Exclusive interview with Till Lindemann and Flake Lorenz

Read now the latest interview from our huge Rammstein special. Are collected Till Lindemann and Flake Lorenz talking about scandals, GDR nostalgia, insinuations, and the risk of false fans.

How do you remember the very first Rammstein show?

Lorenz: The first real gig was in the naTo in Leipzig, as the opening act of my brother. He had such a combo, the English songs like "Like A Virgin" to "Like a sausage" was rewritten. There was no place where we would put less fit.

Rammstein were sound and appearance were already so clear?

Lorenz: Yes, absolutely. I think even we were still worse than now. We were quite blunt on stage, played our stuff, no one laughed or moved. That must have worked pretty ominous. The spectators fell off his jaw.

Till Lindemann: I've rarely seen people aghast.

Where did the idea, just act that way?

Lindemann: I have not felt comfortable on stage. I was wearing sunglasses because I could not bear the looks. I had stage fright and thought, what am I doing here anyway? Before I was a drummer, because I had always something to do. Now I stood there in front, and all stared at me. That was unpleasant for me, and I wanted to compensate somehow. Thus came the fire into the game. It started with two fountains, which had once given me a buddy. Later, we also have gasoline poured into the hall, which we lit with the fountain, so the whole floor was on fire. This has evolved over the years.

You have to be trained later for extra pyrotechnics.

Lindemann: Yes, the ticket can be done in three months. Every five years is necessary to repeat this, so stay on the ball.

How big is the danger today is that the music does too much in the shadow of the show?

Lorenz: I think about sometimes even after, but only briefly. As a viewer, I'd find it so well, all this fuss. Some bands have to be a very fanatic fan even if you are so happy for two hours, seeing how down to play a couple of guys in jeans and shirts their program.

Lindemann: The band is divided on this question. For some it is too much circus, who would rather let the music more. Then there are people like me who have great hopes for this show elements, glitter and sparkle to this, the action and fire.

Flake, during the shows of recent years you can be in a rubber dinghy from the crowds wear on the heads. That's really gone wrong once ...

Lorenz: Yes, that was in Toronto. People have all passed me back and then flipped over a fence, where the terrain was too late.

Lindemann: It looked very funny. I've seen it from the stage and suddenly he was gone, like a waterfall.

Lorenz: It was not funny, I've had battered the knee and behind the fence around the whole area around the stage door to go, where I luckily saw the clothes and reconnect left.

As in an opera performance you never talk with the audience. Was that the first appearances in this way?

Lorenz: From the very beginning. We think it's really bad when someone says on the stage: "Hello!" and "Thank you, Bonn". This was contrary to us from childhood.

At first you do not have sung in English, why the change?

Lindemann: The impetus came from Paul and Flake. The texts in German was easier and harder sound. German music has illustrated much better than English, with its soft vowels. In addition, we found ourselves in this crossover grunge era. In each club only long blonde hair, dreadlocks and subprime-Rage Against The Machine and Nirvana copies. That's what we wanted in any case.

Lorenz: I think it's totally crazy anyway, contact in Germany with poor English in front of an audience that does not understand the lyrics. People like Strawberry Alarm Clock or Grönemeyer I may not so much musically. But I still like to hear this, because the lyrics touch me. If alarm clock sings "Yesterday HPs daschlogn to Willy," is to me no matter what he plays it.

The texts are extensively discussed in the composite tape?

Lindemann: Unfortunately, yes.

Lorenz: Till the beginning gets a musical framework, on which he writes the lyrics alone. If we get his lyrics directly with the music, which is of course much nicer to see than just a sheet of paper with a few lines on it.

Lindemann: It now says the musician. For me, this is a complete nightmare! You get an instrumental and is there anything on it lubricated. It's all set: verse, bridge, chorus - everything. It must fill you and then judge from the other can. The immense and excessive criticism, however, has the advantage that it will then be milled to perfection.

They are not always there when the others write the songs?

Lorenz: No, what he is doing? This is so much better.

Lindemann: Until the second drive I've ever sat in the corner and listened and sometimes sung anything directly, but that was not at all effective. When I went home after the rehearsal, my real work began in the first place. At some point, I have come to take four-track tapes and working on it alone.

How big is the pressure when the colleagues cope with the musical work and are all waiting for your line?

Lindemann: You do not know, that's a nightmare, very nasty.

Many of your texts are as provocative. How did that happen?

Lindemann: In so wicked riffs you can really only something very bad texts, it was immediately clear to me. That was not easy at first, because it sure was not proper role models. Klaus location or Westlife did not fit so although there are also some good lyrics.

How aware was the public outrage about sex with dead bodies or people eater part of the calculus?

Lindemann: There was never really in the game calculations. It just happened, and eventually has a certain momentum develops. Of course we have noticed that it does not hurt at all when talking about it and is excited. It should be noted in the interview and the people have a sudden. It was not always like what they say or is given to read, but it has not harmed in any case.

They have never bothered these reactions?

Lindemann: Sure, but the benefit has outweighed that.

So you run the program as a taboo?

Lorenz: Well, if so. Especially when it comes to man-eater, I find that we are the ones who can report on this case in a form which is good.

What exactly is doing well?

Lorenz: A form that the events will also do justice to both the victim and the offender. The case describes the way that one empathizes and not so judgmental of the text as a "picture" article is.

Made the accusation, no consideration for the victim to have been also raised on the song "Vienna Blood" about the incest case in Amstetten.

Lorenz: I think the text is fishy, ​​it touches. He explained the process well. You can not make it better in my eyes.

You have exceeded limits, you would no longer exceed?

Lorenz: We never wanted to think with and for the public. That's not our job. We have done what we wanted. And that was a good thing.

Border crossing is a part of the concept?

Lorenz: We have absolutely no concept.

Okay, after several other songs perceived as a transgression, it seems likely, was behind method.

Lorenz: No, it's not so easy. Because you do not know beforehand what might disturb the people. The public often seeks out places where we never thought, and ignores other, where we would have expected problems. Although it may appear different, we can not calculate that.

What trouble came as a surprise?

Lorenz: For "Pussy" I've been wondering how you can index it. I think that's completely idiotic.

The album "Love is for everybody" was indexed 2009th Were you happy with the attention and laughed at the explanation?

Lorenz: The reason we felt as absurd, but the laughter was not us. If a disk is being indexed, it means nothing but trouble. The albums had to be pulped. We were always asked about it, yet we only wanted to play in peace our tour. "Pussy" should be a fun party song, no provocation.

For your video for "Stripped" excerpts from Leni Riefenstahl's film about the Olympic Summer Games of 1936 were used. This led to Nazi accusations and discussions. Have you taken the time tacitly accepted in?

Lorenz: The severity of the reactions has really surprised us. We thought at that time but in fact, that it all clears up by itself

Lindemann: We come from the east and have grown up as a socialist. We used either punks or Goths - we hate Nazis! And then there comes such a far-fetched accusations. We still do the same thing, and nobody in America or Mexico would get the idea to us dense stuff like that. This only happens here in Germany. Our response to this hostility was "Links 2 3 4", so we have made it clear where we are to classify politically.

How important was this clarification?

Lindemann: Very! We come from a completely different culture. We used to fight with these idiots right, and that we would now be done.

It was in the nineties, even a press conference in Hamburg, where they were bombarded with these massive Nazi allegations. Your response was very taciturn. It was arrogant - or very helpless.

Lindemann: Probably the really helpless. We were helpless in any case, for example, when our children came home and asked, "Dad, you're playing in a Nazi band?"

What has happened to you?

Lindemann: Yes, of course, that was bad. For you too, flake, or?

Lorenz: (nods)

Is it true that the video should look rather different, that the later controversial Riefenstahl pictures had been taken as an example only - mixed with others - but then was from the example, the real video?

Lindemann: Yes. Stölzl, the director, showed us a rough cut first, and never before had the band so shut the opinion: "That's hot." He had taken only one day for the assembly, and had even made a trainee. With the material was originally intended only to illustrate an idea. We previously had a completely different direction for the video in mind. Since there was a Russian Kornbinderin, a plow, so in all directions Sergei Eisenstein romance, footage from the twenties.

Did you know immediately, with the images it can be trouble and Nazi allegations?

Lorenz: No, because nobody has thought. The video was so short time, even on MTV. Their video selection committee was impressed. But then came more and more protest, it became increasingly bitter. After all, even the record company had to tear up their hands, although the video they were all good.

Was it naive in retrospect at least, to use the Riefenstahl pictures?

Lindemann: That may be, but if you lose your innocence, you attract a corset, from which one comes out not as fast. Can not develop art.

Fact, is suddenly attracted to Rammstein rights also. How great was the danger of being hijacked by "fake fans"?

Lindemann: The dead are also found in the pants and the doctors. This audience came when we played to 2,000 to 3,000 people. Trust in the small rooms that do not, then they get on the mouth.

Only the video Rammstein bad reputation was to blame?

Lindemann: No, that was before been like that. The video has put the whole thing even more than the crown.

Lorenz: This went on, yes. As the next-tes the rampage in Littleton came ...

As written, the bombers would include, among others Rammstein.

Lindemann: Exactly. We were in Mexico for a concert. Suddenly we had read in the newspaper: "This band is forbidden" and "Germany is ashamed of Rammstein". We did not even go home. But the international success that has well compensated. So we thought, "Screw you but us ass!"

Mr. Lorenz, you have to even notice, the assassin of Littleton, for example, would have eaten white bread, from which one could derive as much or little. How are you today with this statement?

Lorenz: I stick to it. It's obvious that people who are doing well and not have problems in life, rather than hear music in the direction of Rammstein bank employees. This music is perhaps also there. But that's about it already. The result is nothing.

Lindemann: I've got a very good book recommendation: "I hate and I love it." The diary excerpts are the two assassins, highly interesting. This is really good. One of which, amazingly, has written great poems.

German identity is an issue that has started in the discussion about Rammstein always played an important role. Today, black-red-gold flags normal seas to the World Cup, which was in the mid nineties unthinkable. What has changed?

Lorenz: Since the turn of last twenty years, there is a lot more relaxed now seen.


In Madison Square Garden is the head of the Jewish Theater in New York, Rammstein has asked whether the German guilt is part of the music. How do you deal with such questions? 

Lindemann: This is one of them, for us anyway. This collective guilt is a generational story. Our children are the charges and debt issues probably do not get heard.

Lorenz: Our fathers have experienced the war and yet it tells us when we were younger. When we went to Poland as a child, we were always treated with hostility, just because we came from Germany, which does not forget so quickly.

But how far this awareness influenced artistic creation?

Lorenz: It already has a certain respect, being careful, of course.

They have stressed many times that you have no identity card called the FRG, but only a passport, and found the West anyway stupid. Would you say: "I'm German" or "I'm an East German"?

Lindemann: Flake is GDR citizens, still, he will die as a GDR citizen. Flake goes away on holiday not. Maximum of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains or to the Baltic, which gives him. We always go in the summer together with our children in the Mecklenburg Lake District. This is totally cool.

Lorenz: For me it's difficult. When I was a GDR citizen, there was the FRG, the FRG and I was stupid. Suddenly I had to be part of something that I was shit. The FRG-flag I find ugly today.

Funnily enough, one hears the acronym BRD barely. You are probably one of the last of using the abbreviation active.

Lorenz: Well, that's not the FRG here?

Of course, but nobody says that. Explore both still as GDR citizens?

Lindemann: No, but I have a strong attachment to traditions of the GDR. I think it's crap, for example, that there is no more carnival, but Halloween is celebrated. This whole "detraditionalization" disturbs me greatly, there are no more authenticity. Many things I lack.

What specifically do you miss what used to be better?

Lindemann: ZB Fruckeneintopf in the restaurant. A silly example, I admit, but it goes up to the ideal values ​​interact with each other, the willingness to help. That for education and medical care had to pay anything. In this rich country could also be regulated today, many social things, but no one gets down to business. On the contrary. I do not need 25 types of pasta. Flown in from far away and this is the dirty environment. The tomatoes come from Spain. However, there are actually enough fields and many unemployed. Nobody needs two cars. There's so much nonsense happened, unbelievable.

Lorenz: Our pioneering card was a pioneer bid, we help older people. On the tram, the children got up, so that grandma could sit down. I never went to fields, because it meant that you so trample people's own bread. Prior to that had all respect, that you break anything, what is there for the community. The total is now missing.

That sounds surprisingly ostalgisch and transfiguring. You could also talk about economy of scarcity and lack of freedoms. Richard is a member of her band fled from before the turn. Are there things that you see looking back critically?

Lindemann: That was not the question. Ostalgisch is absolutely no one of us. We could just as well and a long talk about the critical things, but the question was, what we miss, what time was better for us.

Makes work more fun when there is a clearly identifiable enemy?

Lorenz: Yes. In the West, is actually the system of the opponent. But that is no longer so clearly palpable. Is it the media, it is the industry's policy?

But you definitely benefit greatly from the system ...

Lorenz: Oh yeah, we also live in it. But there is a lot we do not find good, and we try to peck.

You once said you fight the system by giving it away the money. This should probably be ironic, but was taken literally.

Lorenz: I thought it was funny, but it was not. I have since not think. That is also total nonsense, because the money paid even at the end of the fan

The "mirror" wrote not too long again, Rammstein is the aesthetic revenge of the East on the West. How do you respond today to such criticism?

Lorenz: Mostly, we perceive no such thing. From the East, we have taken the mentality that we believe we have done something wrong when we are praised by the press, because it virtually state-recognized, so dead. Bad review was a recognition in principle. This is still a little bit. As long as the media "star" or "mirror" hate us, the world is in order.