bout.com's Justin M. Norton recently interviewed guitarist Paul Landers of German industrial metal act RAMMSTEIN. They discussed why the band decided to make an explicit video for the single 'Pussy'; if the band members were worried about their musical career being tranished by the video and the recording of the new album Liebe Ist Für Alle Da. Excerpts from the conversation follow:
About.com: When you wrote the song 'Pussy' why did you decide to shoot an explicit video to accompany it?
Landers: "The song was already done, and the video director proposed the idea of shooting a porno. We deliberated on it very shortly and said, 'let’s do it' without worrying about the consequences. We thought it was cool because there’s no need for MTV or video stations with the internet. Something we hadn’t planned was that YouTube cancelled it, so then it was a question of 'what now?' We found a way of showing it that was more private and hidden. It turned out that the exclusivity of the video made it a bit more complex and interesting."
About.com: Were you ever worried about being branded about the band that had done a porno video and nothing else?
Landers: "(Laughs) When the band gets together to work on a song, the last thing that occurs is what the general public will think or what the consequences will be. We’ve stirred up a lot of emotions over the years. But our starting point is Germany and German topics and ideas. We take that into the world, and that’s one of the most difficult places to start. We have such a bad reputation in Germany it can’t get any worse elsewhere."
About.com: Do you think the band will ever be able to replicate the mainstream success of the single 'Du Hast?'
Landers: "It’s something the band has been trying to do since that point, but it’s not something you can force.
About.com: What do you want people to take away from the experience of seeing Rammstein live?
Landers: "Live shows are our forte. That’s what made us famous. When we get to North America in 2010 we want the fans to come see us…beer bellies, wrinkles and all."
