Best/Worst of 2023 Europe Stadium Tour

Our crew members and contributors were asked the following:

– Best/worst concert of the tour
– Favourite/least favourite live song
– Best/worst pavement to sleep on
– Favourite/least favourite live effect
– Favourite/least favourite stage antic
– Favourite/least favourite concert memory
– Favourite/least favourite tour memory
– Favourite photo (official/unofficial)
– Funniest photo (official/unofficial)

Best concert of the tour

KidArctica: This is a really difficult choice, but Brussels 2 was simply fantastic. The band was in a great mood, they were extremely playful, and they surprised me with their interactions. Plus, I didn’t have to leave afterwards knowing that it was all over.

Sez: Berlin 3 (18.07.2023). That show was insane for me – and incredibly memorable. First off, I love the Olympiastadion. It’s definitely my favourite stadium for the band to play in. The reasons for that can be read in the two blog posts about the Berlin shows, hehe. On top of that, we had a banger front row group assembled and were in a super good mood. Then we made Paul dance during Puppe by showing him some signs we made the day before and his reaction was amazing – the band and Paul especially were on fire that day in general. And then… after Ohne dich, Paul suddenly came down to front row to thank us all! This was not the last time he did this, but it was so unexpected and incredibly special for me. I had the absolute time of my life.

Admin: 15 July 2023, Berlin. Because Berlin had most of my friends being part of the front row crowd. The band was in a good mood and visibly had fun during the show. Singing Wo bist du? and Stirb nicht vor mir with a lot of people around felt magical. Plus the rain during the show was very refreshing and came in with a perfect timing, which really added to the overall atmosphere of the concert.

Mrzetti: Berlin 16.07.2023

Gerard: Bern day 1

Anna: Groningen 2

C.: Munich day 1 (07.06.). This concert was an emotional rollercoaster. The energy was unmatched and I will never forget this concert. Eine Liebe, ein Versprechen! <3

Roxsfoxs: Second Budapest concert was the best.

Christian J. Weber: First thought: All. I would not like to miss any. Best concert: 2nd Groningen, 1st Berlin, 2nd Vienna. 2nd Groningen: Till came to the first row during Deutschland RMX with five drumsticks. I got the 4th of them from him. 1st Berlin: I made it to the first row in Berlin, this is just insane. 2nd Vienna: It was the last concert for which I had Feuerzone tickets, I just enjoyed it.

Worst concert of the tour

KidArctica: None of them were bad, really. But since I need to pick one, it would have to be Groningen 1, where the entry was bad, and the band was less energetic on stage (the difference was enormous between that show and the second day in Groningen, which was one of the best concerts of the tour).

Sez: Wow, I’m having a hard time naming any concert as the “worst” one. To be clear, I absolutely loved every single concert. They were all incredible, even if this one is titled the “worst concert of the tour” for me… but I’ll say Munich 3. All the other Munich shows had something which made them incredibly special to me, and compared to that, the show on the third day falls behind just a little bit. It was still a great show, but the energy just wasn’t there for me quite as much as on the other shows of the tour.

Admin: 07 July 2023, Groningen. Honestly, this is just to not miss mentioning something here. The show was amazing. This was just the “worst” because of the long run from the entry to the FZ. That’s it. Nothing more made this the “worst” concert.

Mrzetti: Munich 10.06.2023 (only beause seats)

Gerard: Munich day 1

Anna: Berlin 2

C.: Padova (01.07.) – during my trip to south Europe I became ill (thank you ac) and was not really able to enjoy the concert because I had trouble breathing and was completely exhausted.

Roxsfoxs: Paris was worst personally for me because a woman next to me tried to force me off the railing and kept hitting me with her elbow. The band performed so good tho, and the little pain on my side didn’t matter.

Christian J. Weber: Second thought. The worst concerts were the four in Munich, because I missed them. The worst concert I visited was the first in Vienna. I got into a fight during the show because I had a seat, and there was no security around to get the people away from the stairs. So we had to move them away, some were drunk and did not want to leave, many people could not see anything. It ended up in a beer shower and a foot kick to my jaw. Last year the show at a seat in Lyon was perfect – it is very depending on the stadium and the security guards, if a seat is going to be a good concert.

Favourite live song

KidArctica: Sehnsucht. Hands down.

Sez: Du riechst so gut. Ever since first hearing that song live, it just makes me go wild. I don’t know what it is about it, but no matter how exhausted I already am at that point in the show, the moment that riff hits, I’m practically flying off the ground (if I’m not completely getting squished from all sides, that is). Oh, and it has some of the coolest pyro effects as well, which helps the song a lot.

Admin: Du riechst so gut. The song just slaps hard live. It gets you going, jumping, headbanging. Whatever you do. It’s a really heavy stomper. And an amazing song in general.

Mrzetti: Bestrafe mich

Gerard: Ohne dich

Anna: Sonne

C.: SONNE SONNE SONNE!!! You can’t beat that song!

Roxsfoxs: Favourites are Du riechst so gut and Rammstein – DRSG just hits me every time with the riff, the green lights, the head bangs and the freeze. And the beginning of Rammstein always gives me shivers and then worries as I wait when Paul fries his fingers with fire.

Christian J. Weber: Sonne, Ohne dich

Least favourite live song

KidArctica: I would say Du hast piano version, but since that’s not Rammstein playing it, it has to be Giftig.

Sez: This one is kind of difficult as well. I do love the entire setlist of the 2023 tour. However, if I have to name a “least favourite” song, that would probably be Rammlied. That might also just be my broken Armee der Tristen-loving heart talking, but the song itself just isn’t really my favourite. The whole concert intro is still awesome, especially now that they have properly changed it up from last year, but I would definitely not be sad if they replaced the intro song again…

Admin: Deutschland. Since 2019 the song just doesn’t do it for me. It feels less energetic live than it does on the album.

Mrzetti: Deutschland RMX

Gerard: Deutschland Remix

Anna: Giftig

C.: Deutschland! I think the song doesn’t bring as much energy live as it does on CD.

Roxsfoxs: The one I am not so much into is Bestrafe mich, because I find it dull. Altho, it is so exhilarating to follow how one Brazilian diehard fan goes crazy every time they perform this song.

Christian J. Weber: Pussy

Best pavement to sleep on

KidArctica: Since it was going to rain in Brussels, we got a tent for that, so Stade Roi Baudouin wins this. Our little tent camp was pretty cosy.

Sez: Berlin. Nice and even, the ground wasn’t too cold and overall, the experience there was quite good – I got some fairly decent hours of sleep in (although there was rain the second night). I’ve had way worse nights at home in my own bed.

Admin: I only slept in front of the Olympiastadion on 15 July. So that was both, best and worst. Can’t really compare it to any other pavement.

Mrzetti: Hotel bed

Gerard: Bern

Anna: Vienna 1

C.: The cobblestone path in front of the Munich Olympic Stadium was quite comfortable. I slept surprisingly well there.

Roxsfoxs: I slept like a baby in Berlin next to my friends.

Christian J. Weber: Berlin 1st night. It was warm and the nicest people were around.

Worst pavement to sleep on

KidArctica: While I got my hands and face covered in bird flea bites outside Stade de France, it was not the worst night I had (more like the worst days after due to the intense itch I developed). I think I have to say Helsinki. It was incredibly, incredibly cold. The first night there was absolutely freezing. Luckily we got to borrow some clothes and insulation to sleep on for the second night.

Sez: Vilnius, hands down. It being the first show, we were a little less prepared than for later shows and we thought just emergency blankets would be fine. Turns out it wasn’t, and I really couldn’t sleep on that ground. I was super cold, I had little to no cushioning at all and there were so. Many. Mosquitos! I was constantly occupied with fairly successfully sucker-punching mosquitos, but I was still bitten multiple times. Gnarly things.

Admin: I only slept in front of the Olympiastadion on 15 July. So that was both, best and worst. Can’t really compare it to any other pavement.

Mrzetti: Hotel bed xD

Gerard: Berlin

Anna: Berlin 2 – there was a storm and I didn’t have a tent!

C.: The pavement in front of the Ernst-Happel-Stadium in Vienna was really uncomfortable.

Roxsfoxs: Worst was everywhere where I was freezing, like Brussels in the rain.

Christian J. Weber: Padova, I arrived at 3 o’clock, there were already more than 20 people in the queue. I drove 6 hours and needed to get some sleep, the people in the queue had tents. I went to my bus and slept until 9 o’clock, as I returned to the queue, there were already more than 70 people.

Favourite live effect

KidArctica: The smoke mines as the chorus kicks in during Mein Herz brennt were absolutely stunning paired with the red lighting.

Sez: The Sonne pyro, especially at the end of the song. The intensity of the continuous pyro jets just keeps on building and building, until you almost feel like it’s getting too much – and then the song is done. It’s simply awesome. You don’t just see the concert, you quite literally feel it on your skin.

Admin: The cannon during Du hast. The rockets flying back to the stage and then all the explosions going off all at once, make it look absolutely amazing.

Mrzetti: Rammlied elevator

Gerard: Intro of Sehnsucht

Anna: Last pyro shots in Sonne

C.: The flames during Sonne of course!

Roxsfoxs: Paul and Richard’s guitar flame throwers.

Christian J. Weber: The fire in Sonne, rockets in Du hast

Least favourite live effect

KidArctica: By now, I have seen Till trying to cook Flake so many times that I don’t even notice the flamethrowers much anymore. Luckily, there are plenty of things going on in the background!

Sez: Probably the burning heart flare during Mein Herz brennt. I feel like the massive stage is making that small effect lose a lot of its power and it just feels a little small and insignificant compared to other effects.

Admin: The carriage during Puppe. I don’t see the use for it myself, honestly. It just stands there. Does not add to the scene of the stage or add anything to the song. It just stands there, burns and then it’s gone again.

Mrzetti: Deutschland RMX stick dance

Gerard: Flare of Mein Herz brennt.

Anna: None (if really needed: Till’s heart fire in Mein Herz brennt)

C.: I love them all!

Roxsfoxs: This one is hard… Maybe… Maybe Puppe camera? I don’t know why tho.

Christian J. Weber: Effects during Sehnsucht

Favourite stage antic

KidArctica: Oliver Riedel’s Puppe outro dance.

Sez: Pretty much Paul’s whole persona on stage. There are too many awesome little moments of him just doing his goofy thing.

Admin: Paul tasting the Flake soup during Mein Teil. And judging Till as a meh-cook.

Mrzetti: Crazy Till

Gerard: When Richard, Paul and Christoph play each other in Mein Teil when Till prepares the flamethrower.

Anna: Any Pauling behavior

C.: Paul, Schneider and Richard dancing during Mein Teil while Till burns Flake in the cooking pot.

Roxsfoxs: Paul during Mein Teil

Christian J. Weber: Any interaction they make when they are happy

Least favourite stage antic

KidArctica: Christoph Schneider making a heart with his hands was nice in the start, but became such a cliché after he’d done it several times each concert.

Sez: Till hitting his head on various things. Please just stop, that poor forehead!

Admin: Olli and Richard during the “Du riechst so gut” headbanging walk. They could use a little more headbanging motion, just like the rest of the band.

Mrzetti: No antics

Gerard: There’s probably a moment in Puppe where Richard isn’t playing and it looks like he’s shooing away flies.

Anna: Till’s twerking

C.: There is none.

Roxsfoxs: B-stage singing

Christian J. Weber: None

Favourite concert memory

KidArctica: When Oliver Riedel leaned out of the boat and handed me one of his bass picks.

Sez: Paul coming down and saying thank you to the people in front at the third Berlin show. Indescribable.

Admin: How could I ever forget Paul coming off stage towards me and handing me his stage-used guitar pick? That’ll be engraved in my brain forever.

Mrzetti: I love seeing friends enjoy the show 😀

Gerard: When I managed to avoid spoiling any setlist until Helsinki, and they played Ohne dich.

Anna: Going crazy and headbanging with friends during Sonne and Du riechst so gut

C.: Paul kissing my hand in Berlin day 3 (18.07.) and Brussels day 1 (03.08.)!

Roxsfoxs: I got to gift Paul a self-made doll and he shook my hand and said thank you.

Christian J. Weber: When I got a drumstick from Till

Least favourite concert memory

KidArctica: The entry of Brussels 1.

Sez: That might be the entry on the second Munich show.

Admin: I’ll say it. “Engel” in its piano version is really boring. Ever since they started playing it, I felt super bored and my mood going from super excited and happy to standing there and waiting for it to be over. I never liked it. And I never will.

Mrzetti: Without going into much detail: a drunk fan after the third show in Munich.

Gerard: Probably the entrance of Munich on day 1. There were three bottlenecks, and people were entering from everywhere…

Anna: The end of the Brussels 3 show

C.: The entrance in Brussels day 1 (03.08.). That shit was frightening!

Roxsfoxs: Maybe the woman in Paris who fought me.

Christian J. Weber: That Gerard was separated in Berlin 1st show, he could not stand next to Anna and me

Favourite tour memory

KidArctica: All the wonderful people I got to experience the tour with. Without them, there is no way I would go to so many concerts.

Sez: Running into Schneider, Olli and Paul in Vilnius – or rather, them running into us! This might be a little stretch to count as part of the tour, since it was before the public rehearsal show. We were having breakfast in the same place like we already had done the day before, since it was situated right in the ground floor of our hotel building. While munching away, three people suddenly entered the café and we realised in shock that it was indeed Christoph Schneider, Oliver Riedel and Paul Landers. They ate there, while we sat at our table in the corner and tried to not make ourselves look like overly excited fans. After they had finished and were leaving the café, we politely asked them if we were able to take a picture with them. They were super nice about it and so everyone got a photo with the three of them. Just thinking about that moment where they entered the café still makes me completely incredulous. How lucky we were that they chose that random little café to go eat in, the exact one that we had designated as our go-to breakfast place!

Admin: Meeting all my friends in Berlin was amazing. Hanging out with all of them and having fun at the shows felt really special. Everything is better when you can enjoy it together with your friends.

Mrzetti: Being at the rehearsal!

Gerard: I have two, the best of all was inviting my father to his first Rammstein show in Paris. Seeing how much he enjoyed it was incredible, and words can’t describe how happy it made me to see him so joyful. The other one would be something similar, on the third day in Munich. Along with Malin and Caroline, we decided to stand behind the Fz. One of my best friends from Barcelona also joined us, the same friend I attended the first Rammstein concert with in Barcelona back in 2009. Being behind the Fz was also fantastic, as we had a great time, dancing and enjoying the show.

Anna: Seeing all Ramm family faces in the first row in Brussels 3

C.: To meet so many lovely people and share really emotional moments with them – I love all of you!

Roxsfoxs: I got to travel with my friend from country to other and made many new ones while lining up. Also I got to see the excitement of my partner as he saw Rammstein in Berlin. And the happiness of one boy who got to see Rammstein from the front row. Just seeing the happiness this band gives to people makes me also happy.

Christian J. Weber: Padova, I was walking around the stadium and found a way to get into the stadium 6 hours before the doors were opened. Was amazing to be inside in front of the stage without any other people around.

Least favourite tour memory

KidArctica: The allegations and the drama surrounding that.

Sez: Driving home way too early after the Berlin shows so I could be in time for an appointment. Sleep deprivation and six hours of Autobahn driving don’t mix well and I’ll never do such a thing again, unless I feel in the mood to quite possibly crash and die.

Admin: The bad timing of a message, which made me not able to go to the Paris show. Would’ve loved to go there and everything was planned out. In the end two of my friends had to find a different way to get to Paris. I feel really sorry for them.

Mrzetti: No more Pussy after the first few shows 🙁

Gerard: Probably all the controversy our guys have faced throughout the tour has significantly affected everyone’s mood. It was quite noticeable, especially during the first concerts. There were even politicians in Switzerland who wanted to cancel the shows, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.

Anna: Two! A guy next to me throwing up over the rail in Groningen and a girl throwing up in Poland.

C.: Some scary entrances and dealing with people who don’t follow the rules while queueing.

Roxsfoxs: Some bug ate me and my friend while we slept outside the Paris venue, and we were covered with red itching bites.

Christian J. Weber: Groningen, I had to walk 20 minutes to my “bus”, at all other locations I could reach my bus (bed) within 1-5 minutes.