Rammstein
LG Arena, Birmingham NEC
Concert review by Ian Harvey

There may have been a winter chill outside but Birmingham’s LG Arena was turned into a furnace inside as German rockers Rammstein made an explosive return to the Midlands.

“Other bands play, Rammstein burn” is a motto the six-piece band more than lived up to last night, with an astonishing array of pyrotechnics deployed throughout almost the entire 100-minute show in front of 15,000 delirious fans.

See our concert photo gallery below

The music was equally intense, a barrage of industrial metal guitars, stabbing symphonic synths and Till Linderman’s vocals, part whispered, part growled, part bellowed . . . and mostly in German.

From flamethrowers to firebombs, exploding babies and towers of flame, they seem to set off more effects in one song than Kiss use in an entire show!

There was even time to set one errant “fan” ablaze and pour a vat of fire over bonkers keyboard player Christian “Flake” Lorenz, not to mention the rather naughty foam cannon during the one English language song in the set (which this review can’t mention because it breaks Parental Guidance laws).

With a set that included most of the band’s latest album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, as well as crowd favourites Kleine Lust, Du Hast and Engel there were plenty of opportunities for the Birmingham crowd to sing along, apparently in word perfect Deutsch.

Engel (German for Angel) saw Linderman sporting enormous, metallic angel’s wings which bellowed giant explosions of fire. Truly a gig like no other.