Photo: Rammstein played for 60,000 people in Prague

“Hands up,” said Till Lindemann at the end of the concert in Letňany, Prague. Apart from the final thanks, these were the only two words that the singer of the legendary Rammstein said to his fans in addition to the lyrics. But he didn’t even have to say anything else. Sixty thousand people turned into an obedient army with the first notes. But the devotion of the fans was evident in the capital hours before the German six took the podium.

The opening of the Rammstein tour breathed the whole of Prague. You managed to meet crowds of fans with black T-shirts and the letters R in crosses anywhere without exaggeration. The metro, which we boarded in Vinohrady, was full of fans of all ages. It was already clear here that Rammstein had driven them all crazy. From “village rock” listeners to techno enthusiasts.

We arrived at the complex around two o’clock. At that moment, hundreds of fans were already pushing for the bars, striving for the best seats at the entire concert. Some arrived on Sunday night, others in the morning. Soaked rags on their heads, hats and T-shirts protected them from the steamy sun. They shortened the long waiting hours by talking, canned food and fast food. Most of them drank at a moderate pace, some managed to get to the end of the bottle before the door opened and were just suffering.

Infinite devotion, infinite queue

Many people who came to the concert in advance still wanted to support their experience with a new mark. Rammstein’s tour started in Prague, so people wanted to buy a T-shirt or cap directly from the concert. Devotion was also reflected in the fact that people were willing to wait patiently for two hours. They gave up the irrigation system and drinks.

“I came when the queue was halfway, and an hour passed before I got my turn.” one of the fans told REFRESHER. But the wait paid off, even though he paid extra for the merchandise compared to the online store. Although people waited long queues for virtually everything before entering the complex, the metal fans were considerate of each other, did not push each other, and instead of swearing and grumbling, they preferred to talk so that the wait would pass faster.

Why are you listening to Rammstein?

“I feel that a lot of Rammstein’s lyrics are really deep. They are easy to condemn and label as Nazis or beasts, but if you look between the lines, you will find deep emotion or social criticism. ” one of the fans reveals to REFRESHER. “I’ve been listening to them since I was a child. I remember watching the song America when Krajčo and Juchelka graduated from Medusa and I have known since then that they will accompany me for the rest of my life, “ adds.

It was the aspect of nostalgia and childhood memories that was repeated for many fans. For many of them, the Prague concert was like a dream come true, which they had been waiting for for years. “I grew up on Rammstein. I enjoy how raw the music is. There is no such thing. “ says the fan for whom the band will play for the first time today. It is said that 15 years have passed since she fell in love with industrial rhythms and hard guitars until she first sees them live.

“It’s an amazing show and their charisma is incredible.” says a fan from Berlin who Rammstein made as a teenager. Many fans from Germany came to the concert. Some of them rocked because they did not want to miss the beginning of the tour for the album Zeit, others because the Prague concert is closer to them. And some took the concert as a holiday and came to Prague several days in advance. “I love this city and I come here every time I can. We arrived on Thursday to see the sights and have a great beer, “ explains one of the spectators from Germany.

Short interviews with fans in front of the gate are disrupted by the organizers, who remove the roadblocks before 4 p.m. The madness is beginning.

The first visitors go through a security check, show tickets and sprint to the podium to get the best seats. Alcohol bottles, junk food bags and garden furniture remain on site. The organizers start immediately and collect what is left of the fans. In a moment, it’s not obvious that anyone’s there. Fans get to the individual sectors quickly, but new and new people are still coming. It looks like they will never stop coming. Rammstein’s strength and charisma seduce everyone to an industrial-looking podium that can be seen for miles.

This was also used by a number of fans who did not attend the concert for various reasons – they were discouraged by the high price, did not want to stand for too long or were afraid that they would not see the stage through the crowd anyway. Dozens of other such people spent the concert behind the fence of the complex and at least came to listen to their favorite band on picnic blankets with a prepared snack.

Rammstein bet for sure

I would like to say that the famous German precision has been transferred to every detail of the concert. The sun was blinding people above the main tower of the stage, and until the last moment, it seemed that no one would see anything from the concert. About a minute before the start, however, it hid behind the main tower, and drummer Christoph “Doom” Schneider stepped onto the stage and kicked off the first song from the cannon – Army of Sadness from the last board Time.

View gallery 15

When Till Lindemann boarded the stage, the Letňans seemed to turn into an obedient crowd waiting for orders. The crowd madness and the kind of uniformity of the fans present thickened the air in the area, which was supported by booming drums combined with a strong but secretly gentle Lindemann speech. The concert managed to sound exemplary. The technicians managed to maintain both the strength and impact, as well as the individuality of the individual tools. Rammstein just left nothing to chance.

Not even the show itself. Apart from a few songs from the new album, they played exactly what the fans came for at the concert. Classic hits like Du Hast, Mein Herz Brennt, Germany or Sun..

Best practices were also accompanied by a visual show. Fans during the song Puppe they experienced a giant stroller on fire, during My part Lindemann fired keyboardist Christian “Flak” Lorenz in a giant cauldron, in the last chorus Pussy the singer sprinkled white confetti from a phallic cannon into the audience. There were no flames or lights. A particularly strong moment occurred during the piano version of the song Eaglewhich turned on the lights of mobile phones for almost every incoming visitor.

What dragged the whole show down was time. Due to the night’s rest, the concert had to end at exactly ten o’clock. Until the first addition, it was light or, at best, dusk, and the elaborate lighting, hellfire, and smoke into which the stage shrouded itself several times could not stand out. The show started with the song Sun. at the end of the basic set of songs, though what took her light still gave her Lindemann’s ability to completely control tens of thousands of people through her singing alone.

When the last tones of the song died down Goodbye, the band moved to the platform, on which, to the thunderous applause of the visitors, they ascended to the top of the main tower of the stage, where they hid behind the screen. The virtual version of Rammstein waved to the visitors for a few more seconds, and after a few seconds – as quickly and without a trace as it appeared – disappeared.

Even at the very departure, it turned out how smooth the organization went. The crowd moved east, full of enthusiasm and energy, but slowly and steadily. People didn’t bump into each other, and within minutes, visitors from the sector got out. So, whether we’re talking about the organization, the visuals, the sound, or the arrangement of the individual songs, everything went smoothly or by chance.

So with a bit of exaggeration, we could compare the whole concert to a visit to a Hollywood action movie in a multiplex. Even if the audience knows exactly what awaits them, they will enjoy the visit to the fullest. And after its completion, they will be looking forward to seeing the German six, which has accompanied them since childhood, next time – with their hands up.

Preview image: REFRESHER / David Marcin