SUPPORT: COMBICHRIST

by Tanja Reiser (c) www.northern-rocmusic.com

One did not believe in a sold out Hartwall Arena when around 20:00 Combichrist from Norway entered the stage. Thow they are one the best known industrial acts only 1/3 of the arena was filled. They made their best to bring the people in the right mood and slowly but for sure the finnish audience defrosted! Their set was short but powerful, songs like “Get Your Body Beat” and “Fuck That Shit” they made the arena tremble. By the end of their show most of the crowd already present was shouting along with this not only optically catchy support. The Combichrist classic “Blut Royal” was finally dedicated to Rammstein and so they went off stage again by leaving more than just a good impression!

After a break that was shorter than expected the lights went out again and an outcry went through the audience. . . Of course the first song would be “Rammlied” and right from the beginning the band had us in their grip!

Costumes, stage decoration and pyros went perfectly together and even long-time Rammstein fans witnessed some surprises. Every song had it´s special light show and effects, like for example baby dolls with green laser eyes during “Wiener Blut”, a burning man entering the stage during “Feuer Frei” and a tortured keyboarder during “Ich Tu Dir Weh”.

The set was a potpourri going through the career of Rammstein and certainly bearing one or the other “Yes they play MY song” for every fan!

The changes of the stage backround became more and more sepctacular and at times one nearly forgot the music out of astonishment. One thing is for sure, when you go to a Rammstein gig you get something for your money! Great effects and great music!

I was also quite surprised about the nearness between band and audience. Great interaction happened during the whole gig and there wasn´t this distance that one at times encounters when attending such a “big” band!

One thing I´ve been wondering about was, how do parents explain their children the skin-coloured “thing” Till was riding on during “Pussy”. . . as the age of the fans varied from 8 to 60 such questions certainly came up!     

The ultimate highlight of the show was the performance of “Engel”. Till wearing huge metal wings that began to burn and flames rising out of it´s peaks. The song that everyone expects anyway presented in such a fantastic way was a great finish for this show!

All that is left to say after such a great evening is: Ich will mehr!!

The Set List:

- Rammlied

- B********

- Waidmanns Heil

- Keine Lust

- Weisses Fleisch

- Feuer Frei

- Wiener Blut

- Frühling in Paris

- Ich tu dir weh

- Liebe ist für alle da

- Benzin

- Links 2 3 4

- Du hast

- Pussy

- Sonne

- Haifisch

- Ich will

 -break-

- Engel