LIVE REVIEW: TILL LINDEMANN + MÉLANCOLIA @ FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL 15/01/26
Words by Cecilia Pattison-LeviTill Lindemann with Mélancolia
Meine Welt Tour
Wow. Till Lindemann did not disappoint. He lit up the Fortitude Valley Music Hall with tales of life – a very direct “adult-only” approach through his songwriting, and music that was framed in a huge night of real German style cabaret complete with heavy symphonic metal with Wagnerian operatic overtones. Till Lindemann was the omniscient narrator with leitmotifs (Prosecco drunk and sprayed, thrown cake and dead fish) and his concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (his music and talented band as modern versions of Rhinemaidens, Valkyries, and Loge).
A Till Lindemann concert is, almost definitely, completely different to any other live performance you could see. Was it what I expected? Yes and no. I expected a fair amount of pushing the envelope with complex topics. I didn’t expect it to give me as much food for thought as it did – even as it covered me – the thoughts behind the performance were a serious discussion about the grinding reality of life: sex, relationships, children, ageing, and what primal forces drive us. He delivered a complete musical experience, for a certain kind of open-minded crowd, that puts it all together music, and visuals in a complete package with more darkwave synths and disco flourishes than I thought possible.
The evening started with the Fortitude Valley Music Hall filling very rapidly. The place was full by 7.30pm, and the bands weren’t starting until 8pm and 9.10pm.
The Melbourne deathcore band Mélancolia kicked off this Australian Meine Welt Tour. They took to the stage dressed in white and black like in-patients in a psychiatric horror film. And the music was hard and heavy from the first song ‘All Is Rust’. The lead singer, Alex Hill, has a sinister charisma about him as he encouraged the crowd to get the circle pit going.
The joyous carnivalesque vibe of the crowd and venue means that the band were afforded a highly affable reception as they got stuck into delivering ‘I Can See Through’. Mélancolia seemed to really click with the Brisbane crowd. After the song, they introduced the band and did an unscientific poll asking about how many people knew who they were: but many had caught their Brightside gig last year. And they talked about their new album ‘Random.Access.Misery’ and then they started to perform ‘Spit’…and the fire alarm went off.
It was so sad that an unforeseen technical hitch like the fire alarm triggering due to “the theatrical fog” (but I could smell electrical burn, so something had shorted out). But whatever it was, it was just dreadful for the young band not being able to perform their set.
Then, we all stood around, I was at the barrier, wondering are we all going to: 1) Burn to a crisp? 2) Evacuate – yes or no? Then, thoughts turned to, is the concert going to be cancelled? It was great that Mélancolia’s band members came back out on stage to say farewell. And, that bassist Toby Thomas came out and talked to the crowd and had photos taken.
But we all waited patiently until the ‘firies’ turned up in their yellow suits to investigate and push a button. The button was pushed. And the concert went on. So, more waiting until 9.15pm. Till Lindemann was late!
The Rammstein frontman’s Meine Welt Tour opened his set in a truly spectacular cinematic style and fashion, and it was slightly bonkers – in a good way. The lights, the fog, the darkness set up the tone of the approaching musical storm - the industrial noise, the brutal theatricality, and unapologetically dark provocative, but humorous poetic world of Till Lindemann was about to be exposed and brought to life in full-colour.
The night’s setlist was designed for maximum impact with the dark and atmospheric intro of ‘Mein Welt’. Then, the song ‘Fat’ gave everyone a pretty good idea as to what to expect. The band were on fire and dressed in black with masks on. While Till Lindemann’s well-phrased baritone filled the venue as he commanded the stage with belligerence and violence dressed in a military-like gold and black outfit. His face was a mask of half gold and black like a Juno with two faces.
The first songs are visually, not to mention acoustically, striking – the strobing lights, the fog, the microphone kicking abuse. Then, ‘Und Die Engel Singen’ was delivered for Rammstein fans to enjoy, as it sounds probably the closest to the singer’s day job as it gets. Then, the set changed, into Till Lindemann world. The band brought his vision to life: the synth player and dancer Brynn Route was spectacular to watch as was the bass player Kristin Kaminski. The drummer Joe Letz was unhinged.
The following songs ‘Schweiss’ and ‘Altes Fleisch’ broach the effects getting older has on human flesh and the spat poetry is powerful as are the visuals. It is followed by golden liquid streaming out over the crowd as ‘Golden Shower’ is delivered as a huge sing along. ‘Golden Shower’ and ‘Sport Frei’ showcased the unapologetic shock-art spirit that defines Till Lindemann’s solo work.
The next set of songs the dark waltz of ‘Tanzlehrerin’, the blood red light of ‘Blut’, ‘Allesfresser’, and ‘Prostitution’ added darker, more atmospheric musical layers to the set as the guitarists Danny Lohner and Emily Ruvidich push the sonic mood. It was during ‘Allesfresser’ when a table of Prosecco and cakes, was brought onstage, with said food thrown at the crowd by the band members - bass player Kristin Kaminski had a great aim. My top is still recovering.
From there, the intensity didn’t let up: the second half of the show shifted into a slightly more emotional, but razor-sharp territory. The fan favourite songs like the fabulous ‘Praise Abort’ and the cinematic ‘Skills In Pills’ turned the venue into a loud, chaotic chorus, with the entire crowd shouting and pushing forward with every line. Between them the tracks the disco-laden ‘Platz 1’ and ‘Du Hast Kein Herz’ were performed. Both the new and reimagined songs were received by the crowd with enthusiasm as the energy flowed dynamically from the stage to the crowd in a perfect feedback loop.
The risqué and powerful imagery continued, punctuated by a dynamic stage act from the band. Till Lindemann took himself for a walk around the venue, went to the bar, and mingled with the crowd on the floor. Before he returned to the stage and then it suddenly went dark.
The question was posed: “Do you want more!?” as the crowd responded with a roaring combined ovation of “Encore!” that radiated from the crowd. Then, the last section of the performance was delivered featuring five songs and it commenced with a moment of melancholic calm in ‘Übers Meer’.
Then, ‘Knebel’ was delivered and it was one of the most intense climaxes of the entire night. It was followed quickly by the bizarre ‘Fish On’ with added fish was delivered: one in Till Lindemann’s mouth and the rest thrown into the crowd. The night and the performance were climaxing in an ending of full-on power of ‘Ich Hasse Kinder’ as the crowd erupted. The show closed with the outro ‘Home Sweet Home’, leaving the crowd exhausted and floating in a weird catharsis state.
Till Lindemann delivered an intense and immersive concert experience. Musically, the concert was an emotional rollercoaster: with heavy metal industrial riffs, heavy electronic darkwave beats, dense poetic and operatic atmospheres, and more intimate passages of acoustic guitar gems that contrasted beautifully with Till Lindemann’s imposing stage persona and performance style. Is it another show to add to the best of the year list? I think so. Amazing!
