Rammstein’s Till Lindemann ordered to pay massive compensation for cancelled Russian concert

Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has been ordered by a Russian court to pay over 67 million rubles (approximately €638,000) in damages for a cancelled concert scheduled for August 2021. The case highlights the complex intersection of entertainment, politics, and bureaucracy in modern Russia.

The concert was planned as part of a festival in Tver, organized by local businessman Maksim Larin. However, the event faced unexpected complications when local authorities intervened. According to reports from Deutsche Welle, police officers visited Lindemann’s hotel room before the show, warning him about potential COVID-19 restriction violations. The situation escalated when authorities blocked vehicle access to the festival grounds during rehearsals.

The political undertones of the cancellation became apparent when Larin, speaking to the BBC, suggested the authorities’ actions were politically motivated. Larin, a former local politician for the nationalist opposition party Rodina, had organized the event to coincide with his 50th birthday. The festival’s name, “McLarin za Rodinu” (McLarin for the Homeland), raised eyebrows due to its potential connection to the Rodina party, especially since Larin’s son was running as a Rodina candidate in regional parliamentary elections at the time.

According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Lindemann allegedly cancelled his performance but failed to return the advance payment. The case has also spawned a separate legal battle involving Lindemann’s manager, Anar Reiband. Larin claims he paid Reiband a 10-million-ruble advance for advertising services in the Tver region, but the contract was never finalized, and the money wasn’t returned. Courts have ordered Reiband to repay approximately €100,000 in advance payments.

This incident adds to the growing list of complications faced by international artists performing in Russia, where entertainment events can become entangled in local politics and regulatory challenges. The Moscow Times notes that determining the exact value of the compensation in euros is challenging due to current currency fluctuations.

The case has attracted significant attention in both Russian and German media, highlighting the ongoing tensions between international cultural exchange and local political dynamics in Russia.

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