After the "flag" had reached the top of the tower the band was announced with a set of explosions. Rammstein had already expended more pyro than the entire MÃ ¶tley Crue show. Rammstein's sound was also noticeably superior to that of the Crue. From the first note, the music was crisp even in the far reaches of the stadium.
The show was strategically designed to build in intensity as the night progressed. From the beginning of the show the entirety of the lighting rig seemed to be in use, but only utilizing white lights. Colors were added to the pallet throughout the night. Additional lighting elements were also slowly added.
The over-the-top pyrotechnics that the band is famous for also followed this type of progression. After the initial burst of explosions at the top of the set, the fireworks were sporadic until about half an hour into the performance. At that point, the first of the onstage flame throwers was used. Later on, massive flames were shooting out of the sound towers in the middle of the field. By the end of the night, the stage appeared to actually be on fire.
With most bands, certain songs are expected to be part of the setlist. With Rammstein, there are specific pyrotechnic stunts that the audience counts on seeing and the band did not disappoint. A giant baby carriage was wheeled on stage and then set on fire. The keyboardist was "cooked" in a massive pot. The singer shot a peacock-like set of flames from a device on his back while the guitarists shot flames out of their guitars.
One of the only stage set pieces missing was the flame-throwing angel wings as the song that it usually accompanies was performed in an acoustic form from the satellite stage. The individual band members were transported back to the main stage from this location aboard rafts powered by the crowd below them.
If there was any complaint about the show, it was the absence of the song "Amerika." Perhaps the band felt uncomfortable performing a song condemning American cultural imperialism in front of American audiences.
Rammstein delivered on MÃ ¶tley Crue's promise of an epic stadium show and set the bar for what can be accomplished when a tour is undertaken by an artist whose integrity is still intact. Unlike Crue's audience, the fans at the Coliseum were fully engaged throughout the show, even though the vast majority of the lyrics were not sung in English, Hopefully, the tour is successful enough that the band will decide that European audiences are not the only ones who should receive the gift of their performance and they will not wait for years to go by before they return.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He was elected to the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and is the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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