Unfassbar!

Entrance:
I was one of the first people to line up early in the morning. There were three gates. During the day it was really cold, people were constantly warming themselves up by drinking hot drinks and covering themselves with the survival sheets. Some drank beer to keep them warm, a technique I haven’t tried yet.

Once the entry came, our gate was held back for minutes and they didn’t state why, which made the whole entrance way more chaotic and stressful than it should have been. So the entry could have been much better.

Place/seat and view:
I was first row to the very right side. A decent spot considering the fact we were let inside much later than others. I had a great view on all the stage and had enough space to move.

Opener:
Our opener was Aesthetic Perfection, who as always, brings the beat! Their interaction with the audience is excellent and I like the song choices too. Compared to Leipzig either my spot made a difference or actually the sound was better and I could hear Daniel Graves’s vocals very clear, which I obviously liked, since he has a really great voice. Mike Schopf was great on drums, Lore Jarocinski and Noizith were full of energy and power.

Band:
My first shows of the tour were Leipzig and Amsterdam so my comparison is based on those shows. I must say I liked Düsseldorf the best. I felt like the show had really come together into one, they have made some chances, like singing Übers Meer fully, which made me happy, since I really like that song.

Emily Ruvidich threw guitar picks into the audience, Till Lindemann started the Platz eins bubble dance to the audience from the right side which was different in Leipzig, he started from the left. He also passed the first row after and clapped people’s hands. Danny Lohner actually passed the first row after the show, too. Brynn Route’s contortion and pole skills are amazing, as someone’s who has done contortion, my eyes naturally draw on her and she never disappoints. Krissy Kaminski was full of energy and Joe Letz of course slayed the drums as he always does.

For me yesterday’s concert would be 9/10.

Music:
The sound was great, vocals were clear and nothing was overshadowing another. Pleasant for the ears.

Favorite moment:
My favourite moment was hearing Übers Meer live fully for the first time. Since the release of the album, it has been one of my favourites and it made me happy to hear it fully. Also speaking from the audience perspective, I had people next to me who were also really interactive and it made me really happy when all three of us headbanged fully synchronized. It makes the vibe really fun!

Total experience:
My total experience was ruined a bit by the entrance, but it’s not something I could control and that’s the risk you always take while queueing early. This time it went that way. But the show made up for the entry 100 % and my experience was in the end really nice. Ready to do it again!

Admin

Entrance:
Lots of people were already present when doors opened. Some even for hours since 4 in the morning from what I heard. That’s some dedication to camp outside the venue in these freezing temperatures.

Place:
For this show I stood at the rail in front of FOH, which was all the way back of the golden circle. Standing in the back offers a nice panoramic view and lets you see things you definitely would miss when being in front row.

Opener:
Aesthetic Perfection are always awesome live. If they should ever be close to you, make sure to go and see them. You won’t be disappointed.

Band:
This was my second show of this tour, after Amsterdam. So it was my first time seeing Emily and Danny on the risers, which was a fun change for me. All in all the band put on a great show and it was fun seeing them enjoy themselves on stage.

Music:
I am really happy that “Übers Meer” is now being played in its entirety and not only partly.

Favorite moment:
Emily and Danny on the risers.

Total experience:
It was once again a great concert and if I have the chance to again – I will.

Entrance:
I have to admit that I was impressed by the brave souls who queued from early morning outside of PSD Bank Dome. It was fairly cold to begin with, but the wind made it downright freezing. This made it even worse that some of those who had waited the longest, those in one out of the three lines, got pushed back when the doors opened. Those people had deserved a better entrance.

This was the first of the shows I have been to this year that had a golden circle. Once inside the pit, there was an extra checkpoint to get through, but instead of just looking for the golden circle wristband, they also scanned the ticket. A few band guests ran into a problem because of this – they had the wristband, but their tickets were for general admission only, not golden circle, so they got denied entrance to the front area. It seemed to get sorted out eventually, but it was a little unfortunate.

Place:
I was in the front on the far right. The stage was a higher up than for many of the other shows, and as I’m not that tall, I could only see the musicians from the knee and up. It was also difficult to see Brynn when she was on the ground on her platform.

A big plus with the spot, was that during Blut, the water from the overhead sprinkler didn’t reach me. With freezing temperatures outside, it is always nice to have dry clothes. I was still within cake reach, though.

Opener:
I have already talked about Aesthetic Perfection in my earlier reviews, and I still think they are a brilliant opener. One of the things I haven’t mentioned about them, is that they don’t always play the same set list. While some of the songs are staples, others are swapped in and out: Monochrome, Summer Goth (where they bring out beach balls that they throw into the audience!), and Self Inflicted. For those who would like to hear the songs played on tour, they have made a Spotify playlist with all the songs.

Band:
Düsseldorf was show number twelve this tour, and for me, it was the fifth concert I attended. I have already been amazed at how quickly this new band constellation found together on stage, and the chemistry is still wonderful. Even Till is engaging more with his band mates, it seems like he has discovered new uses for Brynn’s platform. Earlier shows, he has used it for stretching, and in Düsseldorf, he leaned on it, perhaps for a little rest while singing?

This was the first time this tour that the band played concerts two consecutive days. They came straight from a concert the night before in Paris, but Till seemed lively and in a great mood, and the response from the audience was good. “Unfassbar“, he said after Prostitution, and during Skills in Pills, he decided that two of the blue pills wasn’t enough – instead, he went for “I take five, just to be sure!“

After his trip in the disco ball during Platz eins, he came to the front row again, stopping in the centre to rile up the crowd during the “hey!”s while Krissy slapped her bass on her riser. As Till passed by the front though, someone decided it was a good idea (it is really not) to briefly grab him and hold him back. The person earned a stern look and an “EY!” – luckily for them, that was all.

I really like that the band still keeps evolving the show. In Düsseldorf, Brynn had some new lights on her keyboard platform, which gave a pretty cool effect when they were on.

It is always lovely when the band interacts with the crowd, and like in Lisbon, Danny headed down to the front to do some high fives after the show was over. I think that is a really nice gesture of him. That said, I still want to see him drop his jacket during the show, and I have high hopes that it will happen next time I see them!

Another thing I still wish for, is a bow together at the front of the stage. Not sure it will ever happen, but I feel like the band has grown into a solid unit, and being able to applaud them while they stand all together, and not spaced out on the back ledge, would be fantastic.

Music:
I have to admit that I miss Entre dos tierras on the set list. It is a great song, and I loved seeing them play it in Spain.

Something that seems to happen often, is that songs I normally don’t listen to, turn out to be really good live. I have mentioned before how Übers Meer has grown on me, and the next song on that list is Prostitution. I still think it’s very similar to other songs in the Till Lindemann catalogue, but it works really well live. Two times I have had that damn song stuck in my head (and it is a bit weird to walk around singing those lyrics).

Oh and a digression: Because the stage is often covered by a thin layer of smoke, I have never before realised that the dancer during Tanzlehrerin is wearing pointe shoes. Mind blown!

Favorite moment:
I’m not sure if “favourite” is the best choice of words here, but getting caked by Emily was certainly memorable. She had already thrown cake, and I thought I was safe – but then she grabbed a last one, came straight towards my area, and the look in her eyes told me I was screwed. So I accepted my fate, got cake all over my neck, left shoulder, and my shoe. Emily did throw me a pick later as a consolation, and I still love her, of course.

Also, I realised that my thin wool t-shirt is really practical. Not only is it warm in cold weather, it also stays warm when wet. So after spending half an hour in the bathroom washing cake off it, I could put it back on and not freeze.

Total experience:
Düsseldorf was another solid concert for Till Lindemann band. Worth mentioning is that there was new merch available for this show. There was a new hat with the “military patch” on the front which costs 30 Euro, and there was also a toy fish with Till Lindemann print on it! The fish costs 20 Euro and it is originally a cat toy with a USB-C chargeable mechanism inside that makes it wriggle. It is possible to remove the mechanism from it (so it can also be washed), and then you’re left with just the soft plush fish. I would personally have preferred a pure plush toy, some of the ones they have thrown at the audience were super cute, but this one was fascinating enough for me to buy it nonetheless.

This was my first concert after the two fantastic shows I went to in Spain, where we got one super intimate venue, Till walking through the crowd instead of being in his bubble, plus an extra song. It may be a little unfair to compare this show to those. At the same time it is impossible not to. Düsseldorf didn’t have those very special moments, but it was still a very good and enjoyable concert, and I’m grateful to have been there.

8/10