German rockers are making strange headlines in the era of Corona – and once again causing confusion. But this time the fans have a bad feeling.
Known for provocations: Til Lindemann, the first singer of German rock band Rammstein, at a concert in Frankfurt 2019.
Photo: Keystone
Rammstein musicians know very well how to attract attention with provocation. Even with their latest taboo, they cause discomfort – but among their fans. The band, known internationally for rock music with Teutonic overtones, signed a deal with luxury fashion label Balenciaga and advertised it extensively on their social media channels. The collaboration includes a playlist sponsored by President Balenciaga Demna Gvasalia on Apple Music and Goods collection.
The song selection on the playlist (from Daf’s Mussolini to “13 Beaches” by Lana Del Rey) doesn’t cause criticism and emotion, but something else: merchandise prices. They start at 350 euros for a used hat, a belt bag costs 650 euros and a hooded jacket 795 euros. The most expensive item in the collection is a raincoat made of 100 percent polyester (technical fabric with curly look), equivalent to 1973 francs.
Photos of the band by Gottfried Hellenwen’s ultra-realist are printed on some articles. He has already designed the artwork for “Sehnsucht” – also a cover for the only German band most successful in the world: The Scorpions.
Flirting with outrageous
Rammstein keyboardist Christian “Flick” Lorenz once said in an interview about the band’s intent, “We want to show people just how trivial they are to devour every bite thrown at them.” To what extent this also applies this time is unclear. Some expensive fan articles are no longer available, but Rammstein’s fan reactions are anything but jubilant.
The musicians, who originally hailed from GDR Punk Theater and Underground, have been accused of betraying their ideals on their Instagram channel. The question also arises as to whether there have been “discussions of this nonsense” in the band. Almost all entries are negative – and that’s in a group that has been accused of bad taste over and over for years.
Of course, Rammstein’s triad of “provocation, anger, media presence” works this time as well. But the general warm-hearted flirtation of the obscenity seemed to be better for the band from a fan standpoint than the costly promotion of short work times and job losses.
On Instagram, a wealthy musician user writes, “They forgot where they came from”. One of them commented briefly on Twitter: “Give it up. Our money is more important elsewhere. ”
Dildos and strong men
This isn’t the first time the band has made a commodity fuss. Almost everything can be found at Rammstein’s online store, from “cocaine” fragrances to door mops and sink stoppers. The special edition of the album “Liebe ist für alle da” once came in a metal case with handcuffs, lubricant, and six pink dildos. False rumors that dildos were replicas of the band members’ actual genitals have lingered for years.
In 2020, the band followed suit with Tilldo. The design of the vibrator was based on the stage microphone of singer Tale Lindemann. Said on the sales site in Best PR Speech: “Formulated from fine Odenwald fir that brings the charm of well-crafted fun to its fullest potential.”
And also for the Christmas 2020 business, the singer created something influential in the media. The photo book for his “Only For Strong Men” adventure in the Amazon with Kelly family member Joey cost about 100 francs – at least 20 times less than Rammstein’s wrinkled polyester raincoat in a wrinkled look.
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