I recently attended a concert that featured the German band Rammstein performing live at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The band is most commonly known for their 1997 hit "Du Hast", which is the last time most people payed any attention to them. However, when free box seat tickets are offered, it's hard to say no. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but I had expectations of German flags, mosh pits, and lots of headbanging. I was not disappointed.
We arrived just as the show was beginning. I was informed just before the show that Rammstein was known for their amazing pyrotechnics. That fact had slipped my mind as a large blast went off from the stage and rattled through an open luxury-box door. My friends and myself quickly ducked for cover in the hallway before walking along casually. We knew it was going to be a good show. By the time we got to our seats the band had launched into their first song. Huge fireballs and lights rose from all directions on the stage while German industrial metal (Neue Deutsche Härte) blared from huge speaker stacks.
An energetic crowd of over 18,000 people were singing, jumping, fist-pumping, and headbanging along. I was immediately shocked by how many people were at the concert and that so many were singing along in German. Seeing the amount of people that exist in this seemingly small fragment of our society (German Metalheads) opened my eyes to just how diverse our country is and the cultural opportunities that are available because of it. If 18,000 people who enjoy German Metal can get together on a Sunday in Toronto, what other genres of music and culture in general am I missing out on?
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