Image: APA/AFP/Tobias Black
Rammstein drummer Christoph Schneider has issued a comprehensive statement on the events surrounding the band and singer Till Lindemann. “The allegations of the last few weeks have shocked us as a band and me as a person,” wrote the 57-year-old on Instagram. He feels “shocked” by things that have been shared and reported.
He describes the band’s developments from his point of view: “Till has moved away from us in recent years and created his own bubble. With his own people, his own parties, his own projects. That made me sad, definitely.” At the same time, the musician Lindemann strengthened his back from a legal point of view. “No, I don’t think anything criminally relevant (like the use of knockout drops) happened. No. I don’t think anything illegal was going on, I’ve never seen anything like it and Nor has anyone in our crew of 100 heard anything like it.”
“Not ok”
Everything he heard from Lindemann’s parties was “adults celebrating together.” Schneider continues: “And yet things seem to have happened that – albeit legally ok – I personally don’t think are okay.”
The drummer writes of mature structures “that went beyond the limits and values of the other band members”. “It is therefore also important to us that Till’s parties are not confused with our official after-show parties.”
Every guest in the backstage area is free to leave, emphasized Schneider. All bottles are sealed and freshly opened in front of the guests or by themselves. Schneider wishes for a calm and reflected processing, also in the band.
Several women had – partly anonymously – raised allegations of sexual assault against Lindemann. They described situations that they sometimes 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.
Lindemann has denied the allegations against him. He has his interests represented by a lawyer. “Serious allegations against our client were made by various women on social networks, especially on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube,” it said in a statement. “It has been repeatedly claimed that women at Rammstein concerts were drugged with knockout drops or alcohol to enable our client to perform sexual acts on them. These allegations are untrue without exception.”
After reports of allegations against Lindemann, the public prosecutor’s office in Berlin has initiated investigations against him.
Source: Nachrichten
