Paul Landers | |
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Landers performing "Feuer Frei" with Rammstein
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Background information | |
Birth name | Heiko Paul Hiersche |
Born |
Berlin, East Germany |
9 December 1964
Genres | Neue Deutsche Härte |
Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
Instruments | Guitar, backing vocals |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels | Motor Music, Republic, Slash, Universal Music Group |
Associated acts | Rammstein, Feeling B, First Arsch, Die Firma, Die Magdalene Keibel Combo, New Affaire |
Notable instruments | |
Music Man EVH Signature and Axis (former) ESP Paul Landers Eclipse Gibson Paul Landers Signature Les Paul |
Paul Landers (born 9 December 1964) is a German musician, notable as guitarist for the Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.
Paul was born in East Berlin, Germany. His mother was born in Poland and his father came from the former German areas of Czechoslovakia. He lived in Moscow for a short time as a child. Landers can speak Russian a little; however, he can not read or write it.
In 1983, Paul Landers formed the East German punk band, Feeling B, together with Christian "Flake" Lorenz and Aljoscha Rompe, in which Christoph Schneider would later also play. In 1984, 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.
Oddly, he has stated that he used to not like rock, but "with Rammstein it seems to work".
When he married Nikki Landers in 1984 (at the age of 20), he took his wife's surname and switched his middle and first name, thus making his name Paul Landers. After their divorce in 1987, he kept her last name. Paul also has a son from a previous marriage, Emil Reinke (b. 20 June 1990), who is an actor.
After his divorce with Nikki Landers, he lived with his Feeling B bandmate Christian "Flake" Lorenz for a number of years.
His favorite bands are Pantera, Metallica, and The Sex Pistols.
He is the shortest member of the band at 173 centimetres (5 ft 8 in)