Why did Rammstein throw Sean Ono Lennon out of backstage?
Till Lindemann, the frontman of Rammstein and a prominent figure in the industrial metal music scene is well-known as an eccentric character. Rammstein is celebrated for their intense and theatrical stage shows, which often include pyrotechnics and elaborate props – during performances, Lindemann is never one to shy away from intensity. Off stage, he won’t put up with any nonsense either, as John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s son, Sean, once discovered when the singer kicked him out of the backstage area.
Mistakes can happen, especially when names like ‘Sean’ and ‘John’ bear a striking resemblance. At least, this was certainly the case for Lindemann, whose confusion was reason enough to eject an alleged troublemaker from the band’s backstage area. Essentially, when Sean Ono Lennon approached Lindemann and introduced himself, he misheard and thought that he was claiming to be his father.
Speaking on his show for the German radio station Radio Eins, the band’s keyboardist Christian Lorenz, AKA Flake, shared his recollection of the infamous moment. “I once met John Lennon’s son at a festival. Unfortunately, his name is Sean Lennon,” he said. “He had a band there that also played and wasn’t that bad.” When Sean Ono Lennon expressed an interest in visiting Rammstein’s backstage area to meet the band members, Lindemann did not extend a particularly welcoming reception due to his misunderstanding.
“Till said: ‘A strange student guy came in backstage, and I asked him who he was and what he wanted, and he said he was John Lennon,” Flake said. “Then I said: I can make a fool of myself’ – and I threw him out.”
Naturally, Flake felt bad about Flake’s ejection: “Poor man, that’s his bad luck: firstly, being John Lennon’s son and then being called Sean, that’s obviously nasty. It’s generally difficult if you’re the junior or the son of famous people. I really wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Sean Ono Lennon’s name isn’t the only thing that resembles his late father. According to John Lennon, his son always felt “more like a twin” due to their shared birthday. They also mirrored each other’s emotions, experiencing highs and lows in synchrony. With Sean Ono Lennon subsequently forging his own successful career in music, the truth in this sentiment isn’t too difficult to see.
Sean Ono Lennon has undeniably established himself as a celebrated musician in his own right, a mission he embarked on from a young age. He continues to acknowledge the profound influence his father had on his musical journey. However, much of this influence may have become more apparent in his later years as he delved deeper into the works of both The Beatles and the Plastic Ono Band.
In a 1980 interview, John Lennon even said that his son’s apparent knack for channelling his emotions allowed him to overcome his “artistic depression” for the sake of his child. Even though Lindemann’s mistake may appear amusing at first and even verging on absurd, seeing John Lennon appear in the form of Sean Ono Lennon is perhaps less unusual than you might initially think.
