Photos and Review by Chris Besaw
Till Lindemann is currently out on the road on his solo tour through North America. He brought along some amazing bands for support, Twin Temple, and Aesthetic Perfection.
Starting things off for the evening was the American-Austrian electronica band Aesthetic Perfection. This is a group I was not familiar with however they fit in with the rest of the bill easily. From the moment they hit the stage, lead vocalist Daniel Graves wasted no time getting right into the music leading off with “Gods and Gold,” a very intense and moving track. I appreciate that Daniel and his band put a lot into their live shows and do a wonderful job connecting with the audience. Even though they only played a short set, I enjoyed their music and would see them live again.
Next up was the salacious and raucous satanic do wop duo from Los Angeles, Twin Temple. The band was formed by couple Alexis and Zachary James in 2018.
Twin temple has been a band that has been on my must-see list for quite some time now and I was super excited to finally see them! When I first heard their track “The Devil (didn’t make me do it)” I was instantly a fan! Did I mention that they record their albums in mono. It creates a warm, vintage sound in this era of modern digital music.
They started off with a brief ritual to anoint the masses who had gathered for the evening before going into the song “The Devil (Didn’t Make Me Do It).” Alexis’s vocals fit perfectly with Zachary’s guitar tones. I really dug their sound. I hope to catch them on one of their headlining tours in the future so I can see them play a longer set. It was worth the wait to see them live. I was not disappointed.
It was finally time for the headliner, Till Lindemann. I have been looking forward to seeing Lindemann again since last seeing him with Rammstein at Jones Beach several years ago. The stage is set, heavy smoke fills the air, and you can see various silhouettes of the band making their way onto the stage and finally the statuesque and commanding Till took the stage. Things started with “Zunge” a track off his release by the same title. A very dark and intense song to set the tone for the rest of the evening.
What makes Lindemann’s shows unique are the visuals. They are picturesque and often terrifying. From the band’s costumes to the stage setup, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie. I especially liked drummer Joe Letz’s costume. He looked like he belonged in the Hellraiser films. The production that goes into Till’s shows is admirable. A few highlights from the evening included, Till being carried through the crowd singing and interacting with fans, Till doing a stage dive and during the song “Fish On” Till firing real fish into the crowd with a t-shirt cannon. It was a bit gross but eh it is art, right? The wall of simulated blood that sprayed during the song “Blut” was also unforgettable. Whether you understand his artistry or not, you cannot argue that Till Lindemann puts a lot of thought and effort both visually and musically into his live shows.
After an impressive set Till and band came out for their encore which consisted of “Knebel,” “Centre dos tierras” and “Ich Hassle Kinder.” The band left the stage for the final time to the fans on their feet screaming for more.
A great night of music in Toronto! Please check out my photo highlights from the evening.
