It is always nice to plan a trip to attend a concert in a beautiful country; and the combination of RAMMSTEIN in Lisbon worked just fine towards in this direction. Having booked a hotel near the stadium hosting the concert we had a whole day for some sightseeing and to try to discover as many Metal places as possible. The means of public transport in Lisbon were the best ally to our long walks in the city and left as full with picturesque memories and a promise to repeat this visit.

The stadium is conveniently located near the city's airport (less than 15 minutes by bus) in a highly developed area with excellent modern aesthetics. So, after a hearty meal with beers in Hard Rock Cafe we arrived at the stadium 15 minutes before the starting time. The first impression was that we would lose part of the concert having seen the people waiting to get in but against to our Greek experience the security crew and policemen help everyone to get inside keeping the lines organized having a polite attitude. Well, looking at the attendees I realized that this would not be a pure Metal concert since RAMMSTEIN's industrial and Gothic looks have little to do with the aforementioned genre. Ten minutes after the starting time we got inside and realized that there was a supporting act on-stage called COMBICHRIST.

I am not an electro fan and in fact I despise this type of music so, having two drummers, one keyboard player and a guy who was trying to sing was an almost sound torture for me. The good thing was that there was a nice merchandise stand that made this wait kind of bearable. After half an hour of something-like-music the lights were on giving us the chance to have a look around. The stadium was almost full hosting at about 30,000 people who were patiently waiting for the first RAMMSTEIN live upon Europe. This happened after half an hour when the stadium was dibbed in darkness bringing the German band on-stage with an impressive entrance. The band members started 'demolishing' the brick wall behind the stage while Till Lindemann chose to cut his way through using a flaming torch. The strong lights created an impressive atmosphere sending massive shivers down our spine just before Rammlied hit the speakers with a solid sound wall. Although we knew that in every RAMMSTEIN concert there is an extensive use of fireworks and stage props we were left stoned during this track.

B******* was next and we found ourselves making our way closer to the stage to fully enjoy this audio/visual phenomenon. The stage had many moving parts comprising two huge fans and four cylindrical lights sets that were changing orientation and color according to the music. Waidmanns Heil welcomed the first fires on the stage that sent heat waves to the ecstatic arena. The band was in perfect synchronization with all the effects keeping the show solid and -of course- safe from being burned to the ground... As it is known RAMMSTEIN use the German language in the lyrics and thus it is kind difficult for all the foreign audiences to get connected with the band. In order to avoid this awkward situation RAMMSTEIN have chosen to give an impressive and sometimes dangerous show that has become their reputation keeping the spirits high during the entire show. The word 'dangerous' was underlined during Feuer Frei! where the singer and the two guitarists used flame throwers placed in their mouths literally spiting fire whenever they were singing. Richard Z. Kruspe almost burned his guitar when his flame thrower had a minor malfunction but was 'saved' by one of the stage crew members who adjusted this handmade equipment.

Having such an impressive show with pyrotechnics and lights RAMMSTEIN captured the audience attention for their entire setlist. I am not implying that the music was not capable to keep us interested but the industrial feeling in this music is enjoyed to the maximum with a fitting show. One of the most impressive parts of the show happened during Ich Tu Dir Weh when Lindemann grabbed Christian Flake Lorenz and 'threw' him in a bathtub. Lindemann stepped on a moving platform raising himself three meters above the ground. Then, he lifted a barrel and 'spilt' fire on the tub reaching a climax with many loud explosions. Benzin had one more surprise for us and of course many more flames. At one point the singer pointed the flamethrower on a member of the stage crew and set him on fire! I tell you this was a strong moment since it caught us totally off-guard. RAMMSTEIN always like to push things to the limit and this works in favor of the audience that always likes to get more and more.

The concert was flawlessly produced and kept our interest in high levels without having a single low moment. The band followed exactly the choreography without looking too much cold through the professional looking glass. The audience was in total connection with the on-stage festivities even though in times was just watching trying to absorb everything that the Germans did. The first encore found the band doing three songs while the second and last one comprised Seemann and Engel. During Seemann Christian Flake did the boat thingie and set sails on top the hands of the RAMMSTEIN fans. Engel brought the concert into a powerful ending leaving everyone in the stadium more than satisfied having witnessed the first date of -what I believe- the most successful tour by the Germans. Can this be their last one?

RAMMSTEIN setlist:

01. Rammlied
02. B*******
03. Waidmanns Heil
04. Keine Lust
05. Weisses Fleisch
06. Wiener Blut
07. Feuer Frei!
08. Fruhling In Paris
09. Ich Tu Dir Weh
10. Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da
11. Benzin
12. Links 2-3-4
13. Du Hast
14. Pussy

Encore1
15. Sonne
16. Haifisch
17. Ich Will
Encore2
18. Seemann
19. Engel

(photos by the seemann)

RAMMSTEIN