Every Rammstein concert is eagerly awaited by the German band's many fans. Whether they hail from across the Rhine, Italy or Great Britain, foreign admirers of the band led by Till Lindemann turned out in droves for the show - the only French date for the industrial metal band - of their idols this Saturday, July 22, 2023 at the Stade de France. Rammstein are renowned for their outstanding, masterful performances, using pyrotechnic effects galore and never skimping on staging that's loaded with humor and pathos.
So, in the end, what was Rammstein 's new concert in Paris like, as part of the continuation of their European stadium tour which begins in 2019? Once again, euphoria was the order of the day, thanks to an ultra-polished set design and a balanced setlist featuring both the band's early hits and more recent material. As always, Rammstein 's performances leave no room for improvisation, and the set design is constructed with the precision of a watchmaker. Because when you're playing with fire, there's no room for error. And as always, the result is remarkable, with a show - a real show, in fact - that fills our eyes and ears, where we sing loud and clear, dance uncontrollably and, above all, have fun! The only downside was the sound in the stands. We've heard better.
Wearing a blond Iroquois crest, half his face masked by black make-up, and a long black coat, Till Lindemann takes to the stage at the Stade de France at around 9.15pm, or rather descends onto the stage from an elevator. The singer's 5 faithful acolytes then arrive from behind the stage to perform the electric " Rammlied ". Good news for the band's loyal fans, since this track, taken from the opus"Liebe ist für alle da", had not been played in Lyon in the summer of 2022, or even at Paris La Défense Arena in 2019.
The band quickly followed up with the essential " Links 2-3-4 ", which quickly had the crowd on its feet, before continuing with two tracks that had not been played at Paris La Défense Arena, nor in Lyon: " Bestrafe mich " and " Giftig ". The crowd is already excited, but Rammstein add another layer with the rousing, flamboyant " Mein Herz brennt ", followed by the powerful " Puppe ", a song in which a giant baby carriage bursts into flames just a few centimetres from Till Lindemann, and black confetti sprays over the entire pit.
The heat is turned up a notch, but the atmosphere is already supercharged, and the hits continue to flow into the Stade de France when the first notes of " Zeit " ring out, followed by " Deutschland " and " Radio ". Then came one of Rammstein 's most emblematic live tracks: " Mein Teil ". On this track, taken from"Reise, Reise", Till Lindemann - disguised as a bloody butcher - doesn't hesitate to bring out the big artillery, in this case an XXL flamethrower, to finish off his keyboardist Christian Lorenz, sheltered in a large pot.
And Rammstein continue with their ultra-mastered and meticulous pyrotechnics with the global hit " Du Hast ". To make this song even more powerful live, the baritone-voiced singer grabs a crossbow and shoots skywards, causing a back-and-forth of pyrotechnic effects between the stage and the control room in the middle of the stadium. Spectacular. There's nothing like it to get the audience - already on fire by this point - in a frenzy.
And the band continues to surprise us. For their first encore, Till Lindemann and his bandmates took to the small stage in the pit to perform the sublime single " Engel " on piano with support act Abélard, in a karaoke version, with the lyrics broadcast on the two giant screens suspended from the sides of the stage. These screens were not well positioned for the spectators seated at the far end of the stadium. A pity.
To reach the main stage and Till Lindemann, the band's 5 musicians had the unusual idea of climbing aboard three inflatable lifeboats and being carried along by the crowd! Only they could do such an incredible thing, just before performing " Ausländer ", a song about colonialism.
Exhausted by their show and the heat fed by the flames, Rammstein don't hesitate to provide a second encore, marked by the powerful " Rammstein ", sublimated by flames galore, the hit " Ich will ", which has become an anthem for many, and the now famous " Adieu ", to round off this incredible set of just over 2 hours. And together, the 6 members of Rammstein decided to take the elevator, where Till Lindemann had arrived, to get a bit of height, greet their audience one last time and magically disappear under their trademark pyrotechnic effects.
While this show, as grandiose and hard-hitting as it was, once again impressed us with its quality, we regret that Rammstein didn't come up with any new staging ideas, relying instead on what works best (flaming baby carriages, lifeboats carried by the audience, flaming kettles...). A minor disappointment, but one that in no way detracted from the pleasure of seeing this legendary German band live in Paris!
Rammlied
Links 2-3-4
Bestrafe mich
Giftig
Sehnsucht
Mein Herz brennt
Puppe
Angst
Zeit
Deutschland
Radio
Mein Teil
Du hast
Sonne
Reminder 1
Engel
Ausländer
Du riechst so gut
Ohne dich
Reminder 2
Rammstein
Ich will
Adieu
Location
Stade de France
93200 Saint-Denis
93200 Saint Denis
Official website
www.stadefrance.com
