Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann has been confronted with serious allegations for days. Olli Schulz is sure that "the thing will explode".
Munich – For several days now, Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has been facing allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power after several young women reported allegedly traumatic experiences at the band's concerts. Olli Schulz and Jan Böhmermann also took up the topic in their podcast "Fest und Flauschig" at the weekend. Schulz, who describes himself as a "long-time Rammstein fan", is angry about the incidents. He doesn't seem to mince his words.
"It was clear that the thing would explode": Olli Schulz rages over Rammstein
Actually, Schulz describes Rammstein concerts as "the biggest, the hottest live show" he has ever experienced. He often came to the concerts personally by invitation from the band. This is now over for him, as he himself explains: "I would never be on the guest list again." About the allegations, he says: "I love this band as a product, I love the concerts and it hurts my soul".
Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann has been confronted with serious allegations for several days. © dpa/Christophe Gateau
For him, the accusations did not come out of nowhere: "I know that there have been distortions within the band for years," says Schulz and continues: "It was clear that the thing would explode at some point" and also believes that Lindemann "will destroy the band" with his behavior. Shortly after the allegations, Rammstein played a concert in the sold-out Olympic Stadium in Munich despite protests.
"There's nothing to sugarcoat": Olli Schulz angry with Till Lindemann
About the allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power, he explains: "There's nothing to sugarcoat, it's just dirty," he rages and continues: "And that's why it's rightly going to blow up in his face, it has nothing to do with cancel culture, it has something to do with stupidity." He also alludes to a "gap between star and groupie" that should not be exploited by the star.
"Everything else is mendacious exploitation": Olli Schulz demands bands must offer their fans a sense of security
Instead, "as a band, you are obliged to give your fans a safe feeling when they come to your concert, everything else is mendacious exploitation," says Schulz, believing that even many who might have voluntarily gotten involved with the Rammstein frontman would regret it in a few years and "realize that this is not my freedom, but that someone has taken advantage of me".
He could not judge how much the other band members of Rammstein had been involved in the scam, which Schulz describes as a "systematic problem". Nevertheless, he suspects: "That's just the product that holds them together, they're no longer six friends, they're family men, settled people, except for Till Lindemann, who somehow wants to continue driving this thing." Even if the current allegations weigh heavily, the presumption of innocence still applies.
