely because of rape fantasies, knockout drops and sex with sleeping people in the poem “When you sleep”. Not only critics interpret the lines from the perpetrator’s perspective as relativizing criminal acts and glossing over sexual assaults. They do not take from Lindemann the lyrical I he often used, i.e. the narrative form of a fictional character in the first person singular.
In a video for the Lindemann song “Till The End” that has been circulating online for three years, the now 60-year-old can also be seen in numerous pornographic scenes with young women. In some sequences, a book of poetry is used and a poem is quoted. The publishing house Kiepenheuer & Witsch recently terminated its collaboration with the author.
Lindemann and Rammstein often play with ambivalence. In the lyrics, longing turns into hate, suffering into love, violence in all forms is always involved, the transitions are fluid and part of the concept. Lindemann himself, once asked about it, doesn’t like to interpret his lyrics: “If I were to talk about the true background of everything I sing, I would only create drawers. I think it’s better not to do that and people just encourage their own interpretation of the texts.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
