Lyrics

I'm feeling my creativity quickening. You know, the basis on which this site was founded. I'm planning to get back to LILTing, but I've also had little sparks of original verse bursting through the medicated haze (which I, very stupidly, haven't been writing down), so I will also be resurrecting lyrics.LILT.me. If you're interested in poetry, creative processes, lyrics, or just general creative writing, you might enjoy it. If you're just here for Rammstein news and such then stick with LILT only.

Update

I have updated the Melbourne set-list with Jamie 21s corrections.

Melbourne BDO Set-List

This comes courtesy of Jamie21:

Rammlied
Waidmanns Heil
Keine Lust
Feuer Frei!
Weiner Blut
Ich Tu Dir Weh
Du Riechst So Gut
Benzin
Links 2-3-4
Du Hast
Sonne
Ich Will
Pussy

This was originally Anastasia's list but I have edited it in response to Jamie's post. Correction was then made to order after SeanceMascara commented. Thanks to all three for their information.

#LoveRammstein @LILTrammstein

I'm conducting a whimsical and spur-of-the-moment experiment. Please ask your followers to tweet #LoveRammstein. I want to see what we can pull off with this as a Twitter trend.

Rammstein Signing Session

Rammstein are engaging in another signing session at BDO Melbourne, those of you attending should place yourselves in the queue that will form in front of the channel V tent reasonably well in advance of 1630 hrs, when it begins. This information comes courtesy of Jamie21, my favorite Rammstein cover artist. Have a great 21st, Jamie!

Lindemann Munster

A Flickr user has posted a picture of Till from BDO Auckland, in which (because of that ghastly lipstick) he bears a slight resemblance to Herman Munster from the 60s TV show, 'The Munsters', played by Fred Gwynne. Gwynne and Lindemann in reality look nothing alike, but it's worth noting that Gwynne had a gorgeous voice too, though I have no idea if he could sing.

Yes, these are the kinds of connections the mind makes when befoodled with the medications I am on for my back right now.

BDO Australia Set-List

Just for you:

1. Rammlied
2. Waidmanns Heil
3. Keine Lust
4. Ich tu' dir weh
5. Feuer frei
6. Wiener Blut
7. Links 2 3 4
8. Benzin
9. Du riescht so gut
10. Du hast
11. Sonne
12. Ich will
13. Pussy

SoundSpike's BDO Review

One of SoundSpike's contributors has posted his BDO review. The bit you're after is:

Without any doubt, the most anticipated act of the day was Rammstein. The German fire freaks did not disappoint. Pyrotechnics and thundering apocalypse metal are a tried and true combo, however Rammstein takes it to an entirely new level. There are times during the set in which the stage literally turns into the surface of the sun. It is baffling as to why one of these guys hasn't been immolated yet. One misstep and they're a dustbin full of ashes. Rammstein isn't just ball of fire. Their songs are a feast of melodic, crunchy hooks and fist-pumping beats. Their lyrics are smart, cheeky, and sometimes just downright wrong. Speaking of lyrics, Rammstein sings only in German, which is why one of the biggest bands in the world is still somewhat unknown in the USA. What is it with Americans and their contempt for foreign languages? I just witnessed 40,000 Australians singing "Du hast mich." The language barrier doesn't seem to affect them. After emitting streams of fire from their faces, arms, instruments, and blasting flamethrowers, rockets and flaming arrows over the crowd Rammstein saved the best for last. Straight out of Dr. Strangelove, singer Till Lindemann reprised the Slim Pickens/nuclear bomb scene by mounting a giant pink phallus. He then proceeded to ejaculate an immense sea of soap bubbles over the crowd. Oh, those naughty Germans.

The paragraph following that paragraph is also worth looking at. Poor Tool...

Silvijo's Gift

Silvijo Selman is a Zagreb photographer I admire greatly, and he has very kindly permitted me to use one of his photos to represent LILT graphically. I have featured his pictures on LILT a few times, because he is one of a few photographers that capture Rammstein really beautifully in their performances. If you like his work let him know. I do, regularly.

I recommend that you take a look at his website or his facebook page for more photos and information about his work.

So, my heartfelt thanks go to Silvijo, and I hope you all enjoy the new theme the image has inspired for LILT.

NB. All versions of this photo used on this site, facebook, Twitter, and all other websites, are copyright © 2010 Silvijo Selman (I don't hold the rights), so if you wish to reproduce it elsewhere please contact him to ask permission.

Australasian Rammstein Shop Launches

RammsteinShop.com.au has opened for business today. Check it out!

Not Strong Enough Video

It seems fitting that I post this today, given my most recent post! Apocalyptica have released their latest video here.

Under Medical Orders

My doctor has ordered me not to use my computer, as doing so has been damaging my buggered-up back further, so I will only be using it to do my job (I love my job) for a couple of weeks. This means all posts here will be made from my smartphone while lying in a drug-induced haze on the floor for a few weeks. The posts will be brief and basic as a result. My apologies in advance!

Cock Cannon For Pussy

Just for our friend from the plane...

Big Day Out Story

Emma and I drove into town (Wellington) Friday morning (the day of the show), in time to park my car at the airport and catch our flight to Auckland. When we got to the airport we took a shuttle to my brother's place and caught up with him. I convinced him that he should come to BDO, despite him suffering from a gastric infection at the time.

He then handed me the key to his wife's Audi TT Star (gorgeous, little, bright red sports car - thank you!), and Emma and I made our way, in the most dashing fashion, to our seedy little motel to get gussied up. The motel was all I could get, because most of Auckland was booked solid for the show. Emma did me up with the most gorgeous makeup (she's a whizz with the warpaint), we had some food, and ended up running quite late.

Emma is a rather a smoking hot Australian (music industry body guard/security consultant by trade) I met on Herzeleid, who is currently seven months pregnant. Also, I presently have a ruptured disk in my back, so we decided we would just go for a couple of shows, so we didn't tire her out or do any damage to me.

We got to Mount Smart Stadium, by cab (a move I now regret) very close to Rammstein's kick-off, only to find that the guest-list was not at the gate. Emma had bought a ticket, but I was on a guest-list. After being sent to various gates and security teams it seemed I was going to have real trouble getting in, as my connection with the show was tied up working, and I was unable to get through on the number of the tour management guy, which he had texted to me. I sent Emma in (she almost wouldn't go, until I promised I would find her), and sent and received a flurry of texts, and was standing there, wet, miserable, and really sad to miss Rammstein after all I had paid and gone through to be there.

In the end the security lead on the main gate offered me shelter from the intensifying rain under the security marquee, and I walked in. As I was walking in I turned to thank him and saw him gesture to the security team inside to let me through. The lovely man had taken my efforts to get in seriously and decided I was for real, so I was waved through the second security gate and got in in time for Waidmanns Heil! I started off at the base of the stadium to the left, alone, and getting no responses to my texts, then glimpsed Emma's tall frame through the mob of very young, short-short-wearing Eed up girls and gorgeously black-adorned boys, and made my way over to her.

The whole time we were in the crowd she looked after me. I had my own professional body guard, and she was incredible! I felt so safe, despite my awful back issue, and though I love her company I had reason to be otherwise grateful for her companionship at the show. I can see why rock stars employ people like her to look after them. It's awesome :)

We placed ourselves at a fence about halfway back (at the base of the flying fox, for those who were there, to avoid her baby and my back being injured, and enjoyed the show. I've posted her pictures, set-list, and videos on LILT.

After the show I arranged to meet my guy and he got us into a hospitality area backstage, where we could drink hot, fresh coffee, dry off somewhat, and catch up. We talked shop for a couple of hours and enjoyed the peace, after the madness of the BDO masses and noise, and it was lovely.

When the hospitality area started flooding we decided to brave the rain and the mob and try and get back to our motel. My friend had to work, so we left him outside the gate and started walking with the crowd away from the stadium. We ended up sheltering in a Chinese takeaway, where a lovely old man made us a hot meal, and we sat, steaming gently, chatting with other revellers, and starting wondering how to get home. Cabs were being aggressively flagged and taken, and Emma's pregnancy made walking the nine kilometres to our motel unfeasible.

In the end I called a cab, and we waited for an hour. I had to defend the cab when it came, as people tried to steal it, but let two nice Canadian boys share it with us, and got Emma home.

Emma and I managed to catch up with my friend for more coffee the next day, and saw him off to the airport, then we visited with some friends of mine in Auckland, dropped off my sister-in-law's car, and went to the airport. On the plane we met a nice chap, who promised to visit LILT, as he had become a new Rammstein fan after the BDO show. I hope you're reading, dude!

I promised him I would find and post a video of the cock cannon from the northern shows for him, and I will...

A Facebook Group For Your Attention

A Facebook group dedicated to bringing Rammstein to NZ has come to my attention. This, along with the Aussie version, is something I want to support.

Yes, we have them down this way for the BDO now, but we're greedy. We want full tour dates, with the cock cannon and the Engel wings, and the Ich Tu' tower, and we want them for more than an hour! We didn't get enough from the BDO.

Come on guys, lets get Rammstein locked in for some real tour shows down here. Join the groups, post to their walls, show some love, and lets see what we can pull off.

David Farrier Interview (Embedded)

Note that this re-publishing of this interview is posted by a third party without the knowledge or permission of TV3 or their partners, so it may well be taken down, but we can enjoy it until then:



Thank you Rammstein Uruguay!

David Farrier & Richard Kruspe Talk Opera

No really.

For those of you outside New Zealand, David Farrier is a NZ reporter for TV3, who tends to cover the fun stuff, like video games, music, fun technology, and the like. He's a funny chap, with a camp streak a mile wide and a definite liking for many of the things I like. He does tend to enthuse over pop more than I ever will, but otherwise we have a great deal in common. Here's the TV3 video stream. I am not sure if non-Kiwis can view that, but give it a try. If you can view it you will see Richard at his best.

I like that Richard has started to back up my long-time theory that Rammstein is operatic and also that he is so positive and buoyant in this interview. Good man!

William's Song of the Day - Der Meister

He's touched on Rammstein again. This time with Der Meister.

BDO Gallery on Rammstein World

One of my favourite Rammstein news sources, Rammstein World, has posted a gallery of shots from the BDO Rammstein signing session here.

BDO Set-list (Gold Coast)

Thanks to Failure for this:

1. Rammlied
2. Waidmanns Heil
3. Keine Lust
4. Feuer Frei
5. Wiener Blut
6. Links 2-3-4
7. Benzin
8. Ich Tu Dir Weh
9. Du Riescht So Gut
10. Du Hast
11. Sonne
12. Ich will
13. Pussy

BDO Set-list

I've taken this from The Spaghetti Incident:

1. Rammlied
2. Waidmanns Heil
3. Keine Lust
4. Feuer Frei
5. Wiener Blut
6. Links 2-3-4
7. Benzin
8. Mein Teil
9. Du Riescht So Gut
10. Du Hast
11. Sonne
12. Ich will
13. Pussy

I was far too busy rocking out on my back medication to make a note of the set. Thankfully others were more efficient than me.

BDO Videos

Du Hast:



Mein Teil:



Copyright 2011 Emma Waxenegger. Contact me if you want to publish or reproduce these videos, and I will pass your message on to Emma, so you can get her permission.

Rammstein Store For Australasians

Have you guys seen this yet?

Big Day Out Photos

I will write the night up properly soon, but I wanted to share the photos Emma took of our Rammstein Night Out now, because I'm too tired still to do the detail justice, but pictures speak a thousand words.

A little back-story: I met an amazing woman on a Rammstein fan site, and we have become friends. We went to Auckland, stayed in a seedy little motel, she made up both up to look fabulous, and we went to the Big Day Out. The day before I ruptured a disk in my back, and as such was dosed up on antispasmodics and opiates, and she is seven months pregnant, so there was no indulgent drinking and we only went for Rammstein.

Without further preamble, here are the pictures:

Emma taking my photo in a mirror after she had made me up to look all glamorous:


The taxi ride to BDO:


Rammstein, live and flaming:


A bit more of that:


And even more:


And perhaps some more:


Drying off with coffee in the hospitality area with a lovely friend of mine who we met with there, before braving the crowds and the weather to try and get back to our motel:


I will post my write-up and a couple of videos Emma shot tomorrow. Photos are copyright 2011 Emma Waxenegger, because she rocks and took time out from head-banging to take photos, while I slacked off and just let rip.

Are You Going?

If you are at the BDO and you see a blonde woman in a red and white dress, with a little red backpack, it is probably me. Feel free to come and say hello, but please do explain that you're saying hello to LILT, or I will probably worry that I should know your name!

Links zu Amerika

I just came across a political mail list with a very brief discussion of Rammstein's political leanings. As far as I'm concerned these guys are pretty far off the mark.

Links 2 3 4 is a response to accusations and speculations, based entirely on Rammsteins Teutonic heritage, martial beats, and industrial harshness, that the band members have Nazi leanings and right wing political agendas. This is something Rammstein's members have stated in no uncertain terms in the past. The song is a superficial and droll statement against the idea that they are right-wing fascists born from Germany's darkest past.

It is not a profound statement of their political stance. It is not a political statement in and of itself. It's a tongue-in-cheek nod to the past militarism of their nation and the misconceptions about their social beliefs that Nazi Germany, a thing of the past, has given rise to. The marching cadence, use of the word 'Links' ('left'), and in particular the generally known marching call 'Links zwo drei vier' ('Left two three four') used on the parade grounds of the German military, are all remarks on the divergence between what is believed of them and what is fact. In summary: Try and label them as right-wing and they wink and write about their heart beating to the left in a way wryly designed to conjure up images of goose-stepping Wehrmacht troops.

Amerika is another animal altogether. Along with Zerstören, it is often thought to be anti-American. To my mind it is  more a criticism of America's foreign policy and an observation about the pervasiveness and ubiquity of American culture and icons, than it is an indictment on America's (let's be honest here) self-righteous interference in the interests of other nations and cynical manipulation of the facts. Whether America is right or wrong to carry out its foreign policy as it does is not something I will tackle here, but I do hope that this post can address some ideas I consider to be misguided where Rammstein's intent is concerned.

I think they criticise, but I don't consider their music to be political in any real sense. Nor do I consider them to be a political unit. They are entertainers who inject stories into their music, and sometimes the stories are fables, with lessons, messages, and challenges to the critical faculties of their listeners. They are minstrels of a decidedly operatic and dramatic type, and to read or gather political activism or propaganda from this this is both unrealistic and unfair.

I'd like everyone who actually takes on board the meaning of Rammstein's German lyrics to keep in mind that each song is a painting, and that image is full of darkness and shadows in some shape or form, but that they don't actually attack anything that is open to interpretation. They merely illuminate the scene for your mind to take in. They only attack in so much as they highlight the bad along with the good, and observe those faults by shining a light into the murky darkness, that we can see what it is hiding.

Minstrels, telling takes of good and evil, darkness and light; this is Rammstein. They observe and paint pictures with music. Take it in, and by all means consider the reality behind the story, but do not, please DO NOT pigeonhole the minstrel by that which he tells of. That is like shooting the messenger.

Annoying Germans

Annoying Germans or annoying Germans? Are they being annoyed or are they annoying someone? This is the heavy-hitting story of the day from The Herald, so we have to get it right...or do we?

Anyway, this is, I think, a load of crap from a fantasist, but you never know. Treat it as gossip.

Maybe the Germans have landed...

BDO Newbs' Guide

This article is ESSENTIAL reading for all BDO attendees whether you're Kiwi or Ocker. Thank you Pedestrian.TV for gems, such as these:

Don't sing along too loudly. You have a lovely voice but your fellow attendees paid to see The Black Keys and not a solo show by Mouthy McSingsing. That said, Do scream along to Rammstein in German. It's the closest thing to godliness you can get on this earth.

Don't wear a swimsuit as your main item of clothing unless you are at a coastal location. It looks hell slutty. Unless that's the idea then go forth and get felt up my scantily clad sisters!

Do employ festival etiquette - your “festiquette” (thanks to Pedestrian pal Jaala Webster from whom we've borrowed that expression). It’s okay to shove people aside – IF you do it with an excuse me and apologetic smile. Everyone's in it together so share the love and be conscious of the comfort of others. Manners can get you a long way e.g. onto tall handsome stranger's shoulders.

Do eat. Festival food tastes more awesome than normal food for some reason. And you need your strength for all those dance moves remember?

RZK's A-Comin'

Yep, he is coming to the BDO with Rammstein, but apparently he also plans to take a road trip around NZ at some point.

Kruspe added he was determined to see more of New Zealand than the backstage area of Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.

"It [the Big Day Out] is one of those events where we can try and combine all our holidays and business together," he said.

"I want to do a road-trip [in New Zealand] ... I have some friends coming with me and we want to rent a car and see some of the country.

"When you are travelling all the time you don't [often get the chance] to see the country. This time I want to get a car and go from city to city ... I want to know a bit more about the country."

To be honest, with the first Aussie show a couple of days after the Auckland show, I'm not seeing Richard and his friends getting much sight-seeing in, but hell, he can try. He's probably under-estimating how long it takes to drive around NZ, if he's used to US interstate highways and the Autobahn.

To those of you who haven't driven in NZ, the roads are not all flat and straight. We're sitting on top of a major set of faultlines and have a spine of mountains and volcanos. We're mountainous and rocky, and our roads resemble nothing so much as the coastline of Norway. It is all rather beautiful though. It's well worth the effort, and I recommend renting cars that corner really well...

Speak to me Joe

I recently interviewed Joe Letz, who is one of the drummers from Combichrist. He's probably the band member most in touch with their fan-base, as he is very active in their community and manages their official blog. He's very nice (gorgeous man), and so very, very far from being stupid. He also drums up a storm.


















Thanks to sweeneysphotography.com for their kind permission to reproduce this image

Joe Letz is good people. Note that this interview has been conducted over the last few months, so circumstances changed as we went on, and as such it may read a little strangely:

LILT: Just as an opener, what does your kit consist of, and how did you come to be in Combichrist?

JOE: my kit consists of a 22 inch kick drum, 14 inch rack tom, 16 and 18 inch floor toms a standard 14 inch snare drum, and 2 double stacked / customized drums, a 10 and 12, standing vertically on top of my 14 using a custom made stand. and 2 20 inch crash cymbals as well as 14 inch hihats, although i'm considering expanding that for the upcoming tour. all drums are made by DDRUM and are the DOMINION series, maple shells. cymbals are sabian AA, AAX and HH. i also use vic firth METAL sized wood tip sticks, and hardware from all different companies. some DW, some DDRUM, some PEARL and some TAMA. i am very particular about things and unfortunately my hardware needs have yet to be able to be met by one company all on its own.

as for coming to be in COMBICHRIST, i toured with andy and the old version of COMBICHRIST about 5 years ago. then it was just him and a keyboarder. i was into what he was doing so we talking about changing the live set-up a bit to include 2 drummers, we figured out how to do it for a tour with KMFDM we did soon after and the rest is history....

LILT: The primary attraction of Combichrist for me is the percussive backbone of the music, i.e. what the drummers do. That's your point of difference. You've got a really funky line-up, with two drummers, a keyboardist, and no guitars live, so there's no traditional roles to fill. Can you give me a run-down on what each of you does, structurally? I'm wondering if one of you acts as a kind of lead drummer with the other shadowing, or if you just drive each other, or if you have something else going on...?

JOE: i play a more traditional set up, playing while sitting down. much of the time i'm carrying the main beat of the song, while trevor fills the song out with much of the drum fills. i do fills too of course, but with trevor free from having to hold down the main beat, it gives him more room to pretty much drum fill over a whole song, sort of in a heavy as fuck tribal kinda way.

LILT: Which is why you guys are stand-outs :)

Do you think, the rest of Combichrist destroyed in some freak instance of [theoretical scenario of your choice], you two would seek to work together again? You seem pretty hooked up as a team.

JOE: absolutely.

LILT: Does your kit vary much over time, or have you pretty much nailed what you need to be Combichrist's core?

JOE: the kit does change, usually from album to album. when the drums and i were added to COMBICHRIST "live", the original idea was to be as minimalistic as possible, but then as the song writing matured from album to album as a result of there being more and different live members, there has been a need for more and more drums. TODAY WE ARE ALL DEMONS tour has seen me playing on my most complicated set-up to date. i came up with the design for both trevor and my kits fully on the aesthetics', with the idea that the more cool and weird they looked, the more awkward and hard they would be to play, , and with the right people behind them trying to execute that in the best way possible, , could ultimately develop an exciting new element to the overall performance. i think it worked out rather well.... the new touring cycle that we are about to begin for MAKING MONSTERS will see an even more evolved kit. a few pieces has been removed, but some more added. can't wait for everyone to see em.

LILT: How does Combichrist's creative process work? Does one of you throw down a rail and everyone else gets on board and rides it, or do you compose by committee in jam sessions (as Rammstein apparently does), or does it work some other way?

JOE: actually the albums are written AND recorded soley by andy. he's like trent reznor in that way. he definitely does the writing with the live aspect of the band in mind though, thinking of how each of our parts will translate live. if you listen to the evolution of the records from first to last you can see how much more musically diverse they are now compared to the old ones. and i think it's fantastic that he's the one coming up with the parts, cause for the most part, its not exactly what i would have come up with, and it pushes me further to expand my performance and musicality live.

LILT: Wow! I had no idea. He's a bit of a force. Do you have any side-projects that you put your own ideas into, or do you splice it all in with Andy's work? Am I remembering right that you DJ as well? Are you in other bands too?

JOE: i have a few other projects that i'm officially and a little more UN-officially involved in... one big one for RAMMSTEIN fans is EMIGRATE, which is richard's other baby. as well as a band called MORTIIS which i recorded a record with that is right now still un-released. we are bringing them on tour with us actually in europe in just a week but i simply do not have the energy to pull double duty with the way i play, so my friend tim from AESTHETIC PERFECTION will be filling in on the drum duties for them... and i also just began working on another project with a new friend who i am EXTREMELY excited about and i know that everyone will be as well once i am allowed to announce it!

LILT: Joe, you're the voice of Combichrist with the Vampire Freaks blog (which I should add is totally demented and really endearing) and now the tweeting and carry-on. How much time do you have to put into writing up events at the time, or are you one of these people with a flawless memory weeks later? How much do you play up for the fans and how much is actually you?

JOE: this part of my job in combichrist can get pretty tedious, but i welcome it. i think i'm rather good at keeping on top of it, and there's something really satisfying about documenting everything that we go through and sharing it with everybody. in the recent past i've gotten SO far behind on the blog, and with such a workload on the RAMMSTEIN tours especially, , i was only able to take pictures and write an outline for each day as it happened. i really only had the time to fully write and edit and post all the photos once i was home. to be honest right now is the first time in about 2 years that i am actually caught up with the blog, and i've made a personal commitment to try and stay on top of it daily from now on. its going to be hard, each one takes about 3 hours total to finish and to get up and live online, but i would much rather share our stories with our fans in real time than weeks or months later. i think it will be more exciting for people coming to our shows that way too. as for how much is "actually me", i am the one doing the writing and can say with confidence that anyone who knows me well enough will agree that it is all pretty honest as far as my character and sense of humor goes. for example i obviously did not chop off z_marr's penis and feed it to trevor cause we ran out of food. that could have given trevor an STD in his throat. i merely chopped off some of his elbow fat and fed it to him, AAAAND i cooked it first. i just said it was his penis cause it sounded better. and i didn't talk about cooking it cause i figured it would make some people think about germs and shit like that.

LILT: The blog is awesome. It's entertaining, endearing, and very funny. It's also nice to get the insight it offers. I do wonder how many people take everything literally though. I'm sure some of your readers think you're way less rational than you are. Have you ever found yourself with someone who has totally the wrong idea on your hands, at an after-function or similar?

JOE: yea one time this girl hit on my cause she thought i actually liked girls cause i'm in so many pictures with them. REDICULOUS... she should have known... if it doesn't have boobs, AND A PENIS! then i'm not interested... come on now....

LILT: You pay homage to your drum techs in your blog, and talk about the damage you do to yourself and your kit extensively in the blog. You're obviously a bit bonkers when you play. Is this just because you're always a bit bonkers, or do you just love what you do that much?

JOE: i suppose the correct answer to that question would be " ALL OF THE ABOVE"? you have to be a bit bonkers and also love what you do to live a fucking crazy life like this. i have definitely come pretty close to having permanent serious damage to my body or death a few times while performing with this band. but for some reason that element of danger really gets me off. its definitely put me in check each time something really bad happened, but i'm not sure how comfortable i would actually feel in a more "safe" environment. i think its important to live like your ready to die at times, otherwise you don't really appreciate living as much. its just all about pushing that envelope and making it out to talk about it i guess...

LILT: You have a very powerful band vibe. It's very different to the mystique of Rammstein, who are aloof and detached, where you are affectionate and in the thick of your fans. Were you inspired by anyone else in your approach to working yourself into the niche you own, or did it just happen organically? Did you enjoy the machine and feeling surrounding Rammstein as tourmates, or was it just not 'you'?

JOE: we are still at a level where we can be personable with our fans, and i really appreciate that and i think the feeling is mutual. there might be a day when we just cannot handle that anymore, so i think it's really great to get as much of that in as possible before it's too late. and as far as touring with RAMMSTEIN goes, we were still able to enjoy alot of our fans, as well as RAMMSTEIN's even on such a large scale.... things just have to happen a bit differently. but it was definitely awesome.

LILT: Your blog gives the impression that touring is pretty much a long party of bad food, no sleep, self-indulgence, and making do. Obviously it's more good than bad or you'd be doing something else, but does this kind of schedule get to you? What do you do to get over it in your down-time?

JOE: of course it does. people bitch at me for complaining alot u know. i'll hear "STOP BITCHING ABOUT NOT EATING LUNCH, I WOULD NOT EAT FOR 2 MONTHS TO DO WHAT YOU DO". to be honest, i felt that way for a little bit when i first started touring when i was like 22, but after a while, when something becomes routine, its not AS special anymore. YES, i have the best job in the world. i am stoked that i get to do what i do every single second of everyday that i do it, but that doesn't mean that you don't get used to it and the "honeymoon period" doesn't eventually end. i just found out the other day that i'm playing MADISON SQUARE GARDEN in NY. i was pretty stoked for about 5 minutes. now i'm just stressed more than anything cause about 600 people have asked me to put them on the guest list.... but i'll be pretty happy when i'm up there knowing that my family is finally getting to really see a bit of what i do with my life in person. :-) but i guess what im saying is, that there are pluses and minuses to everything. i was married and have a wonderful son and not only has not being around completely dissolved my marriage, but i am away from my son when i am on tour. and that is just not easy no matter what. i might get off of a stage playing in front of a sold out crowd of 60,000 people and cry myself to sleep 2 hours later cause i can't hold him and hear him tell me he loves me. that just fucking sucks no matter how you cut it.


Letz & Son

LILT: I'm guessing breaking between Combichrist runs gives you the chance to spend quality time with your boy. Do you get real downtime, or is there a lot of band business to deal with between tours?

JOE: i feel like i always have something to do and never a free moment to myself. which is good and bad at the same time. it keeps me really busy and as long as i can stay focused i feel really accomplished most of the time as i have a ton to do, but then i definitly have times where i reach a breaking point and just wish i could crawl into a hole and just fucking veg out and watch TV for a whole day and not answer emails or phone calls..... but i do get to spend as much time with my son as possible, , and that is relaly grounding and amazing for me...

LILT: BTW, I've seen the griefers commenting on your blog posts. I've even responded to one or two myself. I guess they're inevitable, especially online, where expressing negativity has been elevated to an art-form.

JOE: there's always gotta be someone bitching about something... whatever.

LILT: Are you able to comment at all on the possibility of Combichrist supporting Rammstein in NY, or at any of their other booked shows in the next six months?

JOE: already anounced

LILT: Do you feel like Combichrist is something that will peak and wane, or does it just keep escalating from one album to the next?

JOE: you know, there is a few ways that i think one can try and gauge an answer to that question. i like to think of it like this: we are an industrial band, that has almost NO mainstream marketing going on at all, and are still playing and selling out venues that bands who are shoved down everyones' throats via the covers of mainstream magazines and some radio stations are playing. i think that really speaks for what sort of following we actually have. imagine if we DID have that kind of a push in the media, or if we were around 10 years ago when radio, MTV and everything was the way it was when MARILYN MANSONs' or NINE INCH NAILS' career's were flourishing. i think we might be a bit bigger if we had a go at it back then, , but the fact that we have this crazy hard core / underground following without any of that compared to what alot of other bands get, is pretty special and holds alot of security for me. i do have a feeling that our fans will welcome us to be around for quite a while, and i'm really excited about the evolution of the band from record to record, let alone where we will be in 5-10 years from now. hopefully still challenging ourselves to keep what we are doing to be new and exciting, having fun, and still not dying.

LILT: If you weren't a crazy drum-bunny what would you like to be doing with your life? I guess I'm asking what else you're into, and what you'd do if your arms fell off. That's not just aimed at your malfunctioning limb, Joe.

JOE: i think i'd be doing something to help out kids. i came from a really solid family unit, but for some reason got a bit confused and off track as a kid and got into alot of drugs and other shit when i was way to young to even begin to try to understand what being responsible or moderation meant. it got even worse as time went on because my parents had a hard time finding someone that could really relate to me or understand what i was going through. in fact, i pretty much have my drums to thank for my still being alive today i'd say. but there are kids out there who don't have that kind of outlet / release, and it would be really satisfying to me to be able to really try to relate to what they were going through and to be a positive influence on them and help to get their lives back on track.

LILT: In that case I really hope you get what you want, if the worst should come to the worst. Was there someone special who pulled you out of the mire, or did you just have a moment of clarity and save yourself?

JOE: actually yes. i was about 22 years old. my best friend had commited suicide, and i found myself using tons of cocaine and opiates like heroin, oxy's, percocets and stuff like that. i had reached a point of psycosis with my drug abuse where i was seeing people walk around my house who weren't there, and i began freaking out. i had one friend who had a few years of sobriety under his belt who i had ben reaching out to over the period of a few years when i was feeling like shit. i called him and he explained to me that if i didn't get some help RIGHT THEN that i could permenantly damage my brain and have such hallucinations for the rest of my life. his name is KEVIN CAPUTO and he used to sing for a hardcore band that i was really into when i was a kid called SOUL SICK. he took me to my first NARCOTICS ANNONYMOUS MEETING and i had wound up getting sober for almost 3 years at that point. i got SOUL SICK tattooed on my knuckles as a tribute to him. as i see it he helped save my life, and i wanted to put that on my hands so that i could look at it every single day and be reminded of it. im very proud to have gotten that tattoo and to have him as such a positive force in my life otherwise i would probably be dead right now.

LILT: Okay, time for the really boring question: I'm aware of you performing in the US and Europe. Do you travel further afield, and can those of us in more remote geography hope to experience the real body beat any time soon?

JOE: there have been talks of going to some really interesting and obscure places. some places that i might say im even a little nervous to visit, but will for sure be stoked to have gone to and experienced. i'd rather not get any more specific than that rather then to just suggest to everyone to stay tuned for some cool announcements, hopefully in the near future!

Thank you for that, Joe. You're a gent'.

You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook. Also, thanks to Joe for letting me raid his photo albums.

I was hoping to post a parallel interview with Trevor Friedrich, the other drummer in Combichrist, at the same time, but I pushed out another round of questions to Trevor, so it's incomplete, and patience is one of the virtues I lack. Hopefully that won't be too far away though!

RZK Talks to the Ockers

I found this a few days ago, and completely failed to post, sorry. It's a Sydney Morning Herald article about Rammstein, featuring Herr Kruspe. Enjoy!

Rammstein Have Their Say

Following the Apocalyptica statement to the same effect Rammstein have issued their own:

Contrary to various statements by ill-informed, quick-to-print publications, the band Rammstein never sued the band Apocalyptica.

As Apocalyptica correctly represents on their website, action was brought against the record label Sony Music. As the successor in title for the label Gun Records, Sony Music agreed to a settlement for the wrongful use of the trademark "Rammstein" following the closure of Gun Records.

During the album release of "Worlds Collide," Apocalyptica and Rammstein came to an understanding about the substance and process of working together.

However, the manner in which the record label Gun Records promoted the album did not conform with the wishes of either band.

Rammste's action against Gun Records was filed with Apocalyptica’s knowledge and agreement.

Apocalyptica left the firm Gun Records shortly after the lawsuit's filing.

Further information here

'Ill-informed, quick-to-print publications' would include me. Sorry, Rammstein!

BDO App

Yes, an app, for your Android or iOS device. It's basically a way to participate in their community, enter a contest, plan your Big Day, and generally have lots of BDO information in the palm of your hand. Handy? I think so. I have grabbed it. If you're attending I suggest you do too.

Oops! Sorry!

Read Blabbermouth today? It turns out that the Apocalyptica/Rammstein thing was incorrectly reported. Apologies to Apocalyptica for propagating the inaccuracies. Here's their statement as per Blabbermouth:

The Anwalt24.de article's headline [which suggested that Apocalyptica was forced to pay damages to Rammstein] is substantially wrong: neither the band Apocalyptica nor their management are or were involved in the described lawsuit. However, the parties involved are the band Rammstein and Sony Music Entertainment GmbH, as the successor of the by now-defunct affiliated label GUN Records.

Apocalyptica and Halbe Miete Management regret the events, but neither had any influence on a violation of trademark and naming rights, nor any part in whatsoever resulting agreements.

It is correct that GUN Records published advertisements with the stated endorsement disregarding existing agreements, and the band Rammstein subsequently filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment GmbH as the parent company. It is furthermore correct that Sony Music Entertainment GmbH and Rammstein have agreed on a settlement, the details of which, however, are unknown to Apocalyptica and Halbe Miete Management. We ask that further articles on the topic correctly reproduce the facts.

Update: Actually, I checked Apocalyptica's site. That would be the source.

Operammstein

I consider Rammstein an operatic act. They use coreography, song, and stage effects to tell stories, and it's always highly dramatic and allegorical, while also being curiously basic and explicit. It's JUST like opera, so colour me unsurprised that German opera singer, René Pape, is intrigued by them. Pape performed part of the Torsten Rasch song cycle (Mein Herz brennt - 2004) based on Rammstein's work (melodies and lyrics). I'm not a fan of the work myself, but it's awesome that it was conceived, composed, and recorded.

Rammstein Live Aus New York

Verstehen euch keine Deutsch? Ich auch nicht.

Well Heeello There

Um, yeah. I really hope that this was meant for public consumption. I have no idea what he is saying (aside from pointing out that it's spring, maybe?), but it doesn't seem personal, so I'm going on a hunch. If I get taken out with a C&D you'll be the second to know...

Update: Thanks to Ivana for posting to the comments with this translation:

Hi from Zagreb, it`s spring, 15°C outside, you can have fun here, go out, ciao.

Rammstein's American Gallery Up

Rammstein have updated their photo album for the recent leg of the LIFAD tour. There are some pretty cool photos of the band and fans there now.

New Look

Once again I find myself tired of the look of LILT, so I have given it a facelift. The new look will be subject to tweakage over the next week or two, as I iron out the niggles. If you have feedback feel free to comment!

Rammstein Newb Takes One For The Team Etc.

There's something highly amusing about first impressions of Rammstein. We're all pretty desensitised to it, and after the Pussy video I think we're pretty unshakeable. Someone called Jessica saw her first Rammstein show in NY. She has posted her experience here. It's both funny and pretty much dead-on.

To save energy I'm also posting this photo essay from the same show. Ignore the 'neo-fascist' remark. It's a flip misuse of a highly emotive term, which only a complete ignoramus would use in reference to Rammstein, and I sneer at its application here in a most dismissive and weary way *sneers as described*

Here are shedloads more photos from someone entirely different.

To further demonstrate my economical posting I will also add that both Mike and Jamie over at Rock Sins have picked Rammstein as the best Festival act of 2010. Hoorah! That's what I like to see.

More soon...

Court Awards Rammstein Apocalyptica's Money

That headline sounds so much worse than it is. The Gauntlet linked to this article on anwalt24.de, reporting that Apocalyptica has been ordered to pay Rammstein €45,000 for trademark use. What it boils down to is that Apocalyptica's marketing team advertised the World's Collide album, which included a German version of Bowie's Heroes ('Helden') featuring Till Lindemann singing and Richard Kruspe on guitar, as 'Featuring Rammstein'. This use of the Rammstein trademark was unauthorised (and obviously unpaid for), so it is now being paid for:

Die Parteien einigten sich auf die Zahlung von 45.000 Euro als angemessene Lizenzgebühr.

The parties agreed to the payment of €45,000 as a reasonable royalty.

I've seen this excellent album touted as 'featuring Rammstein' myself, but it doesn't annoy me half as much as seeing the Puhdys track Wut will nicht sterben (also featuring the vocal talents of Till Lindemann) described as a Rammstein song. Rammstein don't describe it as such, but a lot of very silly Rammstein fans do. Stop it!

Update 20110111: Please see this post for the correction to this story.

Back!

I've been in this place where cellphones don't work and there's no internet. It was rather fantastic, if a little counter-productive. I couldn't read my email, let alone fossick around for newsy tidbits for you lot. Needless to say stuff happened, but I missed it. I also didn't ever post about the 'best of' album or live DVD planned for the beginning of the first quarter of 2011. So sue me. I was at the beach. Oh yeah, beachy goodness. There is definitely something to be said for celebrating Christmas and the turn of New Year in the middle of summer. You northerners should try it some time.


Anyway, I'm back on track now, so the news will resume anon, and in less than three weeks I will be at the Big Day Out, getting all hot and clammy with a bunch of young men in black. I'll tell you aaaaall about it once I recover.