Still Evolving

Entrance:
There were much less people at the entrance when doors opened than I thought there would be. But the venue also wasn’t sold out.

Place:
Front row always offers a nice view. The lights at the front of the stage sometimes directly shined into your eyes, which was annoying and is a front row exclusive problem. But it’s bearable.

Opener:
This was my 14th time seeing the band live. So I guess you can say that I enjoy their live shows a lot. And this one was no different. AP always put on an amazing show.

Band:
The band seemed to be in a good mood and they visibly enjoyed the show. It is amazing how much Krissy Kaminski and Brynn Route already feel like a part of the band, even though this was only their second show.

Music:
The setlist was good. I miss Zunge, because I really enjoyed Emily Ruvidich‘s harmonies during the chorus. On the other hand I am really happy that Gummi got kicked off the setlist.

Favorite moment:
Tough question. I think hearing Du hast kein Herz and Übers Meer live was amazing. Both are easily among the best songs on Till Lindemann‘s album. And I love how much water now is coming down during Blut.

Total experience:
Overall it was an awesome concert. I miss Zunge and don’t see any use in the two dancers being on stage, but well. I will still come back!

KidArctica

Entrance:
There were no stairs this time, though after gates, there was quite a bit of distance to cover to make it into the hall. While some people queued outside since early in the morning, the entrance seemed to come down to a run, and some of those who had waited the longest didn’t make it to the front.

Place/seat and view:
I had front row fairly in the centre. The view was excellent. This time I was able to see Joe Letz from the front while he was playing, which is always a spectacle! I also had a great view of Brynn and Emily, plus of course Till when he was front and centre.

The band was heavy on the smoke on stage, which often made it hard to see the musicians, especially those in the back row. I would have wished for a little less smoke, and maybe even a little more light on some of the performers at times, but of course, that is being picky. Also, the row of lights placed at the front of the stage sometimes pointed straight towards the audience and blinded me so that I couldn’t see anything.

In Amsterdam, the back screen seemed to fail at some point, which meant that the back projections disappeared until the screen was fixed later in the set. Quite frankly, I didn’t even mind, as I like to watch the musicians anyway.

I also liked that the dancers were less prominent at the very start before they moved forward on the stage. This highlighted the band more at that first, dramatic moment when the stage curtain falls.

Opener:
The Amsterdam crowd seemed a little more reserved during the Aesthetic Perfection set than the Leipzig one, but the band always delivers. I love the interactions between the band members, it truly seems like they enjoy playing together.

Band:
First show of a tour can be daunting, and with that out of the way, the band seemed more relaxed in Amsterdam. There were more smiles, more energy, and they generally appeared to have more fun on stage!

When the audience was properly wet from the huge amount of water that had rained down on them during Blut (the sprinklers are now hanging from the roof rather than being placed at the front of the stage), it was time for cakes in Allesfresser. This time, more of the band members took part in the cake throwing, while Joe generously shared his tampons. In Leipzig, he pulled them out of his mouth during Fish On.

Speaking about Fish on, one of the major changes was made to the intro of that song. During the first show, Krissy played a bass intro while Danny Lohner rolled Joe in and pulled fish after fish out of his “female parts”. This time, Danny wore a white coat, a scrub cap, a face mask, and a stethoscope. What exactly he listened for when holding the stethoscope against Joe’s butt is uncertain, but also this time, he managed to deliver a fish! There was only one fish birth this time, which almost felt a little short – the whole session was over in less than a minute. I found it enjoyable though, even more so than the first time because of the “acting”, and I would have wanted it to last longer.

This time there was also a small fish catapult that Till triggered after the birthing session. Unfortunately, the catapult wasn’t strong enough, and most of the fish landed in the gap between the stage and the audience.

Till Lindemann often passed by the front row after going through the crowd during Platz eins in the red era. In Amsterdam, he did this again, and it is always nice to see Till interact with the crowd.

Music:
I haven’t been a big fan of Übers Meer, but after seeing it live twice, I have to admit that the song is growing on me. The oooh-ing part is not as prominent, and the laser visuals for this song are stunning. The same goes for the lasers during Tanzlehrerin – beautiful. It is also visually powerful when Till slowly slides off the stage on the treadmill at the back platform. I think these new effects really add to the show.

While the transition from Übers Meer to Knebel feels a little forced, I think that it’s probably a smart choice to not play the full Knebel with two ballads already in the set. That said, I think that Till’s voice is great for ballads. One of my favourite Lindemann songs is Wer weiß das schon, and while I don’t think that will ever happen, it would have been a dream to hear that one live.

Favourite moment:
Seeing the band enjoy themselves while playing is always fantastic.

Total experience:
This second concert was even better than the first one. It seems like the band is still figuring out some things, so the show may still change. Sadly I won’t be able to go to the next few concerts, but I am really looking forward to seeing how the show will evolve over the course of the tour.

8/10