fact file

Name: Christian Lorenz
Usually known as: Flake
Sometimes also called: Doktor
Birthdate: 16th November 1966 (unconfirmed)
Birthplace: Berlin
Former bands: Feeling B. From what I know he's also been involved in other side projects (at least some of them, if not all, with Paul Landers). I haven't been able to confirm any names, although I've found a couple of lists that mentioned, for example, Magdalene Keibel Combo or Frigitte Hodenhorst Mundschen... if you have more information regarding Flake's pre-Rammstein era, please let me know!

personal

Not much is known about Flake's personal life because he chooses to keep most of it private - and I respect that, as I'm a pretty private person myself, so I'll be doing my best to keep this site gossip-free. Because after all, I don't think we need to know whatever he does with his life outside of Rammstein... call me weird. There are, however, quite a few details about Flake of a more or less personal nature (opinions, likes and dislikes and other stuff not directly related to music) that can be considered public, since they have been revealed through interviews or press articles, sometimes by Flake himself, sometimes by any of his bandmates. And as they're already available on several websites or magazines and come from more or less reliable sources, I thought including them here wouldn't hurt...

trivia

* This section is still under construction, I still have to reread quite a few interviews from which I could take interesting things. Stay tuned for updates!

His natural hair color is brown, although he's dyed it numerous times. His eyes are blue.
The reason why he's called Flake is unknown. I've read a couple of "theories" behind that, but I'm afraid they're just that - fan theories. As for Flake himself, he doesn't remember where the name comes from - he says that people started to tell him that at young age and it just stuck.
He wanted to become a doctor (more specifically a surgeon, according to some sources), that's why sometimes he's referred as "Doktor". But since he refused to go to the army, he wasn't allowed to study... quoting him, "In East Germany, refusing to go was serious infraction. So I lived illegally, and the only trade I could have was to be musician".
According to Flake, the whole world thinks his birthday is on a different day than it is. Most websites say he was born on November 6, so I assume this is the wrong date... Other websites say his birthday is on the 16th - and I don't remember when or where, but someone said once that this was the right date, according to some "reliable sources". We'll take it as the good one, but I still consider it unconfirmed because well, it is - hence the note above.
He is an educated pianist, but he doesn't consider himself very good. He says he chose to play the piano because a childhood friend of his did.
Apprenticed as a toolmaker on leaving school
Joined Feeling B in 1983, at age seventeen.
Flake lived in an apartment with Paul, during their early years. When they weren't playing gigs they would sell jackets made from cut-up bed sheets and dusters on the black market.
As reflected in some interviews, he seems to dislike America (United States, I mean) and much of American culture.
Flake used to write frequently, and is much missed, in the old Fanarea logbook at Rammstein.com
He's an amateur painter and likes classic cars. Actually, he's involved in vintage car hire business... if you search a little you could find more information about that *hint hint*
He was the last one of the Rammstein members to join the band - at first he wasn't interested because he thought they would be too boring. Eventually he agreed to join. More or less... or quoting Paul in the interview included in the Live aus Berlin DVD, "Then there were five of us. Only Flake the Keyboarder was missing. We really had to talk him into it. He didn't want to play in the band. He said it was too silly. He said it was too blunt, boring and strict. On the one hand we knew we need a Keyboarder, on the other, a person who'd speak up with their objections. Rammstein is like Goulash and needs a pinch of sugar for taste. We were always saying, 'man, Flake come on and join the band' 'Are their six or five of us?' He never really answered and he still hasn't even today"
Flake is best known (at least for the oldest fans) for his part in the controversial live performance of Bück dich, where he and Till would engage in simulated sodomy with a liquor-squirting dildo. They even were arrested and charged with "lewd and lascivious behavioronce" for doing that (that happened during the concert in Worcester, Massachussets, on June 5th 1999). The two were held overnight and released the following day on $25 bail.
Actually, Flake seems to play quite frequently the role of suffering person/outsider in many R+ shows and videos (being "cooked" alive by Till onstage during Mein Teil, being killed off in both the Ich Will and Mein Teil videos...). He said he's actually quite proud to be the one who's selected for those roles.
He used to 'crowd-surf' in the boat during 'Seemann' until 2002, when Olli started doing it. It seems he didn't want to do it anymore, mainly because he injured himself too often.
In 2005, Flake suffered from an infection that caused concerts in South America to be cancelled.
He's been quoted as liking Die Ärzte, Coldplay, Placebo, Johnny Cash, PJ Harvey, System of a Down, Ministry, Prodigy, The White Stripes ~~specially Meg White~~, and once remarked that he would've liked to have been the sixth Rolling Stone.
In the November 2005 chat at rammstein.com he mentioned that he used to have a thing for mouth harmonica, and that he wanted to be able to join the blues scene.
He's been quoted to be a huge fan of Helge Schneider
When asked about his favorite movies, he replied that "There's little that's better than the Brother's Marx"
He's known to be an atheist and is opposed to organized religion. He's quoted to have said, "I disapprove of religions which are made into rigid institutions. I also think that religious fanaticism and missionary work are dangerous."