A year after the revelations surrounding Till Lindemann, Rammstein are back on tour. And the oh-so-reflected music industry hardly drew any conclusions from the scandal. Maybe it’s time for politicians to step in?
While we were researching the German music industry, we received an anonymous call. The woman on the other end of the line found out from one of our interviewees that there was a big article in the star she wants to, as she says, make an important contribution.
Then she tells the following story: She is a tour manager, traveling to festivals with well-known German rap acts. In the summer of last year, weeks after the revelations about Till Lindemann’s alleged sexual escapades with young female fans, she witnessed a dramatic incident after a major concert. “The musicians were celebrating with their crews backstage, there was dancing and a lot of drinking,” said the caller. At some point, a group of scantily clad young women joined them.
She left the party around half past one in the morning to take the Nightliner bus with her team to the next festival. “From there I suddenly saw four crew members from another act trying to drag an unconscious woman onto their bus.” She ran up to the group and asked what that was about. The men, employees from the immediate environment of a German rap star, then let the heavily drunk woman fall to the ground and fled into their bus. In a daze, all she could manage was a quiet “Thank you.” The caller is certain that if she hadn’t intervened, “the worst would have happened.”
It’s not just about Rammstein: shocking observations from the middle of the festival business
Even though our mutual contact credibly confirmed the woman’s identity, we did not include the caller’s description in our report because we could not verify its authenticity. And yet it has moved us ever since and doesn’t want to let us go. The music scene has always been this dream world, a place of freedom, passion, exhilaration. But what freedom is that supposed to be in which some fans are not allowed to feel safe?
When musicians meet their audience, when art becomes a direct connection in the same space, at the same time, tremendous energy is created. Exploiting them and glorifying border crossings as part of everyday touring seems to be a widespread problem. Not just among stars, but also in their work environment. Every night becomes an after-show party, a constant “what happens on tour, stays on tour” feeling – that can be dangerous where a rock’n’roll pose that has always been misunderstood is translated into bad actions.
A non-fiction book is being published these days by investigative researchers Lena Kampf and Daniel Drepper, who were involved in the revelations surrounding the band Rammstein and their questionable casting system a year ago. The book “Row Zero” is a depressingly dense description of the lack of culture that still seems to be normal in the entire music industry. The author clearly shows that although the industry has widely recognized the problem, the consequences drawn from it are clearly too lame and indecisive.
Injustice and gender pay gap in an industry that considers itself progressive
The problem is not just harsh and sometimes criminal attacks, even attempted rape. The grievances go much deeper; they take place in everyday working life. In no other profession would it be possible for almost exclusively men to perform, as is the case at some music festivals. And not just in rock. Ironically, the NDR, which also deals with the affair surrounding the band Rammstein in a podcast, is organizing the Plaza Festival in Hanover next month, with the following acts: Alle Farben, ClockClock, Clueso, James Arthur and Bryan Adams. Proportion of female musicians is zero.
In addition, the massive gender pay gap between male and female artists, who are demonstrably in absolutely equal positions, is a disgrace for a profession that sees itself as socially progressive.
Secretary of State for Culture Claudia Roth has now taken the initiative with the German Cultural Council, and a Code of Conduct will be presented later this year, in which the music industry is also involved. The work of the Themis advisory center is being expanded, and the Music Initiative, supported by the Ministry of Culture, is intended to advance gender equality and specifically promote women and non-binary people. Music Women Germany’s Gender Equality Now conference on June 5, 2024 will have its own panel dedicated to the topic of “Row Zero”. A newly established fund will support those affected by gender-based violence. Roth, who worked in the industry as manager of the band Ton Steine Scherben in her early career, is sending a strong signal.
What kind of freedom is this that robs others of their security?
But let’s be honest: shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t the country’s creative people, the people who are idols to many young people, themselves come up with the idea of ensuring orderly conditions and justice in their profession? What kind of role models are these when pressure from the Federal Chancellery and the largest interest group in the cultural industry is needed so that minimum requirements for equality and safety for all employees and fans are finally implemented?
Freedom of art is one of our most valuable assets; it is rightly at the top of the Basic Law. But as the managing director of the German Cultural Council noted in our conversations: There is an article that is even higher up: In Article 1, the founding fathers of this republic gave us their lesson from 12 darkest years, namely that human dignity is and remains inviolable must. This also applies to groupies. Hatred, misogyny, anti-Semitism, glorification of violence are not opinions, but above all they are not one thing: art.