Till Lindemann, Mélancolia @ Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide 20/1/2026
This was no ordinary show! Till Lindemann of Rammstein fame returned to Australia including a stop in Adelaide for what would be another one of those tours that everyone is going to be talking about. Provocative, controversial maybe, boundary pushing are some of the words that come to mind describing this performance. Quite a contrast to the other performance in Arena being Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with no real risk of walking in to the wrong venue.
Those expecting to hear all the Rammstein hits would have walked away disappointed as the Meine Welt tour was focused soley on Lindemann’s solo works. The question was whether Adelaide was ready for this? It has been fifteen years since Till Lindemann has been in the country, so to say it has been a long time between drinks is an understatement.
Mélancolia from Melbourne got the show off to a flyer. Described as melodic blackened deathcore that melds elements from the depths of industrial goth and nü-metal with its pummeling foundations, resulting in what can only be described as sonic horror. They live right up to that proving to be an absolute powerhouse playing a turbo charged forty minutes set that was equally ferocious and tenacious. Visually spectacularly with a killer live sound. Adding to that they are definitely worthy of bonus points for their commitment to the outfits, the white fur coats especially. Set highlights include Picking Scans, SPIT, and Lithia. It was a solid set and despite valiant efforts to warm up this crowd sometimes it’s just a tough one playing to someone else’s crowd.
As it approach go time for Till Lindemann the room was filled with a haze of smoke and blue light. The band took the stage dressed in leather military style outfits which was a bit on the revealing side but was consistent with the essence of the show. Wasting no time at all it was straight in to Fat. The band are incredible playing with such precision and intensity. It didn’t take long for their fearless leader to emerge to plenty of cheers. The imagery on screen no doubt is a talking point leaving plenty to the imagination. It is now that it becomes apparent why there is an 18+ rating. Wowsers!
The majority of the set comprises of lyrics in German making for some interesting translations. With that in mind it made absolute no difference as the crowd were right in to it. Lindemann was like a ring leader keeping things in check and it was one of those performance where there was no boundaries and absolutely nothing was off limits. Considering at it as an avant-garde, performance art and provocative theatricality there was definitely something about what was happening from the music, the visual imagery and themes that made it hard to look away for a second wondering what you might miss in the process.
The performance powered through Und die Engel singen, Schweiss and Altes Fleisch. Golden Shower, hmm, we’ll leave that one there and leave it to the visual imagery to explain that one. Allesfresser was a moment and a half, catchy song, but right at the end a big table of cheesecakes is brought out on stage and then the band proceed to throw them at the crowd. The madness continues with some antics from drummer Joe Letz which if I described it no one would believe it which might be best left at the show. There is no line, there is no niceties but maximum shock value. Platz Eins starts with Lindemann wearing neon glasses walking around in amongst the crowd which as is intimate as it gets. There was a sea of phones with fans trying to get that photo and time it so he is in frame for the most unlikely of selfies.
There was no backing off the pace either with Du hast kein Herz and Skills in Pills. It seemed like the right spot for the main set to end with the backdrop on screen asking the question “Do you want more?” The crowd respond accordingly. The encore feels even more intense than what we experienced in the main set going heavier again with Übers Meer then Knebel and Fish On. Take nothing away from the band who were super tight with the bold Joe Letz on drums, the limitless energy of Brynn Route on keyboards and guitarists Danny Lohner and Emily Ruvidich who are formidable combination. There was one last chance to take it all in on Ich hasse Kinder with the band assembling at the back of the stage to backing track Home Sweet Home allowing them to lap up and let the adulation sink in from this powerful performance.
This was Till Lindemann and who knows if this will happen again but one thing is for sure this show is one you won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
Live Review By Rob Lyon