By The Moscow Times | Created at 2024-11-18 13:10:22 | Updated at 2024-11-18 15:30:48
2 hours ago
A Russian court ordered Till Lindemann, the frontman of German metal band Rammstein, to pay 638,800 euros ($670,000) over a canceled concert in northwestern Russia’s Tver region, the state-run TASS news agency reported Monday.
Tver-based company Prime Marketing, which had contracted Rammstein to perform in the regional capital, filed a lawsuit against Lindermann with Russia’s International Commercial Arbitration Court.
The dispute stems from a planned performance in August 2021 as part of the “McLarin for the Motherland” festival, organized by local businessman Maxim Larin to coincide with his 50th birthday.
The concert was canceled after local authorities reportedly blocked the band’s vehicles from accessing the festival grounds for rehearsals and searched the hotel where Lindemann was staying, ordering compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.
Belarusian rock band Bi-2, also scheduled to perform, pulled out after receiving warnings from authorities about the event’s “inadmissibility.”
Attendees were initially asked to wear black shirts emblazoned with the festival’s slogan, “McLarin for the Motherland,” but Larin later requested they avoid wearing the shirts, fearing the authorities might interpret the event as an unsanctioned rally for the nationalist political party Motherland.
A Russian arbitration court also ordered Lindemann’s producer, Anar Reiband, to pay Larin 10 million rubles ($100,000) as part of a separate lawsuit. Larin claimed Reiband had agreed to provide advertising services in the Tver region but failed to deliver after receiving an advance payment
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
