Rammstein Bring a Theater of Fire to New York City

Rammstein David Atlas

When you mention German rock gods Rammstein, two things normally come to mind: stellar videos, like the unforgettable 1998 clip for 'Du Hast,' and a live show that worships fire and explosions. There is no other live act like Rammstein, which is why the band's first US show in close to 10 years on Dec. 11 at Madison Square Garden sold out in under an hour.

Giving fans in the States what they want, the Garden was not only filled with pyrotechnics, but Rammstein opened the show by breaking down a wall separating them from the fans with sledgehammers.

Rammstein David Atlas

It's actually hard to pick the best spectacle of the night; some reference guitarists Paul Landers and Richard Kruspe wearing helmets that enabled them to spew fire from their mouths as the highlight. Others can't get the image of vocalist Till Lindemann riding a giant phallus across the stage while dousing the front rows with foam. Oh, and Rammstein set someone on fire.

Many have wondered why it's taken so long to get the band stateside again, even for a one-off like this. Well, shows like this cost a lot -- so there has to be a clear demand, which the band now admits they underestimated. They realized a sizable amount of Americans crossed Northern boarders to see the German quintet play Quebec.

"We started to realize that there probably is more interest in the States than we thought," Landers told Spin with the aid of a translator, "so it was time to take a risk and play a show in the States."

Rammstein David Atlas