KRAMMPSTEIN play Alpine Village Dec. 10 and Complex Dec. 17; photo James Christopher
Krammpstein, a Krampus themed Rammstein band, return with more scary fun this holiday season performing at Alpine Village in Torrance Dec. 10 and The Complex in Glendale Dec. 17.
“You might say Saint Nick is the good cop, and the Krampuses are his bad cops,” singer, Bis Esverletzmann explained. “If you were good, you read a poem and got a little treat. If you’ve been bad, it goes, let’s say, not so well.
“In rural Austria, on Saint Nicholas’s Day, it’s a tradition for the Saint himself to arrive at your home to check in on the children. Only he’s not alone. He has horned, furry, switch-wielding demon-looking helpers called Krampus. “
Krammpstein bring high energy, fun, and humor to their live show. Fur-covered, horned Krampuses pound a set of heavy German industrial metal accompanied with smoke machines, a synchronized light show, confetti cannons, snow machines, giant cowbells, and Christmas cookies.
“We’ve been together as a band going on four years, but we played our first show at Alpine Village last year,” Esverletzmann said. “Visually, it’s the perfect setting for us. There’s a 10 ft beer stein on one side of the stage, and the entire back of the stage is a facade of a Bavarian villa, complete with snow on the roof and a little balcony. It felt like playing in Disneyland! The crowd was very enthusiastic.”
The music is all written by Rammstein, but the lyrics have been re-written to be about Krampus, Christmas, and the holiday season in general.
“Most of our songs are in German. Simply speaking in German is already frightening,” Esverletzmann said. “Add in ripping guitars and driving industrial beats, and it’s positively terrifying.”
One of their crowd-pleasing songs is “Weisses Zimtsterne” (based on Weisses Fleisch) which is about one man’s love of traditional German Christmas cookies.
“I bake them before every show – cinnamon stars with meringue icing – and we hand them out to the audience,” Esverletzmann revealed.
KRAMMPSTEIN; photo James Christopher
“Kinder” (based on “Pussy”) is about parents getting help from Krampus to handle unmanageable kids. The chorus is “You have a Kinder… I have a basket. Just throw it in there… no need to ask!”
“We hand out soft baby dolls and I’m wearing a basket,” Esverletzmann warned. “We invite audience members to toss them in from out in the crowd. People have made some pretty spectacular shots over the years!”
Also on the bill are Marilyn Krampson, a Krampus themed Marilyn Manson parody and Talea, who play ambient/electronica music with tribal percussion and melodic vocals.
The Holiday Assault at the Complex show promises to be insane with Krammpstein co-headlining with ArnoCorps.
“Each member is dressed like Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Commando” and all of their songs are Austrian action hero themed,” Esverletzmann explained. “The sound is punishing, and the stage show is not to be believed.”
For more info and affordable pre-sale tickets: