The City of London, renowned for it's vast array of theatrical delights. From opera, to showbiz classics, ballet and good old fashioned drama, there is something for everyone in England's capital. Interesting then, that tonight the best show in town is not in the West End, but in Brixton. For the mighty Rammstein are in town, and they've brought along with them Finland's Apocalyptica. This is the first thing Rammstein did right. Rather than having a support band who are similar but not as good (which so many bands do) which the crowd don't care for, tonight they opt for something completely different and fresh.

When Apocalyptica first take the stage armed with 4 cellos, many eyebrows are raised in curiousity. When they use those cellos to blast into some blistering speed metal, jaws collectively hit the floor. Among the many renditions are faithful reworkings of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and "Creeping Death", but my favourite of the set is undoubtedly a flawless, exciting interpretation of Sepultura's "Inquisition Symphony" which left me with a huge, appreciative grin. Finishing off with a fast, metal-icious version of Grieg's "In The Hall of the Mountain King", Apocalyptica definitely left the stage with more fans than they had before they went on.

But the mighty Rammstein is who the sellout crowd is here to see. A huge roar erupts in the Academy as the lights dim and six men in uniform stroll onto the stage holding flashlights. Alas however, we have been fooled. These men are not Rammstein at all. They turn their backs the the crowd and face the stage curtain, which drops to reveal the real band who launch into "Reise, Reise" with all the majesty and fanfare that we've come to expect. A good selection of the Rammstein back catalogue ensues. From the signature tune "Rammstein" to the fantastic "Sensucht", "Du Hast" and "Lnks 2 3 4" among others, all are delivered with the kind of German precision and power which would make that country's car manufacturers collectively envious. From the latest album the songs played include "Mein Teil", "Keine Lust" and "Amerika", all accompanied by the trademark, pyrotechnics and special effects, which are plentiful, but are not there in place of the music, but rather an exciting accompaniment to it. Sadly (or is that thankfully?) there are no promiscous displays between Till Lindemann and keyboardist Christian Lorenz as there have been in past shows...

Tonight's show is endcapped with Rammstein's cover of Depeche Mode's "Stripped", during which bass player Olli Reidel sails over the heads of the crowd in an inflateable dinghy. An entertaining end to an entertaining show!

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