Rammstein Set Jimmy Kimmel Ablaze

By Tyler Crooks

My rating:

May 19th 2011, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hollywood CA: When I arrived at the Jimmy Kimmel studios for Rammstein's performance today, there was already a crowd of eager fans waiting to be let in to the venue. As the line got longer, more and more familiar faces started popping up, and soon, the whole Metal Assault family was assembled and ready for action; We chit-chatted in line for what seemed like a lifetime, giddy with anticipation for tonight's show. There were big questions going throughout the queue; would the band use their trademark pyrotechnics? What would they play? We got the rare chance to both see and hear their setlist through a nice little hole in the security fence, and we were immediately blown away; and we hadn't even made it inside...

After the sun set, the security team finally allowed us inside, and everyone made a dash for the barricade. The metal assault team was lucky enough to be in the front of the line, and we had perfect positions in the crowd; on the rail. After Jimmy Kimmel introduced the band, they ripped into their classic "Du Hast" complete with huge, glorious displays of open flames, and fireworks, they even decided to set one of their unlucky stagehands on fire. To say it was incredible would be an understatement. The heat from the flames alone was enough to drive some people away from the stage. I, of course enjoyed every second of it.

After another back-up intro by Jimmy Kimmel, the band came back out to play "Feuer Frei", another fan favorite and a purely badass song. The stage was engulfed in red light, and after the breakdown in the middle of the song, Till, Paul, and Richard came out with their famous face-mounted flame throwers to set the crowd ablaze. It was beautiful.

The band continued on, performing the epic "Sonne" with the utmost grace and perfection. "Sonne" has always held a special place in my heart, and this intimate, up close performance made it even more special for me personally. The bursts of fire were plentiful, and at one point, I honestly thought I had lost my eyebrows. Badass? Yes.

Next up was "Keine Lust", which has never been my absolute favorite Rammstein song, but it's a great song in its own right. I prefer it live, as opposed to the studio recording, because there seems to be more power within the band when they perform it. Nothing too spectacular happened during "Keine Lust", but it was nice to see the band just jam out.

To close the show, the band chose the ever-popular "Ich Will", filled with extreme power, and crowd energy, this was a great choice as a closer. The fireworks and fire were flowing freely, and everyone was sweating like pigs. Once they finished, the band took their bows, said goodbye, and left the stage. This will forever be one of the most memorable shows I have ever been to.

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