words and photos by Maurice Nunez
Summer is now officially over as Los Angeles looks back on some extremely warm weather, but the city would get its heaviest heatwave yet with the return of Rammstein. Holding court at the historical Los Angeles Coliseum, the German natives took on two consecutive nights for the long awaited engagement. The demand was quite extensive for this one as the metal heroes had to reschedule their initial North American stadium tour, originally scheduled back in 2020. Proving the old adage that some things are worth the wait, the live spectacle of Rammstein, in tandem with the anticipation built over two years of delays - erupted in an incredible way inside of one of LA's most iconic destinations.
Inside the venue, it was like a scene out of the movie 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'. A colossal stage accompanied by a couple of tower-like structures made it seem as though a battle was about to commence. The LA Coliseum was the perfect place for such a massive event. The crowds arrived early and when doors finally opened, they raced in and immediately hit the merch lines. Instantly swamped, fans were intent on scoring T-shirts, posters, and any other band memorabilia they could get their hands on to mark what had the makings of a historic evening.
The show started promptly at 7pm with the supporting act, Duo Jatekok and Duo Abelard. The pianist duo performed Rammstein songs live which was the perfect way to get the fans warmed up and prepared for the evening. They performed on Stage B which was situated in the middle part of the general admission floor. This allowed the crowd to get a good look at the French duo from any part of the venue and also gave it a more intimate feel to the performance. They received a warm welcome and applause from LA.
Next, it was time for the evening's main event. Years removed from their last Los Angeles performance, the evolution of Rammstein has seen the band gradually build, headlining venues like The Palace, then the The Shrine Auditorium to the Honda Center just down the 5 freeway. Now, the demand for Rammstein has grown so big that those places seem tiny in comparison to where they were playing on his monumental night. Their enormous stage production looked like a city of its own.
The lights went down and the fans roared in excitement. An explosion from the stage followed by smog-filled air appeared as the band got things started with "Armee der Tristen" and then went right into "Zick Zack." Despite the native tongue and German lyrics, that didn't stop the crowd from chanting and singing along to every song. The band went on to play fan favorites like "Sehnsucht", "Mein Herz brennt," "Heirate mich," "Deutschland," and "Du hast."
Not only did the show include a massively lit stage, including a second smaller second stage, but Rammstein also brought in one of the biggest pyrotechnic shows ever. If the crowd didn't feel the heat from the weather earlier that day, they definitely felt several warm blasts of fire throughout the night. Rammstein also included not one, but two encores as the LA fans could not get enough.
Concluded with essentials like "Rammstein," "Ich will," and "Adieu." Rammstein would punctuate their long-awaited return in a way that made the years in waiting well worth it. See full set list and photos from the band's triumphant return below.
All images by Maurice Nunez // @devilman.138
