Music Preview: Krammpstein performing at Complex in Glendale
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The long tradition of theatrical horror and live rock ‘n’ roll goes back generations, from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins rising from an onstage crypt in the 1950s to Alice Cooper’s concert decapitations and a raging, demonic Rob Zombie awash in flames, skeletons and pentagrams. Why shouldn’t quiet, quaint Glendale enjoy a little of that darkness and noise?
On Saturday, a local band of monsters known as Krammpstein will deliver a hot summer night of horror, metal and parody at the Glendale nightclub Complex, spreading furry bad cheer through rewritten versions of Rammstein songs. It will be the first time the costumed group has performed outside of its annual Krampus holiday celebrations.
At those winter performances, band members are dressed as various creatures to embody the Alpine legend of Krampus, the snarling beast that captures naughty children just in time for the holidays. But a monster has to do something the rest of the year.
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“Honestly, we just want to get together,” says Krammpstein singer Greg Reynard, a former member of the band Green Jellÿ. “We’re trying to claim the Winter and Summer Solstices – once they all belong to us we can play whenever we want. We might go for equinoxes next.”
This weekend’s concert will offer essentially the same live rock experience as in the winter, as the band performs faithful reproductions of songs by the German metal band Rammstein, with new lyrics by Reynard. Krammpstein trades Rammstein’s pyro with fur and sharp teeth, while Reynard’s comedic vocals transform the scary into the sublime, the tragic into the ridiculous.
While the raging guitars and electronics remain, Reynard takes certain liberties with the message, including the Rammstein song “Rosenrot,” about a boyfriend who climbs a mountain to get his beloved a rose and falls to his death. “Our version is about the tragic life of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and how he was shunned and made fun of by his reindeer compatriots,” he says, comparing the two. “We’re basically trying to take whatever their songs are about and work them into a Krampus theme. Their songs are fairly brutal.”
He doesn’t speak German but has the help of a German rhyming dictionary and Google Translate. “I have some German friends that I run stuff by and they tell me how far off I am,” Reynard adds.
As an experienced player on the punk and indie rock scene, he’s written original songs for years. This is different. He calls writing parody songs more of “a puzzle in my head” to be figured out.
“I grew up on Dr. Demento and Weird Al, so I fell in love with parody at a fairly young age,” he says. “I like writing original stuff, but I do quite enjoy trying to write a good parody as well.”
Crowded onto the Complex stage behind Reynard will be guitarist William Smith, keyboardist (and lighting director) Samuel Pfannkuche and percussionist-singer Tamara Rettino. (Krammpstein bassist Anthony Albright is out of town. Filling in is Josh Newell, who also plays in a traditional Rammstein tribute band.)
Since forming three years ago, Krammpstein has attracted an excited following to their annual holiday shows, where fans dress in horns and other monstrous gear. Recently, Krammpstein was listed among the top 20 best tribute bands in the area by LA Weekly.
One constituency that hasn’t yet seen the band are the members of Rammstein. “As far as I understand, they do not know about this,” says Reynard.
A few years ago, Krammpstein was at a party in Portugal where Rammstein was in attendance. “He was afraid to tell them about us. I was haranguing him about it: Tell them about us! They’ll get it!”
As much as Reynard would like to hear the reaction of the German originals to his monstrous parody, there is an upside to anonymity, as he considers growling Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, a former competitive swimmer.
“I wouldn’t want to square off with Till,” he says thoughtfully. “He seems like a very large imposing individual.”
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Who: Krammpstein, with Empyrean Throne, DJ Lina Lecaro
Where: Complex, 806 E. Colorado St., Glendale
When: Saturday, June 18; 9 p.m.
Tickets: $10
More info: (323) 642-7519, complexla.com
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Steve Appleford, steve.appleford@latimes.com
Twitter: @SteveAppleford
