Paul Landers

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Paul Landers

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Img_capt = |Img_size = 240
Img_capt = Paul Landers in a Brazilian hotel, 1999
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Heiko Paul Hiersche
Born = birth date and age|1964|12|9
Berlin, Germany
Died =
Genre = Tanz-Metall
Occupation = Guitarist
Years_active = 1983–present
Instrument = Rhythm guitar
Label =
Associated_acts = Rammstein, Feeling B, First Arsch, Die Firma, Die Magdalene Keibel Combo

URL =

Paul H. Landers (born December 9, 1964) is a German musician, notable as the rhythm-guitarist for the German Tanz-Metall ("Dance Metal") band Rammstein.

Biography

Personal life

Landers was born in Berlin, Germany. His real name was Heiko Paul Hiersche, which he hated. He lived in Moscow for a short time as a young child. Landers speaks fluent Russian but he can't read or write it. He moved out of his parents' house at the age of 16 due to fights with his stepfather and subsequently switched his first names, also in honour of his biological father. He soon left out "Heiko", making his name "Paul Hiersche". When he married Nikki Landers in 1984 (at the age of 20), he took his wife's surname, thus making his name "Paul Landers".

Paul and Nikki had a son, Emil, born c. 1984-87. They later divorced in 1987, but he kept her last name. He also has a second child, a daughter, whose name and date of birth are unknown, with a different woman.

After his divorce with Nikki Landers, he lived with his "Feeling B" band mate Christian "Flake" Lorenz for a number of years. Paul has since had a daughter. An interview with "The Gauntlet" conducted on the 31st October, 2007 confirms that Paul is married.

Career

In 1983, Landers formed the East German punk band, "Feeling B", together with Flake Lorenz and Aljoscha Rompe, in which Christoph Schneider would later also play. In 1986, Landers formed "First Arsch" with Till Lindemann and Richard Kruspe. He also played in a number of other bands including "Die Firma" and "Die Magdalene Keibel Combo".

Lindemann, Kruspe, Schneider and bassist Oliver "Ollie" Riedel entered and won the Berlin Senate Metro Beat Contest in 1994 that enabled them to have a four-track demo professionally recorded. Landers and Flake soon followed suit to join the band which became known as Rammstein.

Equipment

Landers is a self-taught guitarist. [ [http://herzeleid.com/en/press/2005-10_paul_chat_english Rammstein Press: Rammstein Chat with Paul | Herzeleid.com | The number one source for Rammstein ] ] He can also play the piano and violin, which he learned to as a child.

Paul plays two Music Man Van Halen guitars and according to the Live Aus Berlin DVD Trivia Game; in his guitar-rack there is a Tech 21 PSA-1 preamp, of which he only uses one preset; he goes from the preamp to the mixer and into a Mesa/Boogie Strategy 500 power amp and two Marshall 4x12" cabinets. When playing in C tuning, Paul uses a Custom Les Paul Studio. During the Völkerball performance of the song "Rammstein", Paul is seen using another Custom Les Paul Studio which was drop D tuned for the song. He also uses EMG 60 and EMG 81 pickups.

References

External links

* [http://www.rammstein.com/ Rammstein.com] - Official site en icon
* [http://www.rammstein.de/ Rammstein.de] - Official site de icon
* [http://www.ostmusik.de/feeling_b.htm Info on "Feeling B"]
* [http://www.achtung-wir-kommen.de/index_e.htm "Feeling B" - Look out! We're coming to get you!]
* [http://www.rammstein-interviews.com/ Rammstein-Interviews.com]