Messed!Up
Feuerengel tour across Europe and made a stopover in Hamburg for yet another show. Just after 7 PM a chilly mid-February night it was finally time to head down to Docks at Reeperbahn, completely packed with a 1 500-audience, and with no support act opening up the evening we got an early start.
Watching curiously at a massive dark curtain covering the entire stage, the dark and eerie intro of “Deutschland” throbs out of the speakers, and from that point it just got louder. With an ear-splitting bang the curtain falls to the ground to the tunes of “Was ich liebe” and slowly builds up the volume with jangling guitars and hard-hit drums. The stage is as usual in the Rammstein fashion we’re used to; in two levels with the background level elevated, and lots of “eyecatchers” like a huge red glowing logo creating a monumental impression.
As at most shows the crowd is a bit reserved during the first song because they don’t know what’s about to happen; but that’s all gone when the set continues with “Feuer Frei”, the “real” opener if you ask me. And of course there was fire.During the whole song ten flamethrowers spit out twenty feet high flames, a nerve-racking experience considering how close they seemed to be to the ceiling. You could feel the heat from a ten-meter distance and I’m quite sure that more than a few in the front row lost their eyebrows.
With the same frenzy the night continued with “Weißes Fleisch” and “Asche zu Asche”, all orchestrated to flaming mic stands and more fire, a lot of fire – classic! Although it’s nothing new it’s enough to warm-up (yeah, a bad joke) the fans to start engage in sing along sessions at Docks.
The full version of “Deutschland” boosts out of the speakers at this moment and since it’s a fan favourite it turns into a mass psychosis of singing along in an enthusiastic audience. It’s not slowing down when another fan favourite, “Keine Lust”, continues the set enhanced by huge cryogenic thruster cannons at the front of the stage, maybe the highlight of the evening. It’s almost as the show peaks at this moment – and we’re just halfway through the set.
Just as bizarre and weirdly disgusting as Til Lindemann does it, frontman Boris open his leather pants during “Bück dich”, pulls out what you think is pulled out (although not the real deal) and starts to spray the audience. But it’s moments like this that get people back to next show; everyone just love bizarre and disgusting things.
The question is if there’s anything left for the second half of the set. Would Feuerengel surprise their audience with something more? Of course! They haven’t had fun with the flame-thrower yet! Just put the keyboarder in a bath tub and cook him with the flame-thrower – check. And why not cover the entire Docks in confetti at the same time – check. And then there’s the encore left. Just like the original does it, Feuerengel puts out an inflatable raft during “Haifisch” carrying the keyboarder around Docks.
After ninety minutes of pyrotechnics and cryogenics, enough to sustain a small war for a day, the six-piece thrust themselves out in “Engel”. Although they didn’t follow the burning wings code there was lots of stuff burning and exploding everywhere on stage. The flame-thrower was back for a second round, burning the last fumes of gas, and people can’t be anything but super stoked about what they’ve just had experienced when the outro to “Engel” ends the night. There was this feeling that no one wanted the show to end, neither the band nor the fans. Everyone just wanted it to continue forever.
The setlist was also a perfect mix of old and new songs, and with all those special effects, the heavy use of pyrotechnics and cryogenics, nobody can be disappointed after a night like this. If you wanted a show, you got something grandeur. Feuerengel is something beyond the ordinary show experience, that’s for sure!
Photographer: ©Mandy Privenau
Reviewer: Marian Harper
