There’s a point during the short and, it must be said, rather fluffy making of documentary, when film maker Jonas Akerlund suggests that the feature film he has created is the result of a unique combination of band, the crew and a team of editors and he strongly doubts if such a film could be realised again. It’s hard to disagree when one considers just how far the bar is raised by ‘Live in Paris’. One of the few genuinely cinematic concert experiences committed to film, it rivals (and in many ways surpasses) metallica’s ill-fated ‘through the never’ simply because it relies exclusively on the band, and not upon fantasy, to keep the viewer hooked.
What unfolds on this concert film is, quite simply, one of the great concert experiences, almost Wagnarian in scope and thunderous in volume. Filmed in 2012 on the back of the ‘made in Germany’ best of album, it’s a show that draws upon the gamut of the Rammstein experience to deliver a show so gloriously over the top it makes even The Wall pale in comparison. Of course, if it weren’t for the music, it would be as naught because no amount of explosives can hide a poor band, but Rammstein have earned their place at the top and this show, demonstrates just how many bona fide hits the band have had, with the audience all but drowning out frontman Till Lindemann’s dark baritone on tracks such as ‘Amerika’ and ‘Mein Teil’.
Available in a variety of formats, our review copy is the limited edition deluxe set. Housed in a gorgeous 12 x 12 box, prize the foiled lid off and you’ll find a piece of ribbon to help you ease the contents out (a thoughtful touch that too few labels would bother with). Inside there are two double gatefold vinyl sets, each one spot varnished and boasting a portrait of the band members on each side. The sleeves themselves boast some exquisite concert photography, and the platters are pressed on electric blue vinyl. The final piece is a gatefold, 12×12 folder which contains a blu ray disc and 2 CDs of the show. There is no exclusive audio or video content and no large format booklet, although the vinyl packaging itself arguably offers all the photography and detail you need. It’s an expensive set (retailing at present at £60.00 in the UK), but it feels sturdy and the quality of the audio more than makes up for the sizable hole in your bank balance. However, for those not interested in vinyl, the set is also available on CD, DVD, Blu Ray, digitally and as a mini-special edition with CD and a choice of either DVD or Blu Ray. In short, every taste is catered for, but for vinyl fans, the deluxe set is a treat indeed with the format really bringing out the thunderous bass of of the band’s live show.
The blu ray is, of course, the main event and it boasts absolutely pristine audio and video. Filmed in high definition, Jonas’ roving cameras (augmented by up close and personal Go Pros scattered about the stage), capture every bead of sweat and every glistening explosion. Although the cuts are dizzying, Jonas sets this visual extravaganza perfectly to the music and his decision to slow the more explosive elements of the show do a fantastic job of translating the fire and fury of the blink and you’ll miss it performance into a grand cinematic experience. In terms of audio, meanwhile, there’s both 5.1 and PCM options, with the former proving even more effective than the standard-setting audio of ‘In Amerika’ which did much to demonstrate exactly how impressive a live band could sound in a home cinema environment when mixed just right. In short, this is demonstration material with crisp guitars, clear separation between vocals and a rhythm section that seem to be placed somewhere in the centre of the viewer’s living room. It’s hard to imagine a more thorough representation of the band’s live sound.
Featuring twenty-two tracks, this ‘director’s cut’ of the movie takes the viewer from the very start of the band’s career with a rousing performance of ‘Wollt ihr das bett in flammen sehen’ via the simulated sodomy of ‘Buck Dich’ (now as ingrained in a Rammstein performance as the chant of “he’s behind you!” in a pantomime) to the relentless, foam-spewing penis cannon of ‘Pussy’ from 2009’s ‘Liebe ist fur alle da’. It’s a relentless experience, that allows the intensity levels to dip only twice, once for the cinematic ‘Ohne Dich’ (a beautiful song that is a whole different type of intense) and on the closing ‘Fruhling in Paris’ which is part acoustic. At the time of this performance, Rammstein were already old hands at putting together a stadium-chewing set list and it shows, not a moment is out of place nor a false note sounded and yet, for all the grandstanding, Till’s final ‘thank you’ (delivered in French), comes across as entirely human and genuine, a moment of simple emotion amidst all the sound and fury of the band’s astonishing spectacle. It’s moments like that that make you realise exactly why the band have picked up so many fans around the world.
Highlights will depend entirely upon your own favourite album, but for this reviewer it’s hard to beat the tongue-in-cheek pseudo cannibalism of ‘Mein Teil’ (here ramped up to proportions of such extremity that you can almost feel the heat from Till’s super-flamethrower bursting from the TV Screen), the stripped down Buck Dich (delivered from a central stage reached by means of a hydraulic bridge) and, of course, the still-unassailable might of show opener ‘Sonne’. However, no matter what your favourite tracks might be, there is simply not a dull moment and the band keep the show frenetic and explosive throughout.
Rammstein had already delivered a truly exceptional live set with ‘In Amerika’, but where the film of that performance was very natural, here Jonas enjoys swooping over the crowd, into the heart of the stage and around the explosions. Retina-shaking close ups, eerie visual effects and hallucinatory visuals all play their part in making this a dazzling experience and his deft editing and atypical shots create a narrative in their own right which only adds to the sense of drama inherent in the performance. The band themselves are on the form of their lives and their tightly honed stage presence is a thing of wonder, but it’s the work of everyone from the dedicated editors to the mix engineers who bring this piece alive. A landmark in concert film making, it’s hard to imagine any band equalling or surpassing this stunning record of Rammstein’s Paris concert and it is a must own for any fan of the band. 10
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