Sehnsucht Tour

Rammstein ca. May 1997
Promotional photoshoot
© Casper Pfeiffer

The Sehnsucht Tour was the second concert tour by Rammstein. It is named after the band's second album, Sehnsucht, which was released on 22 August 1997. The tour had 192 concerts, the first one being on 9 April 1997 in Amsterdam and the last on 10 February 2001 in Tokyo.

Subtours, tour legs and special performances

• 09.04.1997 - 19.06.1997: Europe Tour
• 18.05.1997 - 06.09.1997: Festivals
• 26.09.1997 - 23.10.1997: Germany/Austria/Switzerland Tour (GAS Tour)
• 25.10.1997 - 30.11.1997: Europe Tour
• 05.12.1997 - 14.12.1997: US Tour
• 29.05.1998 - 17.07.1998: Festivals
• 10.08.1998 - 16.08.1998: Festivals
• 22.09.1998 - 31.10.1998: Family Values Tour
• 10.04.1999 - 24.04.1999: Support for KISS
• 01.06.1999 - 23.06.1999: US Tour (with Soulfly, Skunk Anansie)
• 03.09.1999 - 10.09.1999: "Live aus Berlin" concert film Tour
• 19.01.2001 - 04.02.2001: Big Day Out Festival Tour (interrupted by 24.01.2001 and 31.01.2001)

Support

• 09.04.1997: Support by Malochia
• 06.05.1997 - 15.05.1997: Support by Eskimos & Egypt
• 19.05.1997 - 22.05.1997: Support by Distorted Picture
• 03.09.1997: Support by Hanzel und Gretyl
• 26.09.1997 - 07.10.1997: Support by Vitro
• 09.10.1997 - 23.10.1997: Support by KMFDM
• 15.11.1997: Support by Covenant
• 28.11.1997: Support by Molest
• 05.12.1997 - 14.12.1997: Support for KMFDM
• 26.04.1998 - 06.05.1998: Support by Hanzel und Gretyl
• 13.05.1998 - 14.05.1998: Support by Bizarra Locomotiva
• 19.05.1998: Support by Rated X
• 20.05.1998: Support by Hysteresis
• 22.08.1998: Support by Danzig, Joachim Witt and Alaska
• 23.08.1998: Support by Nina Hagen, Joachim Witt and Alaska
• 10.04.1999 - 24.04.1999: Support for KISS
• 01.06.1999 - 23.06.1999: Support by Soulfly and Mindless Self Indulgence

Notable concerts

• 09.04.1997 - The first known performance of Du hast and the first concert of the Sehnsucht Tour.
• 19.04.1997 - The first known performance of Engel.
• 06.05.1997 - The first known performances of the remix of Rammstein by Eskimos & Egypt and Das Modell.
• 12.06.1997 - The first concert in Sweden.
• 19.06.1997 - The first concert in France.
• 16.08.1997 - The legendary "knickers gig" where the band performed only wearing underwear.
• 17.08.1997 - The only recorded performance of the remix of Rammstein by Eskimos & Egypt.
• 22.08.1997 - The first concert in Belgium.
• 30.08.1997 - The last known performance of Der Meister.
• 03.09.1997 - The first concert in the USA.
• 26.09.1997 - The only "known" performance of Eifersucht.
• 27.09.1997 - The first known performances of Klavier and Wilder Wein.
• 12.10.1997 - The last known performance of Alter Mann.
• 23.10.1997 - Spiel mit mir was released on Lichtspielhaus.
• 17.11.1997 - The first concert in Denmark.
• 19.11.1997 - The first concert in Spain.
• 20.11.1997 - The first concert in Italy.
• 26.11.1997 - The first real concert in the UK.
• 13.05.1998 - The first concert in Portugal.
• 31.05.1998 - Heirate mich and Du hast were released on Lichtspielhaus.
• 22.08.1998 and 23.08.1998 - Completely recorded and used for Live aus Berlin, also the last performances of Herzeleid and Wilder Wein.
• 23.10.1998 - The only recorded performance of Das Modell, as well as the last known time it was performed.
• 31.10.1998 - Performing on Halloween, most band members performed half-naked. They had to stay in jail overnight.
• 12.11.1998 - Rammstein perform Du hast at the MTV Europe Music Awards, also the last performance in 1998.
• 10.04.1999 - The first concert in Argentina.
• 15.04.1999 - The first concert in Brazil.
• 21.04.1999 - The first concert in Mexico.
• 01.06.1999 - The first performance of Stripped.
• 05.06.1999 - Till and Flake ended up in jail again after performing Bück dich.
• 06.06.1999 - The first concert in Canada.
• 15.06.1999 - The last known performance of Klavier.
• 23.06.1999 - The last known performance of Spiel mit mir, as well as the last performance in 1999.
• 16.04.2000 - The first known performances of 5/4, Rein raus, Adios, Sonne, Spieluhr, Mutter, Mein Herz brennt, Links 2-3-4, Zwitter, Feuer frei! and Ohne dich.
• 30.07.2000 - The first concert in Japan.
• 18.01.2001 - The first concert in New Zealand, also the last performance of Laichzeit.
• 21.01.2001 - The first concert in Australia.
• 26.01.2001 - Weißes Fleisch and Asche zu Asche were released on Lichtspielhaus.
• 10.02.2001 - The last performances of Tier and Bestrafe mich, as well as the last concert of the Sehnsucht Tour.

Average Setlist

The setlist went through numerous different iterations during the tour, never remaining the same for extended periods of time. Due to this changing nature, not all dates are present in the tables below, only those that are known for sure. If one or more dates have an unknown setlist, but are grouped below, then it is assumed they shared a setlist with a known concert. When this is the case, a note will be present to signify this. The setlists of the TV performances on 19 April and 8 May 1997 are also not included here. Neither is the TV performance on 12 November 1998.

Sehnsucht Tour 1997: May leg

Average Setlist
Used from 6 until 25 May 1997. Usage is based on known concerts.
Tier Alter Mann Bestrafe mich Du riechst so gut Du hast Sehnsucht Bück dich Asche zu Asche Seemann Spiel mit mir Heirate mich Der Meister Laichzeit Engel Rammstein / Rammstein (Eskimos & Egypt) Weißes Fleisch Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?

Festival Tour 1997

Average Setlist
Used from 17 until 30 August 1997. Usage is based on known concerts.
Tier Bestrafe mich Du riechst so gut Du hast Sehnsucht Bück dich Asche zu Asche Seemann Spiel mit mir Heirate mich Der Meister Laichzeit Engel Rammstein / Rammstein (Eskimos & Egypt) Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?

Family Values Tour 1998 & KISS "Psycho Circus" Tour

Average Setlist
Used from 4 until 31 October 1998, except for 23 October. Usage is based on known concerts. Later also used on 10 April 1999.
Rammstein Tier Bestrafe mich Weißes Fleisch Sehnsucht Asche zu Asche Du hast Bück dich Engel

Unique Setlist
Only one known usage, on 23 October 1998.
Rammstein Tier Das Modell Weißes Fleisch Sehnsucht Asche zu Asche Du hast Bück dich Engel

Sehnsucht Tour 1999: North American leg

Average Setlist
Used from 5 until 23 June 1999, except for 15 June. Usage is based on known concerts.
Spiel mit mir Tier Bestrafe mich Weißes Fleisch Sehnsucht Asche zu Asche Seemann Stripped Du riechst so gut Du hast Bück dich Engel Rammstein Laichzeit Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?

Sehnsucht Tour 2001: Winter leg

Average Setlist
Used on 19, 21 and 26 January 2001. Usage is based on known concerts.
Rammstein Bestrafe mich Weißes Fleisch Sehnsucht Asche zu Asche Heirate mich Du riechst so gut Du hast Bück dich Engel Links 2-3-4

Stage effects and stunts

The effects and stunts listed here are limited to the Sehnsucht Tour, for a full overview of the band's stunts and effects, see Stage effects and stunts.

Microphone stand breaking
Cologne, 17 August 1997
Used for:	Der Meister
Time period:	9 April 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
At some point Till would grab the microphone stand and start smashing it against the floor, then throw it away.

Sparkling boots
Used for:	Weißes Fleisch
Time period:	9 April 1997 -
Description
After the intro Till would jump onto the stage with set off sparkle fountain fireworks attached to his boots.

Burning curtain
Amsterdam, 9 April 1997
Used for:	Weißes Fleisch
Time period:	9 April 1997
Description
There is only one known time it was used. After the intro of the song the curtain behind the stage went on fire and completely burned down.

Flake's dance
Los Angeles, 27 April 1998
Used for:	Weißes Fleisch
Time period:	9 April 1997 -
Description
After the guitar solo Flake would come to the center of the stage and start dancing, the moves would usually be very chaotic and abrupt.

Doll
Bielefeld, 6 May 1997
Used for:	Spiel mit mir
Time period:	9 April 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
To sing the song, Till would come out with a doll which had a laser pointer instead of one of the eyes. Often it would be covered in what looked like bloodstains and burns.

Exploding inflatable sex dolls
Frauenfeld, 12 July 1997
Used for:	Heirate mich
Time period:	9 April 1997; 1997 - August 30 July 1997
Description
9 April 1997: Similar to the Herzeleid tour shows, the doll was dressed in pieces of paper or fabric that resembled a wedding dress and a veil. The doll, as well as its "clothes", looked bloodstained and burnt. The explosion was triggered by Flake shortly after Till's intro part. 1997 - 30 July 1997: There would be multiple dolls (usually four) dressed only in black skirts August these would have creepy white masks on their faces. They would explode in pairs after Till's intro part. Sometimes they would be set on fire.

Sparkling gloves
Los Angeles, 27 April 1998
Used for:	Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?
Time period:	9 April 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
During the "Sex ist eine Schlacht..." refrain sparkle fountain fireworks attached to Till's gloves would be activated, then he would start making circular motions with his arms.

Flamethrower
Konstanz, 30 August 1997
Used for:	Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?, Outro
Time period:	9 April 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Till would shoot with a flamethrower after each time he said "Rammstein" during the final part of the song.

Squirting dildo
Bück dich - Cologne, 17 August 1997
Used for:	Du hast
Time period:	9 April 1997
Used for:	Bück dich
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
There is only one known time it was used for Du hast. Near the end of the song Till unzipped his pants and pulled out a dildo which soon started squirting. Additionally for Bück dich, before the whole thing, Flake would come to Till, bend over before him and start walking on all fours.

Quick flash + explosion
Munich, 11 May 1997
Used for:	Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?
Time period:	9 April 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
In the middle of the "Sex ist eine Schlacht..." refrain, during the short pause, there would be a quick flash and a minor explosion somewhere on the stage.

Robe
Tier - Hamburg, 7 May 1997
Tier - Düsseldorf, 15 May 1997
Wilder Wein - Dresden, 8 August 1998
Used for:	Tier
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Used for:	Wilder Wein
Time period:	27 September 1997 - 23 October 1997 ; 8 August 1998 ; 22 August 1998 ; 23 August 1998
Used for:	Klavier
Time period:	1 June 1999 - 15 June 1999
Description
Till would come out to sing the song wearing a robe. At some point during the song two streaks of fire, sparkles and smoke would go up the front of the robe. For Tier, it would usually be after the first refrain. For Wilder Wein, it would usually be after the second verse and for Klavier, no streaks would go up the robe.

Fire fountains
Engel - West Valley City, 14 October 1998
Used for:	Tier, Heirate mich, Engel
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Fire would occasionally shoot out of the floor.

Whip
Frauenfeld, 12 July 1997
Used for:	Bestrafe mich
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Till would come out to sing the song with a whip. During the song he would occasionally hit himself with it.

Pyrotechnic flares
Du riechst so gut - Landgraaf, 18 May 1997
Used for:	Du hast / Du riechst so gut
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Apparently, red flares would be used for Du riechst so gut only if Du hast was not on setlist. For both songs the flares would be lit up before the third verse.

Telephone
Buchschachen, 21 May 1997
Used for:	Du hast
Time period:	May 1997
Description
During the third verse Till would sing into a telephone, thus a playback would be used for his part. Right after the verse he would throw away the telephone which would explode mid-air.

Quick flashes
Cologne, 17 August 1997
Used for:	Sehnsucht
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
During the intro of the song up to eight flares would quickly flash on the stage.

Crowd sailing
Emden, 29 September 1997
Used for:	Seemann
Time period:	May 1997 - 23 June 1999
Used for:	Heirate mich
Time period:	18 January 2001 - 4 February 2001
Description
At some point during Seemann, an inflatable boat would be brought on stage. Flake would get in it with a bottle sparkler, but from 1998 onwards there would be no bottle sparkler present. The boat would be passed to the crowd where Flake would spend some time sailing until eventually returning. During Heirate mich, the song would get extended before the last refrain and Paul would enter the inflatable boat for a short while before returning to the stage.

Flake's beheading
Düsseldorf, 15 May 1997
Cologne, 17 August 1997
Used for:	Heirate mich
Time period:	May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Before the song Flake would put on a "Rammstein" hoodie, near the end of the song he would be replaced with a mannequin wearing an identical hoodie, with the hood covering its head. At the end of the outro Till would come to it and hit the mannequin in the head hard enough for the head to fall off, then two sparkle fountain fireworks attached to mannequin's neck would be activated.

Mobile flamethrower
Der Meister - Bielefeld, 6 May 1997
Rammstein - Roskilde, 27 June 1998
Used for:	Der Meister
Time period:	6 May 1997 - 30 August 1997
Used for:	Rammstein
Time period:	27 June 1998
Description
During the bridge Till would rapidly shoot with a mobile flamethrower to the rhythm of the song.

Smoke bombs
Used for:	Asche zu Asche
Time period:	June 1997 - 30 August 1997
Description
Would only be used at open air venues or in big concert halls. Technicians would place some smoke bombs that would go off halfway through the song, the generated smoke would be blown away towards the audience with big fans. The stage would barely be seen behind the smoke at some point.

Sparkling bow
Laichzeit - Burgum, 28 June 1997
Used for:	Laichzeit
Time period:	June 1997 - 30 August 1997
Used for:	Du riechst so gut
Time period:	18 May 1997
Description
For the keyboard intro Till would come out with a huge bow to which multiple sparkle fountain fireworks would be attached, soon the middle one would be activated and a bit later the rest of them. At a concert in Burgum a launchable firework was used as a middle one. There is one known time the bow was used for Du riechst so gut, although the setlist said it should have been used for Laichzeit.

Bleeding masks
Rehearsal - Bielefeld, 6 May 1997
Bielefeld, 6 May 1997
Used for:	Engel
Time period:	6 May 1997
Description
There is only one known time they were used. Photos suggest that during the rehearsal Till, Richard, Paul and Flake were wearing the masks, but at the actual concert only Richard put his mask on. The mask had a third, middle nostril from which fake blood was dripping. Later, the four masks, without the blood dripping effect, would be put on the inflatable sex dolls used for the Heirate mich intro.

Sparkling drumstick
Bielefeld, 6 May 1997
Used for:	Rammstein (Eskimos & Egypt)
Time period:	May 1997; 17 August 1997
Description
For the second guitar solo, Schneider would replace one of his drumsticks with a sparkle fountain firework, which would be set off.

Explosive fireworks
Landgraaf, 18 May 1997
Used for:	Rammstein
Time period:	18 May 1997
Description
There is only one known time it was used. At the beginning of the song three minor explosive fireworks went off behind Till.

Fireworks shooting at Olli
Cologne, 17 August 1997
Used for:	Tier
Time period:	19 May 1997 ; 17 August 1997
Description
There are only two known times where it was used. The prolonged acoustic guitar intro was interrupted by two minor fireworks going off, which Olli pretended to try and dodge.

Riding & neon lamp smashing
New York City, 3 September 1997
New York City, 6 September 1997
Used for:	Bück dich
Time period:	3 September 1997; 6 September 1997; 14 December 1997
Description
Flake would ride on Till's back for a while, then smash the neon lamp against him.

Sombreros
Lichtenfels, 16 October 1997
Used for:	Wilder Wein
Time period:	27 September 1997 - 23 October 1997 ; 8 August 1998 ; 22 August 1998 ; 23 August 1998
Description
After the song's second verse, Richard, Olli and Paul would come out wearing big sombreros while playing acoustic guitars.

Laser goggles
Engel - Emden, 26 September 1997
Spiel mit mir - Munich, 19 October 1997
Rammstein - New Haven, 29 October 1998
Used for:	Engel
Time period:	26 September 1997
Used for:	Spiel mit mir
Time period:	27 September 1997 - 23 October 1997
Used for:	Rammstein
Time period:	15 November 1997 - 10 February 2001
Description
Till would come on stage with goggles that would have a red laser pointing from the left eye. Throughout the performance, Till would often make it seem like he was "scanning" the audience with the laser. While Paul and Richard play the guitar solo, Till would usually remove the goggles. There is one known instance, on 26 September 1997, where Till used the goggles during the performance of Engel. When using the goggles for Rammstein, Till would have them on for the full duration of the song.

Burning bass drum
Vienna, 18 October 1997
Used for:	Intro, Spiel mit mir
Time period:	27 September 1997 - 23 June 1999
Description
Right before the beginning of the first verse, a fake bass drum would start to go up in flames. Till would usually be hiding behind it and reveal himself by pushing the drum aside.

Boxing ring
Oberhausen, 7 October 1997
Used for:	Rammstein
Time period:	26 September 1997 - 23 October 1997
Description
Till would be put on a small platform with posts and ropes. Crewmembers pushed the platform throughout the audience while Till performed the song.

Sausage roasting
Emden, 26 September 1997
Used for:	Rammstein
Time period:	26 September 1997 - 27 September 1997
Description
At one point, while Till was getting carried around in the small boxing ring, he got on his hands and knees. Flake, who was in the ring with him, started roasting sausages on the flames his back provided.

Sparkler arm
Gold Coast, 21 January 2001
Used for:	Weißes Fleisch
Time period:	18 January 2001 - 10 October 2001
Description
Throughout the concert, Flake would have a contraption attached to his arm. While performing his "dance", the contraption would start functioning as a sparkler firework and Flake would make circular motions with his arm.

Media

List of professional live recordings

Date	Venue / Festival / TV Show	City	Country		Type	Completeness	Sound	Status	Notes
19 Apr 1997	Bravo TV	Leipzig	Germany		Video	Complete	Studio	Public
8 May 1997	Weiß der Geier	Leipzig	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Studio	Public
15 May 1997	Tor 3	Düsseldorf	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
18 May 1997	Pinkpop Festival	Landgraaf	Netherlands		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
19 May 1997	Alter Schl8hof Wels	Wels	Austria		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
12 Jun 1997	Hultsfred Festival	Hultsfred	Sweden		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public/Private	Some excerpts still remain private.
28 Jun 1997	Wâldrock Festival	Burgum	Netherlands		Video	Incomplete	Audience	Public
5 Jul 1997	With Full Force Festival	Zwickau	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard/No sound	Public	Some very short clips were broadcasted without the live sound.
17 Aug 1997	Bizarre Festival	Cologne	Germany		Video	Complete	Soundboard	Public
22 Aug 1997	Pukkelpop Festival	Hasselt	Belgium		Video	Incomplete	No sound	Public
23 Aug 1997	Lowlands Festival	Biddinghuizen	Netherlands		Video	Unknown	Unknown	Private/Non-existent	The footage might have been lost completely.
27 Sep 1997	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle	Hamburg	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
4 Oct 1997	Messehalle	Kassel	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard/Studio	Public
23 Oct 1997	Philipshalle	Düsseldorf	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
19 Nov 1997	Garatge Club	Barcelona	Spain		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Private
22 Nov 1997	Odjazdy Festival	Katowice	Poland		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
29 Nov 1997	Melkweg	Amsterdam	Netherlands		Audio	Complete	Soundboard	Public	Broadcasted via radio.
6 May 1998	The Roxy	New York City	USA		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
29 May 1998	Rock im Park	Nuremberg	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
31 May 1998	Rock am Ring	Nürburg	Germany		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
22 Aug 1998	Freilichtbühne Wuhlheide	Berlin	Germany		Video	Complete	Soundboard	Public	Recorded for release on Live aus Berlin.
23 Aug 1998
23 Sep 1998	Worcester's Centrum Centre	Worcester	USA		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
18 Oct 1998	UNO Lakefront Arena	New Orleans	USA		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public	Recorded for release on a Tour DVD.
					Audio				Recorded for release on a Tour CD.
12 Nov 1998	MTV EMA	Assago	Italy		Video	Complete	Soundboard	Public
10 Apr 1999	River Plate Stadium	Buenos Aires	Argentina		Audio	Complete	Soundboard	Public	Broadcasted via radio.
					Video	Incomplete		Public
15 Apr 1999	Hipódromo do Cristal	Porto Alegre	Brazil		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
24 Apr 1999	Foro Sol	Mexico City	Mexico		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
14 Jun 1999	Fillmore Auditorium	Denver	USA		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
30 Jul 2000	Fuji Rock Festival	Yuzawa	Japan		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
26 Jan 2001	Big Day Out Festival	Sydney	Australia		Video	Incomplete	Soundboard	Public
9 Feb 2001	BIGCAT	Osaka	Japan		Video	Incomplete	Studio	Public/Private	Snippets of this concert were used in the music video for Links 2-3-4.

Gallery

Live photos

• 

  09.04.1997
  Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 

  06.05.1997
  PC 69, Bielefeld, Germany
• 

  21.05.1997
  Luftgrobm, Buchschachen, Austria
• 

  21.06.1997
  Hurricane Festival, Scheeßel, Germany
• 

  22.08.1997
  Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium
• 

  03.09.1997
  CMJ Festival, New York City, USA
• 

  27.09.1997
  Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 

  06.10.1997
  Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany
• 

  19.10.1997
  Zenith, Munich, Germany
• 

  12.06.1999
  Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, USA

Other (posters, tickets, etc.)

• 

  06.05.1997
  Magazine article
  PC 69, Bielefeld, Germany
• 

  07.05.1997
  Ticket
  Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg, Germany
• 

  11.05.1997
  Magazine article
  Babylon, Munich, Germany
• 

  12.05.1997
  Ticket
  Forum, Nuremberg, Germany
• 

  21.05.1997
  Poster
  Luftgrobm, Buchschachen, Austria
• 

  14.06.1997
  Ticket
  Wuhlrock Festival, Berlin, Germany
• 

  21.06.1997
  Poster
  Hurricane Festival, Scheeßel, Germany
• 

  13.07.1997
  Poster
  Underground Festival, Wels, Austria
• 

  13.07.1997
  Ticket
  Underground Festival, Wels, Austria
• 

  23.08.1997
  Poster
  Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
• 

  30.08.1997
  Ticket
  Rock am See Festival, Konstanz, Germany