Interview with Tokio Hotel by HIS - Tokyo, Japan 10.02.2011

February 10, 2011 is a memorable day for the fans of TOKIO HOTEL. Yes, the long-awaited TOKIO HOTEL finally come to Japan. Thus, HIS has a special interview with the four guys from TOKIO HOTEL who as the Goodwill Ambassador for the 150th anniversary of Germany. Here are the answers we got from them about visiting Germany.

HIS: Your four guys were born in Magdeburg, what do you think of there?
Georg: Of course, it's a great city!! (laugh)
--laugh together--
Bill: In fact, there is nothing to visit .
Gustav: Yeah, it's just a common village, nothing special.

HIS: Well, are there any places that you'd like to introduce?
Tom: Well...
Georg: There is a cathedral and some other historic churches, and we often went to the shopping mall.
Tom: And, yes, the Hundertwasser!
Together: Oh, yeah...the Hundertwasser!!!

HIS: What is that?
The agent: It's a building built by an Austrian architect, and this architect was a little bit like Gaudi. (A Spainish architect)
Gustav: Most of the buildings in Magdeburg have a colourful outside.
Bill: That's all the stuffs that deserve to see.
Georg: And you can finish your trip in 30 minutes.

HIS: It seems that's really a small city...(laugh). Then, what if a Japanese want to visit Germany, to the other cities like Munich or Berlin, Do you have anything to recommend?
Bill: Berlin and Hamburg are good choices if you want to visite Germany.
Gustav: Talking about Munich, there is a OctoberFest!
Tom: Yeah, the OctoberFest is awesome.
Georg: That's a grand festival and was very alive.

HIS: Oh, I really want to be there for once. By the way, I heared that Georg was born in Halle but not in Magdeburg, is that true?
Georg: Yes, I was born in Halle, but I only lived there for 2 or 3 years.
Bill: And Halle is also a very small city. (laugh)
Georg: Yeah, even when comparing with Magdeburg, it's nothing special to say. (laugh)
--laugh together--
HIS: Oh, I see. Then the next question, what's your favourite city in Germany?
Bill: It's definitely Hamburg. Why do I say that? It's because I have lived there for a period of time. and I miss there. Moreover, there are great natural sceneries near the countrysides. Although, sometimes the weather is not that pleasure and it rains and blows a lot,but it's still a very pretty city. In fact,it might also be the most beautiful city in Germany.

HIS: Then, as a tourist city, is Hamburg also worthy of a stroll?
Bill: Hum...yeah, I once lived there and I really like that place, but I was not going there for tourism. Whatever, I think that's a good place.

HIS: Thank you so much, then Tom, what do you think of there?
Tom: In fact,I prefer Cologne. You can see people there are jolly and lively. Though I never lived in Cologne, hum, I guess I'll live there some day. It's a good place with so many bright and open-minded people and I love there. But it's more of travelling than living. (laugh)

HIS: Oh, I see, thank you. Georg, how do you think?
Georg: I think Berlin is the best place for now. It's an attractive and exciting city where contains varied cultures from all over the world. What's more, there are many nightclubs. And you can devote youself into them for the whole night long.

HIS: Except the nightclubs, is there any other place to go?
Georg: Of course, indeed,there are so many sightseeings.
Bill: Yes, there are several tour routes in Berlin.
Georg: Both history and culture are the highlights and it's a perfect tourist city.

HIS: Awesome, no wonder Berlin is the capital! then, Gustav , have you got a favourite spot?
Gustav: Honestly, I like Magdeburg.
Together (laugh): Really?
Gustav: Yeah, everything you guys mentioned just now can be found in Magdeburg. And of course, including the Octoberfest, it's totally a city for travelling.
Bill: But if you go to there for sightseeing, it's terrible without a bicyle... (laugh)
--laugh together--

HIS: Are there any vehicles in Magdeburg!?
Tom: No, there aren't.
Gustav: Indeed, we have taxis and double-deck buses which is the same with London's. But we have only one is use for going sightseeing. After that you have to take a boat, which is along the Elbe River but it's absolutely comfortable and amazing!
Bill: Yeah, it's said that the most interesting place in Magdeburg are Georg's and Gustav's houses.
--laugh together--

HIS: Okay, let's put aside the idea of going whose home first , HIS is planing to make a tour route about TOKIO HOTEL.
Together: Really?
Tom: Is it a tour to Magdeburg?

HIS: It includes Magdeburg and other places you recommend or concern you, or some memorable places. And What other good places except Magdeburg are worth playing?
Everybody: It sounds good! Wow, marvelous! (Everyone looks excited)
Tom: And what about LA? (laugh)
Gustav: Hmmm…
Bill: Do not miss Gröninger Bad if you want to know the history of Tokio Hotel.

HIS: What's that?
Bill: It's the club we first met!

HIS: So the fans might visit there at least once!
Everybody: And something more, it must be fun to visit our old schools.

HIS: That's cool! And do not forget telling us the names of the schools.

Each of them says the names of the schools.

For the best tour route

HIS: Thank you. The next question. Bill and Tom are living in LA now. Have you got the plan about giving concerts in LA?
Bill: No. We are focusing on Japan now, so we are not going to promote in other countries, and our new album has just released. Now we are recording songs and looking for new inspiration. So…hmmm, I don't know when to give concerts. We all pool our ideas to compose new songs now.

HIS: So when will the next album to be completed and released?
Tom: It's hard to say. Maybe half a year later, or maybe 5 years later.We can't decide the specific date and now we are looking for inspiration. We are exercising so to speak.

HIS: We are expecting the next concert and CD! At last, for improving Germany's tourism, can you say something to Japanese fans?
Bill: Sure. Hmm, Germany is a very good country, though the weather is not that good. Don't forget your umbrella!
Tom: And the bars! Night bars and German beer are the best!
Georg: And also the Autobahn! It will be very interesting.
Gustav: There seems to be speed limit when driving in Japan, but there's no limit in Germany so you can drive freely.
Bill: All we said are the most interesting things in Germany.

HIS: Thank you very much, Tokio Hotel!

InRock Vol.327, Japan - Scans (Translation from interview added)

                              Interview with Tokio Hotel

I want to try something new except music with Tom.

This month, Adimission free (page 84-85) published the articles written by readers who were interviewed with Tokio Hotel, coz it's initial to look into from fans' view. Overwhelmed by Bill, among those German all the people were so high. Beyond that, Bill and Tom kept talking. It was very cheerful.

Everyone was looking forward to your arrival.
Tokio Hotel: So were we.
Bill: The trip to Japan has been our dream for a long time. We are really grateful for coming to Japan finally and extremely excited. It was quite good to come here.

I guess you guys had the same answers when you were asked by South American reporters. (Laugh)
Bill: Yeah! We have told people that some day we would go to Japan for many times. What is more, our band name is "Tokio Hotel", so we want to go to Japan as soon as possible.
Tom: But when the day came, it was beyond imagines, because Tokyo was certainly too far away.
Georg: When we gave a name to our band, we wanted to figure something spectacular out. It seems that it should be a place that we can not even see and reach in the dream. And finally we decided to name it "Tokio Hotel". But we finally got to Tokyo. (Laugh)

Well, all the fans want to know more about you guys in limited times. Firstly, Tom, you said making an album was a time-consuming job when you received our interviews last time. So the next album in 2011 must be not easy. Do you think the same way right now?
Tom: Sure.

Why is it?
Tom: Actually we should have made the new song in the recoding studio at this moment, but we decided to come to Japan, actually it is not in our plan. Next time we hope we can prepare well.

Seriously? We can believe you, can't we? (Laugh)
Tom: Of course! But we have other plans in 2011 to look forward to. After all these, we can finally come back to the studio to continue writing songs. So we don’t know when the next album will be released, either. It's not that we don't like traveling, but it seems that we don't have enough time to compose in 2011.
Bill: That's because we want to make some albums of high quality. We really want to show everyone the best part of what we create in daily time, so it is necessary to stay at the studio for a long time. As we compose, we have to discuss which way is better, which sound is better and so on.
Tom: Yeah, we have been on tours this year. Once we get back to the studio, we will think about what to do next, accumulating our thoughts and collecting all kinds of inspiration. All of these are very time-consuming.
Bill: So we are not sure when we can release the next album. May be next year or the year after next. But we will immediately inform you if there is any sign. (Laugh)

How long do you spend in making a new album usually?
Tom: It all depends. It always depends on how many songs we record. It's not the problem we need to think about. Sometimes we thing it's okay after we record 18 songs, while we may not be satisfied and add something else even after we record 50 songs. Therefore it lies on our mood of that moment. If we gave you a deadline, it would be an assumption.

Oh, I see. I went to Germany and Paris the other day. I know how popular you are in Europe. You are definitely most popular.
Tokio Hotel: Yeah, it is the same in Paris.

In the first time when we interviewed Bill and Tom by phone, both of them were very friendly and easy to talk. I was so shocked. So no matter how popular you are, you are still natural and low profile. Is it your principle?
Bill: Yes, it's most important for us. We founded this band naturally and we are also good friends. We have been together for almost 10 years. During this period of time, we have performed in front of only 5 audiences. Initially we never thought about success when we sung in a small club. But now our dreams came true and I was so proud.
Tom: So we know the two sides of the business work, because we know not only the success but the feeling when we stood in front of 5 people as well. In that small club, no one listened to us, not mentioning an interview. We also know how hard to be the top one. And it is hard to perform facing 500,000 people under the Eiffel Tower, too. Because we have experienced success and failure, we are so grateful today. Maybe we are blessed.

Is it because you are Christian?
Bill: It could be one reason.

We are going to change the topic. After you came here, what do you think of Tokyo? Is it the same as what you imagined or not?
Bill: I can't imagine there are so many fans here waiting for us.
Tokio Hotel: Yeah, yeah!
Bill: I thought no one would be there and no one knew us. But after we got off the plane, many fans were waiting and sent us lots of presents. I was so happy. Everyone welcomed us friendly and zealously.

You have been used to this scene, right?
Tom: Other countries are the same, but it was the first time in Japan. So I thought maybe no one knew us at all and we had to introduce ourselves as first. I was very glad to see so many fans in Japan.

Fan in Europe must be much more than Japanese fans, but everyone here is passionate to you guys. Oh, by the way, Bill and Tom, you said you are both perfectionist. Then you cause troubles to others sometime, right? (Laugh) when did you start to pursue for perfection?
Bill: I guess it started long time ago.
Tom: Something in my body began to control me long time ago, I think.
Bill: I say to myself: "relax, relax the shoulders." But I can not. No matter what I do, I want it to be perfect. I want to make everything perfect. If there was something imperfect, it would hang around me. It's like a disease. I know sometime I cause some troubles to someone else, but I just think of it. I guess others can not be happy. (Laugh)

See? Gustav and Georg are sneering. (Laugh)
Bill: Yes, Tom and I are exactly the same on this point. So when we are together, it's too troublesome for others. I don't even know when it began. Anyway I have been like this long before.

Do you inherit this from your parents?
Bill: Maybe. We are close to our mother and never get any pressure from her. We have grown up freely since childhood. Mum relies on us very much. She does everything according to our likes and dislikes, so we talk closely and she has supported us all the time. Mum has never forced us to do anything including study. She trusts us and says to us: "you do things according to your own ideas. I believe you." Our relationship is very good, so it's hard to say if it is genetic.

I hear of that you don't hire any stylist because of perfectionism. Is that true?
Tom and Bill: Yes.
Bill: I cannot believe him. The stylist may ask us to wear some clotheses we don't like. I always feel uneasy. I prefer to choose and buy clotheses by myself.
Tom: I don't believe others, either. I want to control everything including PV, CD, total effect, stages, shows and of course music. It can be regarded as freak. But about all of this, we have own thoughts and we believe that we can do much better that anyone else.
Tokio Hotel: (laugh)
Tom: I think we will cause troubles to others. In a word, we hope to handle this by ourselves. I want to be engaged in CD with the text of lyrics or the "Darkside of the Sun" Japanese edition.

And what do you do indeed? Do you guys go shopping?
Bill: It's hard. Especially in Europe it's not okay. But there are several stores that we are familiar with. And in some particular time they are open for us specially. At that time, we can go there and take our time. Besides this, we always buy things online.
(Tom told us that Bill often went to a store called Melrose Avenue in LA.)

Shopping online? Did you buy all of these accessories you wear today online?
Bill: Sure! There are some websites where you can buy such kind of things. Sometimes in certain countries we can go out for shopping with caps and sun glasses without worrying. And sometimes designers give me some clotheses.

It sounds good. In our previous interviews, you said your apartment was not like a retail shop but a clothing shop.
Georg: They have more various clotheses than stores. It's more like a warehouse.
Tom: I have lots of clotheses, but Bill has more than mine. The amount of our clotheses is big.
Bill: I'm used to put all my clotheses away instead of throwing them. Talking about clotheses, I am...
Georg: Sluttery.
Bill: Yes, I'm like this for clotheses. I like every one very much, even though the old clotheses are still one part of my history and they have different kinds of memories. This coat is about this and that jacket is about that, something like this.
Tom: The clotheses we wore when we were in the first PV shooting are still in the cabinet.

Isn't good to donate them to charity organization?
Tom: We have done this before. But just like what we said, every one has its meaning and memory. We don't want to give them up.

I heard of that you dragged 10 or 12 suitcases on tours. Is it true? (7 suitcases for Japan)
Bill: Yeah, it seems like we carried more. (Laugh) Tours are so long time ago that I can not remember clearly.
Tom: The people who are responsible for carrying the luggage are very tired, I think. It's really good to let others help. (Laugh)
Bill: We took everything we need, because we went on a 3-month tour.

Your band was founded 10 years ago. It has been 10 years. Comparing to the very beginning, did you change your attitude to music?
Bill: I think we grew up actually. All of us grew up and became adults gradually. Surely everyone changed. We got to adapt ourselves on long time tours, so as a musician we grew up as well, which has been natural. We don’t have any thought that we begin to do like this from now on! Just let it be.

How about the subject you composed? Do you change the subject as you grow up?
Bill: The subjects are changed. I get inspiration from many materials such as fashion, people around, movies and so on. Especially my favorite movies, so the last album was inspired by a science fiction movie.

Specifically speaking, which movie is it?
Tom & Bill: It's hard to say.
Tom: Because there are so many movies.
Bill: We like too many good movies.

Please pick some among these movies.
Bill: For example, "2012" is good. And another one, what is the name? Sorry, I forget.
Tokio Hotel: "District 9".
Bill: Yeah, that one is very good. And the new one named "Tron:Legacy" is very commercial. I really want to watch. And there are some other movies that we just know the German name, but English name. I like "The Notebook" and "Labyrinth" acted by David Bowie. They are old movies, but I like them very much. "Inception" is really wonderful.

That one is hard to understand, right? By the way, the show held several weeks ago in South America was full of future sense, especially the clotheses. When you set the stage, was the idea based on your own thoughts?
Tom: Yeah! For the 3-month tour in Europe, we prepared for half a year. All the members thought over together in the rehearsal room, like the stage, the clotheses and the whole stage. It took us lots of time and energy for the preparation. We preformed a part of the whole. After all it's impossible to finish all. On the European tour, we used 15 trucks to carry all the stuff, but only plane was available in South America. And the plane had its weight limit. So we couldn't take all the stuff. Although it couldn't be the exactly same, we tried our best.

I see. The last question is sort of a joke. Tom and Bill, do you sleep in one bed?
Tom: Nope.

In the previous interview, you said you two did everything together and sometimes you sleep together.
Bill: We were seeing a movie together,but tired at the same time, so...
Tom: It's true. We are together everyday, almost 365 days and 24 hours. We may separate from each other only when we sleep in own beds. (Laugh) Except sleep, we are together.

Oh, I know. (Laugh) well, what is your goal for 2011?
Bill: Go back to our studio and create new songs.

Are you going back to Hamburg or LA?
Bill: We should go back to both of them. Sometimes we want to stay in US, and sometimes we want to stay in Germany. There are many specific plans that are proceeding secretly. But we can not tell you. Tom and I also want to try something else but music. We have not decided, but we will tell you if we decide. The next year should be mainly based on composition.

Did Bill do something relating to fashion? I heard of that you voiced a character in a movie.
Bill: Yeah, I voiced the character of Arthur on "Arthur et les Minimoys" German version.

How about others? What do you do except music?
Bill: They don't have this talent. (Laugh)

Oh! Bill! Come on!
Gustav: I might be the next Stallone in 10 years. And I might voice a character on "Arthur rimbaud 20". (Laugh)
Tom: Although I have never done this before, it's a hard job. (Laugh) Not easy, right?
Bill: It took a long time. That is the achievement I got after I had stayed in studio for several hours.
Tom: Bill is also painstaking as a singer. We are not good at voiceing and making music at the same time, because I think we are not suitable.

How about Georg?
Georg: I haven't got any good proposal. I don't know what is it going to be?

OK! Thank you very much!

ELLEGirl.jp - Interview Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Tokio Hotel was found by identical twin brother, Bill (Vo.) and Tom (G.), who come from an old small city called Loitsche in Eastern Germany. (Birthday: 1989.9.1) Then Georg Listing (B. - 1987.3.31) and Gustav Schafer (D. - 1988.9.8) joined them. Finally four of them set up this band. Bill and Tom began to compose music at their age of 7. They did their performance in Magdeburg when they were 10 years old. So they were early-maturing.

Later on, at their age of 13, they had similar tastes and interests with Georg and Gustav who came to watch their live show, and began to set up the band.

Georg began to play the base at age of 13 and Gustav began to play the drum at age of 15. To them, the band was the real career.

Regarding to the reason why TH named their band Tokyo, Bill said: "They consider Tokyo as their final destination, because Tokyo is too far to reach. The scene that we are in Tokyo always hangs around us. We are inspired by this scene and add Tokyo into the band's name." (This question is on my twitter from Rily.)

The interview started in harmonious atmosphere like last time. (Questions about music are included.

Their style is fantastic and I prefer to call Bill's hairstyle an art.

The interview started in harmonious atmosphere like last time. (Questions about music are included.)

---What a fabulous hairstyle!
Bill: Thank you!

---How long did you spend on this hairstyle?
Bill: It don’t take long. I just stuffed my hair into them as you see. So it won’t spend some time. When my hair was long I had to use up a bottle of hairspray everyday. But now you can see , 5-10 minutes are enough.

---It is the second time to come to Tokyo. What do you think of Tokyo?
Bill: We really like the streets in Japan. We were a little nervous on the first day when we just arrived. We could not imagine at all before we reached Tokyo. But we knew what it was like this time. We met different kinds of people and everything was exciting. We really appreciated that everything was full of energy. And all the people were very kind. Besides this, our fans were energetic. Fans do a lot for us, and we’re expecting for meeting with them in a country we have never been. It will be so much fun!

---Where do you want to go in Tokyo?
Gustav: We haven’t seen much. But we went to Shibuya, it was awesome! The crossing in Shibuya was amazing. We met many people that we’ve never met before. In Germany, there is no place like this. We really want to see more streets like this.

---What kind of impression do you have on Japanese girls?
Bill: They are very lovely. Although sometimes they are a little bit shy, I think they are sweet and cute. It is normal to be shy and flustered when your favorite band is standing in front of you, after all they are your favorite. So this is natural. I really like.

---How about German girls and American girls?
Bill: They are not shy at all. What should I say? In Germany, people are more crazy.( He raised his voice) Because different countries have different culture, I can not judge. It differs from man to man. After we just arrived in Japan, I realized that Japanese are a bit shy. But all the TH’s fans are basically in a big family. They share everything on Twitter. So I think Japanese fans are going to join in the big family.

---Bill, so you are a shy boy, right?
Tom, Georg, Gustav: Bill is shy!(laugh)
Bill: No, no. (blushing). I think I am always shy in some ways. You may not imagine, sometimes I don’t know what to do in some conditions or situations though I have been accustomed to meeting so many people, just like meeting beautiful girls in private. I can’t even confidently say “Hello, I’m a rock star” to her.
Tom: I have a good advice. If Bill meets someone and feel shy, he should kiss her.(All the people laugh) Therefore Bill is shy!(laugh)
Bill: Ok, I am a little bit shy.
Tom: So you should do that.
Bill：I can not do that. I know it’s better to kiss with true feelings.
Tom: See? Bill is a shy boy.(laugh)

The interview keeps on in the harmonious atmosphere.

---Bill, you create lyrics like writing diaries?
Bill: Ja. They are completely different. We get inspiration from various aspects, and the contents are basically about our feelings and experiences.

---The songs are not only about reality and fantasy, also the connection between them.
Tom: I think both worlds will arouse my true feeling. The fantasy world affects us, especially reflected on our new album “Humanoid”.



“Humaniod” released in 2009

---Which emotion can be easily impressed in Tokio Hotel’s music?
Bill: We always create lyrics with our emotions in the moment. We would probably feel aggressive or sad, grieved, brokenhearted, happy, or sometimes we just want to have a party that night. We have different feelings every each day. We always catch some points and put them into our lyrics, just like keeping a diary. There must be some people write diaries at night! And our music is the product of the mixture of diaries and fantasies.

Now let’s introduce the song “World Behind My Wall” collected in “Humanoid”.

---In TH official website, we can know a lot about your own views of world from the concepts of designing webs. When did you have this idea?
Bill: HAHAHA(laughing happily). It’s like doing a puzzle. We had not even one idea at first. We just kept on creating our songs, like putting the electronic music into them and made it more colorful. When we did this, we gradually had some ideas such as how visual effects can be appeared, or how to convey human’s emotions. We achieve this effect through the pictures or backgrounds, and they’re just like the costumes on tour. All of them make the songs lively.



Bill have already had a star look as a kid.

---So deep! Cool! Bill, when did you think you are like a star?
Bill: Very early. Mama always said Tom and I were very noisy kids.
Georg: And you are still a noisy kid. (laughing together)
Bill: (keep on saying with a little anger) We’re naturally artists.Mama often brought us to parties and we kept the microphones with us, then speaking or dancing. We were energetic anytime.
Tom: (in German) But sometimes there is bad tongue.

--Though I’m quite interested in the story of the puzzle . Then what kind of movie influences Bill’s World View?
Bill:It’s hard to say. I like various kinds of movie. The first movie I watched was David Bowie’s Labyrinth(1986). It’s my favorite movie.

--When did you watch this movie?
Bill: Ehm… At about 6 years old. I watched it again and again because I really like it. I also like Dangerous Liaisons(1988), though it’s a very old movie. I watch different kinds of movies, such as science fiction movies. When I was young, I liked E.T(1982) very much, and also vampire movies. I like The Fifth Element(1997). And I like watching romantic movies as well, such as The Notebook(2004). It’s really quite moving. Yes, I watch many kinds of movies, rather than one particular type.
Tom: It’s really crazy. We have thousands of DVDs, since there are too many good movies.

--And the other three? Do you have a favorite band or movie, or is there something influencing you? Could you talk about this?
Gustav: My favorite album is Daskside Of The Sun. And my favorite DVD is Tokio Hotel.(All laughed)



Daskside Of The Sun Deluxe Edition(with DVD)

Georg: Talking about the actors, I like Leonardo Dicaprio the most.(Gustav and Tom laughed loudly)
Georg(sayed seriously): His movies are really good.
Bill(agreed):Ehm, it’s a fact. His movies are quite good. The movies made when he was young are good too.
Georg: He could be a century actor.
Bill:Right!

--And music? What’s your favorite album?
Georg: I listen to many kinds of music. And I listen to more than one album each day. The lastest album I bought is Mike Posners’.( Mike Posners was also a candidate for 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards)
Bill: He is an American new-comer. And there is a pop and R&B feeling in his music.
Tom:R&B,Dance and HipHop, those three feeling mix together.
Georg’s favorite musician is Mike Posner recently☆

--And what about Tom?
Tom: My favorite movie is Training Day(2001) which was acted by Denzel Washington. He is cool and…
Bill(interrupted): Tom likes all the movies acted by Denzel Washington. And Man On Fire(2004).
Tom:Ah! Man On Fire is really good. Dakota Fanning is also a good actress. (Who acted in Man On Fire too,16, her full name is Hannah Dekota Fanning, well-known movie is I Am Sam(2001)

The interview suddenly warmed up.

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Interview by Luna Teen, Argentina [Issue 54, 2010]

Alone with Tokio Hotel

Previously to their show in Chile in front of more than 7.000 people, Luna Teen was able to talk with the 4 members of Tokio Hotel inside the Sheraton Hotel in Santiago, To be honest, Georg and Gustav, bassist and drummer respectively, didn't said to much; the Kaulitz twins took the lead instead. The day they arrived there was a Little earthquake that made them a quite uneasy but, when we explains to them that this was something usual in this latitudes, they calm down and chatted distend. Bill, tall and skinny, full of necklaces and a pair of heels that dizzy us because of their height. Tom looks like he came out of an Eminem video. Georg, from Bon Jovi's band, and Gustav could well be the drummer of a metal band with his skull tattoos and neatly cut hair.

So different in their looks, is surprising to see them together, laughing at private jokes and understanding each other with a glance. Their personalities are as different as their looks but that's how Tokio Hotel is, this band that's already a decade old even though their band members are between 20 and 23 years old. Veterans of world stages, they are still surprised in front of their fans admiration, that transcends the language barrier and follow them wherever they go. This time was Chile's turn, Argentina will be set for the next visit (or at least that's what they would like).

Luna Teen - Finally you've arrived to Latin America. How was the tour?
Bill: We had big expectations with this tour long ago, we really wanted to come and we finally could. So far, everything was perfect, better than expected, there was no problem, people received us really well. Even in the airport there were a lot of fans waiting for us.
Tom: We brought the same tour we did in Europe, and a great bassist. (says jokingly referring to Gustav I think they meant georg)

Luna Teen - You're very involved in all the production process of the show. Why is that?
Bill: We're very obsessive and perfectionists and we don't have much confidence in anybody else than us! No, really, we're perfectionists but is hard for us to lead the responsibility to others and also we like to be part of the process and be on everything.

Luna Teen - What do you do 5 minutes before going on stage?
Bill: We activate our Power Rangers superpowers, that we all have, but in general we're very nervous before going out.
Tom: Georg goes to the toilet!

Luna Teen - Bill, Tom, how is the relationship of you two outside the band?
Bill: We're not just brothers, we're identical twins, we have a very special relationship, we spend 24 hours a day together, we share everything, it's something automatic, we get along really well, we are more than friends.
Tom: We have never been separated more than 4 or 5 days.

Luna Teen - How do you conciliate 4 different personalities?
Tom: We're completely different, besides the band we have very little in common but we've been working together for 10 years, we get along really well, we grew up together.
Gustav: We're a band but we all have different tastes.
Bill: We're like 4 brothers, we grew up together, since very little, we've been together a lifetime.

Luna Teen - Is there a particular song you like the most?
Bill: Many, is really hard to choose one, we have a special connection with each song, each one connects in a special way with the songs and, also, they respond to different emotional moments and have their own history.

Luna Teen - Being the 4 of you so different, is there songs that are left out because not everyone likes it?
Tom: Yes, many are left out.
Bill: When we get in the studio, we spend a lot of time recording.
Georg: We record a lot of songs in a year and maybe the last ones make it to the album.
Bill: Although, they're not always the best.

Luna Teen - The Best of… It's about to come out. Is their going to be any surprise?
Bill: There are 2 new tracks, one that we recorded long ago, before I change my voice, so the difference is going to notice a lot, it's only recorded in German and the other one, it's a 2009 track that it’s only in English. They are 2 very different songs.

Luna Teen - What do you think is the reason of your success, of having such a solid career?
Tom: We're better than most!
Bill: We found each other, there wasn't somebody that put us together, we grew up together and found our own sound, we started playing and things came out naturally.
Georg: It was a natural process, since very little, I think that gave us a very strong identity.

Luna Teen - What difference you found between your European fans and the Latin ones?
Bill: Fans in here are happier to see us that in other places, maybe is because they don't see us very often. They are more use to it in Europe.
Tom: Here they are really intense! We like women with such a strong personality.

Luna Teen - What was the craziest thing that happened with your fans?
Gustav: A lot of stuffs, to many stories.
Bill: In Spain, when we finished playing, we came down the stage and we run to a fun that we never knew how she managed to get backstage. We think she climbed the walls. I don't know.
Tom: And again, Georg found 4 naked girls in his hotel room!
Georg: We've been through a thousand of stories, impossible to tell them all.

Luna Teen - What are your plans for next year?
Tom: Many.
Bill: We're always playing, rehearsing, writing songs but we can't assure that we'll release a new album in 2011.
Tom: But is going to be a year full of surprises that we can't tell yet.

Luna Teen - Bill, why do you have such an extravagant look?
Bill: I like fashion a lot, its fun for me, I'm very spontaneous, every morning I choose what I'm going to wear according to how I feel, I love to travel with a lot of clotheses to choose and change.

Luna Teen - Who's the one that takes the longest to get dress?
Everybody: Tom!
Tom: Georg and Gustav also work a lot on their style and nobody ask them! Well, if you want to call this a style... (Jokes pointing Gustav)
Bill: We don't agree on a look, each one has its own and nobody tells the other what should wear.

Luna Teen - Do you have any lucky charm or something you can't forget when you arrived to a country to play a concert?
Bill: Yes, I have a locket with my mom and Tom's picture and I always wear it. If I don't have it, everybody gets worried, they think something might go wrong. I also have a little box full of memories and little things that I always carry with me. There is where the important things are.

Pictures from Interview in Mexcio City [02.12.2010]

Interview with Tokio Hotel by UPLA PSICOLOGIA - Lima, PERU [25.11.2010]

Interview with Tokio Hotel - ElComercio - Lima, PERU [25.11.2010] VIDEO + ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Question 1
Bill: Erm, not really that much. Well, we’ve, erm... Actually we always let ourselves be surprised a bit and erm, actually [we] came here without high expectations and are totally happy about the reaction so far. We’ve already had very amazing fans that were somehow singing for us... *laughing* ... and screaming outside the hotel all night long. And we’re totally looking forward to the concert. [cut off]

Question 2
Bill: [I] would erm… Well, first of all I’d wish for everyone to somehow have a nice concert, I think. And apart from that we can only repeatedly say thanks for even being given the opportunity to come here as a band and to play concerts here and [we] are incredibly grateful for the fans supporting us like this and somehow, erm, [that they] are so into it and especially for, for living this entire life with us, right? That they really wait for us for days prior to the concerts, that they somehow stand outside the hotel and it’s definitely making us feel good even though we’re actually so far away from home. And erm, yes, we’re looking forward to, we’re looking forward to playing for them then and I’m just wishing a good time to everyone.
Tom: And already in advance I can only apologise for Georg playing the bass like sh*t. *Georg laughing* Well... I just want to say that first...
Bill: Beforehand...

Question 3
Bill: Actually, erm, not at all. I think, for us it would be weirder if we weren’t together because we, erm, have spent all our lives together of course. Erm, and I think between identical twins there is even more of a special connection that otherwise is hard to comprehend and grasp for an outsider. It really is something like, erm, yes, something very weird on some kind of a different level and erm... Therefore, it has always been very normal for us. Together we have... always done everything together. We are... [cut]
Bill: The same dogs.
Tom: *laughing* The same dogs. Actually we share, like, everything. So therefore working together is not an issue for us. That’s not the way we see it.

Question 4
Bill: I have to say, actually I’ve always been quite self-confident. *laughing*
Georg: Too self-confident. *Tom laughing at Georg’s comment*
Bill: Therefore, I’ve always just been doing it. After all I also went to school like this and it was always obvious to me that of course people would feel provoked by it, erm, and that also was always a feeling that I liked somehow and therefore... Actually I grew up like that, that there have always been people that hated it and that there were other people that somehow liked it and somehow thought it was good.
Tom: The bigger… Of course the bigger part always thought it was sh*t and then there were a few people that liked it. And up until today it’s those few people he lives off.
Bill: Exactly. *smiling*

Question 5
Tom [cut]: An overdose, erm, erm, one doesn’t know but erm, erm… It definitely lasted for a long time.
*Bill laughing*
Tom: And I made good use of the time.

Question 6
Bill: *laughing* Erm sure, I mean, one, one, erm… Actually one doesn’t associate it with continents or countries. Erm, first of all basically everything is possible. Well erm, sure, if [...] us...
Tom: *interrupting* Except for Georg, except for Georg.
Bill: Except for Georg. Georg is staken, yes.
*Georg nodding*
Bill: But other than that, erm… Of course anything could happen somehow. Like, who knows, maybe Tom falls in love with a girl from the first row tonight and... his...
Tom: For example in Brazil, I’ve had, erm, had a girl in the first row who, erm, erm, always flashed me when I looked at her and got completely undressed. That’s for example, let’s say, a good...
Georg: Start.
Tom: ... a good start. *laughing*

Bill: Erm, definitely hi to everybody who’s always on the website and erm… And we’re definitely happy about the support. Erm well, many, many thanks that you’re always there like this and erm, thanks for the lovely welcome greeting here at, in the hotel and erm…
Tom: As it’s said in Spanish: Muchas gracias.
Bill: Muchas gracias. *laughing*
Georg: Gracias. *laughing*

Interview with Bill & Tom Kaulitz Tú Magazine #11, ENGLISH TRASLATION + 5 SCANS

Exclusive Interview, extra long with;
Bill and Tom Kaulitz

We'll let ourselves be surprised in Chile

No doubt that Tokio Hotel is one of the most awaited for visits of the year, and there are thousands of fans that can't take the excitement anymore. Knowing this, we took the phone and spoke to the hottest twins in music. Here it is, our exclusive interview with Bill and Tom Kaulitz.

The constant traveling has been the tonic (strength) for the guys of Tokio Hotel for a few years now. And it is precisely the fact of meeting so many people and the diverse places, something that never ceases to excite Bill, Tom, Georg, and Gustav, that has taken their music this year from their native Germany, stopping in Russia, and their successful stop in Asia, where the echoes of their most recent album, Humanoid City, still resonates. Now, and for the joy of thousands of fans, the German band arrives for the first time in Santiago, a fact that has Bill and Tom tremendously excited, who while on their tour break (since they are adjusting the details of their arrival to South America) from Hamburg took the time to speak with us, giving us a heads up on how their first performance in Santiago will be, what they expect from their Chilean fans, and how they believe this, their first visit to South America will be. Girls... we present, the Kaulitz twins.

by Yolanda Galaz T.

Tú: How do you feel at just a few days from presenting your show and the band for the first time in South America?

Tom: The truth is we are so happy, because it is the first time that we go there, and if we didn't do so before, is because it is really difficult to manage a show of this kind and travel so far with the tour that we were doing. But the truth is that we feel really happy of meeting our fans "from down there" (laughs) very soon.

Tú: The show you will present in Santiago will be similar to what the fans have seen in Europe?

Bill: Since we will be presenting the new album, the performance will be the same that has been seen on the European Humanoid City Tour. The thing is we can't take absolutely everything from the production with us to Chile, but we will take our outfits, and all that, so in that sense it will be the same. You can be sure we are going with all we have and more, because we are anxious to go and play in Chile.

Tú: What are your thoughts on how in far away countries such as Chile, fans adore and prefer German versions of your songs over English?

Tom: Wow! (laughter)... I am very surprised, because I really had no idea! But, are you serious? Wow! (pause and chatter among the Kaulitz). And good thing you tell me! because we are just now preparing the list of songs that we are going to perform; and it is awesome to know that the fans love our mother language, with which we began to make ourselves known. And you know what, I am really pleased that it is this way, because besides German and English we don't speak anything else, and it is admirable that our fans in Chile feel interested in listening to our songs in German and that they take the time to translate them. I am excited!

Tú: I can tell you more Tom, in Chile the fans are dedicated, because they adore the German versions and they and demand them on the albums...

Tom: They are really incredible, I cannot believe it! Never in my life would I have imagined it, it's incredible...it's perfect!

Tú: And since we are on the subject of our country, do you know anything about Chile?

Bill: The truth is we are going to let ourselves be surprised, because we don't know much about the country, nor do we know much about the music, but we are always in contact with our fan clubs and we know the tremendous support that they give us from Chile. We have read it all, because they tell us a lot and we have also seen the videos that our fans in Chile upload on the Internet (and they are truly creative). But anyway, aside from that, we are going to let them surprise us; I think that is the most beautiful thing about traveling, because you arrive to a city that you don't know, and you let yourself be surprised by all those new impressions.

Tú: We know the "unconditional love" that you awaken in your fans. Are you prepared for the harassment (always with love, it's clear) from so many girls that awaits you here?

Tom: The truth is that in more than one occasion we have had one bad experience with some fan, because sometimes someone will lose control and we don't know what to do; even if it happens a thousand times, we still gets nervous. But we are more than wishful to be there soon, with our fans, that are always with the best disposition and with all their love supporting us from the first row in our concerts.

Tú: With all the success, tours, trips, performances, etc... Have you ever stopped to think if, at some time you wished to take your voice and songs to countries as far as ours?

Bill: It is something incredible. So tremendous! I have yet to finish assimilating and comprehending it all, and it makes me glad that it is like this. It is something that none of us ever imagined, since we never thought that we would have so much success outside of our own country, and especially in other continents. We still cannot believe that we travel so much, that we meet so many people, and that we can sing to fans in so many places. It is something that each time I see it and I experience it, it moves me. Truthfully, I cannot help it because it is a gift and I am very thankful for having received it.

Tú: As good musicians, I would love to check out your personal iPod, so that you recommend some music that you like to the readers of Tú.

Bill: Within the band, our music taste is very diverse, since we all like different things. But what we all like and is absolutely recommended is Aerosmith. To me, personally, what I like the most is music from the 80's. I love Depeche Mode, I love the Stereophonics... I think that bands of that style are the best and without a doubt I recommend them to our fans.

Tú: Let me tell you, you have great taste...

Bill: How sweet, thank you so much.
Tom: Hahaha...he's all red! Hahaha

Tú: Finally, I would like to leave the line open, for you to leave a message to the fans, who are eagerly waiting for you in Chile.

Tom: What we want to say a heartfelt thank you to all and to the fans for their support, and that we are very happy to take our music there. And it has been so long since we wanted to do it, and finally we have done it! So we are happy to finally be able to be over there, and we give you infinite thanks for all the support that you have always given us, thank you for all the good things that we have received from them, and for the stupendous show that I know we will have in Santiago. Greetings to all the fans in Chile and we'll see you soon.
Bill: Danke schön.

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