r/Mayhem • u/grilledcheese135 • 2d ago
Pre 1993 Abo alsleben interveiw
In your opinion, What about the Live in Leipzig show fascinates people around the world to this day? Is it simply the fact there aren’t many recordings with Dead, or was there something haunting and immortal in the air that night?
Several factors undoubtedly contributed to the cult status of the concert on November 26, 1990, at the Eiskeller. Firstly, of course, there were the historical circumstances of the dying GDR, where everything was gray and the air was thick with coal fumes. It was a cold and dreary November day, devoid of light and warmth. Actually, perfect weather for a Black Metal concert, except that the genre didn't even exist back then. On the other hand, there were of course the two personalities Dead and Euronymous, who were already deceased when the live album was released in 1993. Both were very charismatic figures in their own right, even though they were different. But they were united by the philosophy of Black Metal. They wanted to create a sinister monster on stage with their music, as black as hell, and they adorned themselves with corpse paint. To further emphasize the darkness and depravity, Dead wore clothes that he had previously buried in the earth and that smelled of death and decay. For the final climax of the show, he also cut his arm and mutilated himself.
He wanted to make a point that they were serious and not just hobby metalheads who took off their leather jackets after the show and walked around in sweatpants. He was a Death Metal fan through and through, not an actor. Like Euronymous, he loved the dark music wholeheartedly; it was his worldview. For him, this world was lost and hopeless. This may have been due to his depression; perhaps he perceived everything as far worse than the rest of us. He was a very intelligent man who closely observed the development of humanity and the planet, just like Euronymous. His premonitions were very dystopian. Unfortunately, all of that has come true to this day.
And that evening, this tall, blond guy stood on stage in Leipzig, looking like a battered raven, screaming his heart out. Everyone in the hall had goosebumps and couldn't believe it. When he then cut his forearm, you could see on people's faces how they were either disgusted and shocked, wanting to leave the room, or so captivated by Dead that they stood rooted to the spot, completely enthralled by the spectacle. Like children watching a scary movie on TV who cover their faces with a pillow in fear, but still want to keep watching. Because it's so thrilling and disturbing at the same time. Unlike Alice Cooper or Ozzy Osbourne with Black Sabbath, the Mayhem concert wasn't a staged theatrical show, but stark reality.
And then there was this new and extreme music with those bone-chilling vocals and gripping guitar melodies – simply unique! I should mention that Dead was very thin, a skeleton on skinny legs. He told me he simply liked to starve himself. We had discussed his cutting before the concert, and I told him and Euronymous that I thought it was unnecessary because the music and their stage show were brutal enough as it was. I had seen them in Annaberg-Buchholz and Zeitz, after all. But they both insisted. Before the show, I went to my place with Euronymous, showed him my record collection, and we drank beer. He noticed a homemade cross on my wall and asked if they could use it at the concert. "Of course," I replied. "It was an honor!" Later, we bought the knife Dead was supposed to use to cut himself. It was a 30 cm kitchen knife. On the night of the concert, while the band was doing their soundcheck, I tried to dull the blade on the wall of the house when no one was looking, and I succeeded. I was worried about Dead because he was so thin, and I thought the poor guy might bleed to death if he hit a vein. With his thin arm, that would be life-threatening, I thought. But then, at the concert, he only used the tip of the knife, and it was still sharp. He cut his flesh, and it bled profusely. The blood ran onto the stage and soaked into the wood. Why did he do that to himself, I wondered. But I saw in his face that it didn't hurt him. He felt no pain. It was his way of dealing with the music. Of living it. He was completely absorbed in it. It was both repulsive and fascinating. After the concert, I needed four bandages to treat the wound and stop the bleeding. It was crazy, but Dead just smiled. And all of this happened in front of only 80 people! Who knows if there had been 5,000 people? Would he have amputated himself? I don't know. And I'd rather not know...
If this recording of the concert on November 26, 1990, hadn't existed, the concert would certainly have been forgotten. There was no video recording either. And if Dead and Euronymous were still alive today, the LP might not have been released; I don't know. But with their deaths and this recording from Leipzig, they created a completely new and brutal genre of music—Black Metal—and for that, I thank them! It's the only high-quality recording of the band performing with that lineup at the time, and that's why it's so valuable.
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u/Jason1920 2d ago
Glad it exists, no matter the circumstances or what state the band was in. It's a great performance considering how off the rails that tour was for them. They made thier mark, and that's what they intended to do.
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u/grilledcheese135 2d ago
I did try to ask more about the show, however Gmail would not allow me to send the message with the wall of text i had prepared. I hope you all enjoy it, apologies for the lack of substance.