Concert in Leipzig
Without Rammstein, with protest: Till Lindemann appears solo and his fans won’t let him down
Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann at a concert in summer 2022
© Malte Krudewig / DPA
Again protests against Till Lindemann, now against his solo tour. For concert goers and protesters in Leipzig, this is all almost routine.
“No concerts for perpetrators,” shouts a woman. She stands on a stage that nestles shyly against the outer wall of the arena.
On the other hand, the concert-goers: women who look as if they had just gotten off a motorcycle. Men who look like they enjoy playing electric guitars in a wood-paneled party room. It’s 6 p.m. Lindemann doesn’t start until 9 p.m., but the lines at the four entrances are already stretching a hundred meters long. That’s what Rammstein fans are: people who always know exactly where their dentist bonus booklet is, people who come to a rock concert three hours beforehand. No rebels. But now they are being treated like this, especially by the dozens of reporters and camera crews who are also there and ask:
“Why are you here?”
“What do you say about the allegations?”
12,000 people want to see Till Lindemann in Leipzig
Seen everything a hundred times, everything as it always has been since singer Till Lindemann was accused of abusing women in the summer. Only one thing is different this evening: Till Lindemann is alone for the first time, without his band Rammstein. He is touring with his solo album “Zunge”, the songs are called “Lecker” or “Wet”. The 60-year-old also flirts with his usual role on the new album: that of the lecherous sex ruffian. Lindemann recorded the album before a number of women brought charges against him, and also before the public prosecutor’s office initiated investigations against him and then dropped them two months later. So you can’t find any reactions from him between the lines to the accusations.
But there were even more reactions at the start of the tour in Leipzig. 12,000 people want to see Lindemann. The stadium in the west of Leipzig is sold out, the atmosphere among the fans who have come from all over the area is great and you don’t really want to write about it anymore because it’s already full of clichés, but it’s really like that: there, wherever When the Rammstein fans gather, the air smells of beer.
The Rammstein opponents smell like cake that you can buy for a solidarity amount. About 700 people came from them. And although the “Grandmas Against the Right” announced in advance that they wanted to give the Rammstein fans the most uncomfortable reception possible, there is actually a very friendly atmosphere in Leipzig, almost a small left-wing folk festival. There is singing on stage and the audience is clapping.
“We are here because we want to show women: We believe you”
Something is different than the previous protests against concerts with Till Lindemann, which took place everywhere in the summer: the public prosecutor’s office has now stopped the investigation against the singer. Does that change the protesters’ view?
“Contrary to popular belief, this does not amount to an acquittal,” says a person from the “Fem Strike Alliance,” a feminist group from Leipzig. It just means that the public prosecutor cannot prove any crimes. “We are here because we want to show women: We believe you,” says the speaker and those around applaud.
Then shouts of joy from the other side rent the air. The doors are now open, the Lindemann fans are running into the arena. It’s like the groundbreaking of the Oktoberfest. Journalists are not welcome inside. Several media outlets did not receive accreditation for the concert, i.e. no access to the media area. DPA photographers were also not allowed.
So you probably have to end the night outside. The protesters there are still making speeches. They also announce that they want to protest against upcoming concerts. Don’t let Lindemann’s appearances go unchallenged. But then a gesture of reconciliation. Not towards Till Lindemann, but towards his fans. The protesters are demanding that all of the singer’s concerts be canceled. But it should be ensured that visitors get the money for their tickets refunded. And completely!