[Update 2/9/2021: According to German news website Bild, Lindemann was not arrested by Russian police, but merely questioned. Our original story follows].
Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has reportedly been arrested in Russia.
The news was reported by website Summa Inferno in a post that claims that Lindemann was questioned at his hotel room.
Lindemann had been due to perform at the Maclarin For Homeland festival in Tver, 180 kilometres northwest of Moscow, yesterday, and it is believed his detention is connected to Russia's current ban on largescale gatherings. A post of the festival website claims that the festival did adhere to current regulations, with attendees separated into groups of 500.
Local news reports claim that Lindeman's agent Anar Reiband has also been arrested, and faces accusations of lying about his intentions when entering the country on a tourist visa.
No official statement has been released by the band to either confirm or deny the story.
State-owned news agency Sputnik News reports that festival organisers had offered Lindemann the opportunity to perform at a show that did conform to local safety guidelines, with a total audience capped at 500 people, but the event was eventually cancelled altogether. The festival was originally set up to celebrate the 50th birthday of local businessman Maxim Larin, owner of the Afanasy brewing company.
This isn't the only trouble Lindemann has run into in the former Soviet Union this year. Two weeks ago Lindemann was criticised by the famous Hermitage museum in Saint Petersburg museum over the 'unauthorised' sale of NFTs featuring photos and film shot on its premises.
Earlier this year, Russian activist Andrey Borovikov was jailed for two and a half years for sharing Rammstein’s Pussy video on social media in 2014.
