Rammstein in Belarus: show was successful despite of attempts of censorship (Photo, video)
77- 8.03.2010, 4:09
A long-awaited gig of the scandalous German band in Minsk has taken place: many blasts, lots of fire and no problems.
Belarus has never seen such a show before. “We have been waiting for half a year, they played for an hour and a half, but we have an impression that only a minute has passed!!!” with such words exhausted, wet listeners (listeners were not only “made dry” by fire, but poured by foam), but happy young people were leaving the arena, “Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus” writes.
Besides, it was the first big concert for Minsk-Arena, only sporting events took place there before. And everything was perfect for the first concert: almost no queues to cloakrooms or toilets, guards (though there many of them), a bar. By the way, there was no alcohol at the concert. It’s true the public had to wait for the stars: the concert officially started at 7 p.m., but there was nobody for an hour, and at about 8 p.m. Combichrist band playing as a warm-up, took the stage.
Rammstein musicians were obviously impressed by the public. They knew that before their arrival to Minsk a scandal sparkled in Minsk, and the Council on Morality called upon banning the concert. We do not know whether it made musicians sad or amused. But they were told that the group had been accused of propaganda of homosexuality, violence, cruelty and even of obscene speech. German newspapers could not overlook the topic, they have written about “enemy number one for Belarus” and that “the band would crush and destroy the Belarusian self- consciousness identity which is rather fragile yet… and finally destroy the Belarusian statehood”.
Fortunately the concert has taken place. But they say the reaction to the band in Belarus impressed the musicians so much that there was no press-conference or any communication with the public, except for the concert and autograph signing session of the drummer.
The performance itself went off supremely. The Belarusian audience has impressed the Germans not less than their fire show impressed Belarusians.
Till Lindemann, the lead vocalist, hadn’t expected that the dance floor of several thousands people would sing in German “Du hast mich” or “Ich hab' keine lust” as one, and “You have a pussy” in English was performed well.
In front of the stage fans placed several German flags, and in general there were 3 or four German flags in the audience, which pleased the Germans glad too.
- Rammstein have been pleased so much that they want to create a film about their show in Belarus! – The rumours were heard. During the concert a camera and a cameraman were looked for for the German musicians, and shooting was organized by them. So it is possible that the concert in Minsk would appear somewhere, at least in German musical news.
And in the end of the show, during the last song, a real resin boat with one of the musicians appeared in the performance hall. Belarusians were carrying the boat in their hands around the dance-floor, and then returned to the stage carefully. It is not a new idea, Rammstein does so in every city.
The show in Minsk looked the same as in Berlin, Moscow, Vilnius… it was the Lithuanian capital from which Rammstein arrived to us. The stage and equipment were transported in several trucks: the caravan was a kilometre long! In order to install everything, about 40 technicians are travelling with Rammstein, and the rest of the personnel were hired in Minsk.
The group has come with the new album, “Liebe ist fur alle da”. But for some reason this exactly song was not performed in Minsk.
There was a burning man on the stage who was pushed by performers around the stage and then extinguished. Jokers said that it was a symbol of a viewer who came to the stage without permission. There was a musician placed into a bath-tube on the stage, and fire lava was poured on him. Viewers from first rows could see that he managed to escape though the bottom of the bath-tube in order to emerge near his place at the keyboard in a quicksilver costume.
In the course of the concert there was much fire on the stage: fire in the hands of musicians, fire flames over and under the stage, fireworks, fire lava and balls over the heads of the audience, and the burning wings of the frontman. In general, it was absolutely unforgettable show for the unspoiled Belarusian public.
