Portrait Magazine Article

LadyVamp of Portrait Magazine has written an article all about Tokio Hotel for their August issue.

You’ve heard the screams and witnessed the hysteria that comes in their wake, but just who are Tokio Hotel? It’s no doubt that this little German band has taken the world by storm, covering the music scene in an intoxicating monsoon of giant hair and moving lyrics. You’ve seen the videos and heard the songs, but just who is this quartet of youth and how did this hysteria come about?

Tokio Hotel is comprised of the Kaultiz twins; lead vocalist Bill and Guitarist Tom. The Band also contains drummer Gustav Schafer and Bass player Georg Listing. The Boys musical interests began when they were around seven years of age. Bill and Tom‘s musical interest was sparked by their step father who was a musician himself. The twins started out by playing local pubs in their hometown of Magdeburg, Germany. Bill would do vocals while attempting to play the keyboards and Tom would accompany on the guitar. Bill composed his first song at the age of nine. One night while playing a local club called Gröninger Bad, the twins caught the attention of two young musicians in the crowd. Georg Listing and Gustav Schafer, who knew each other from school, witnessed the twin’s musical abilities and knew they needed their help. “It was obvious that these two guys needed some help, so we talked to them after their gig” Laughs Georg in an interview with PopCultureMadness.com. Tom goes on to joke “Yeah, they actually begged us to join the band - that’s how we got together”.

The band began their early career under the name Devilish. The first gigs they undertook were for no more than five or six people. “Yeah, sometime we have ten or twelve people.“ Bill laughed in an early Devilish interview for a German TV program. Despite their lack luster start the boys soon caught the attention of the record labels in 2001 and began their marathon to fame. After securing their first record deal the boys felt a need for a name change and opted for Tokio Hotel. “After we signed our record deal we thought it was time for a new beginning - we were called Devilish before that. All of us really like big and modern cities. We all think Tokyo is one of the coolest places on earth - and we hope to get there someday soon, hopefully to perform” Tom explains to PopCultureMadness.com. Bill goes on to add, “Yes, and we were also looking for a symbol that would represent our lives from that point on. And because we were living in hotels a lot of the time, the name really seemed to fit”.

In 2003 Bill was a candidate in the first season of “Star Search” (category “Junior”). Bill performed The Whether Girl’s “It’s Raining Men.” But in the quarter-final he was defeated by Oliver Bruton. Bill did not let his “Star Search” experience get him down and in 2005 the band released their first German-language album, Schrei, as Tokio Hotel on Island Records. Schrei sold more than half a million copies worldwide. The album also provided them with four top five singles in Germany and Austria. Their fist album produced their first widely popular single “Monsoon” that has now become a staple in their line of success.
The release of their first album catapulted the boys into the hearts of every German girl who witnessed their image. This overnight success made it difficult for the boys to continue a normal routine, such as going to the store and attending school. The twins for example, where constantly causing massive hysteria at their high school. Very soon the boys were forced to give up on regular classes and finish their degrees online. Bill has been noted as saying that he hated everything to do with school. Don’t we all?

In 2007, the band released their second German album Zimmer 483. The new German album produced three top five singles in Germany. Also in 2007 the guys released their first English album Scream. Together both albums sold over one million copies world wide. Scream produced two singles that reached the top twenty in new territories such as Portugal, Spain and Italy. The new albums also helped the boys land their very first MTV European Music Award for Best InterAct. They also performed their newly translated version of “Monsoon” at the EMA’s. The performance was made especially memorable because of the monsoon produced upon the stage. During the last chorus of the song the stage was engulfed in a downpour drenching our German rockers. The song never waned a minute and resulted in one of the most spectacular performances of the entire night. Their first live album, Zimmer 483 - Live In Europe, was released near the end of 2007.

After their various European tours and domination of their home country, Tokio Hotel was read y to tackle North America. In 2008 the boys played several shows in Toronto, New York and L.A. Each gig turned up a multitude of new fans, surprising the band because their CD hadn’t even been released there yet. Before they could bask in their US debut and return for some more the band suffered a serious set back. Vocalist Bill Kaulitz lost his vocal abilities before several prominent European and US tour dates. At first it was thought his loss of voice was a simple matter of laryngitis. Upon further examination it was discovered Bill’s vocal chords contained a cyst that had been formed through over exertion of his voice. The cyst was removed successfully and after 10 days of silence and weeks of rehab Bill was back on tour once again. The band looks back on the ordeal as a scary time in their career but are glad Bill came through unaltered.

The dates were rescheduled and the band returned to the States for the second time. The guys were especially nervous about coming to the US. While there the boys would be undergoing their first ever completely English tour. They marked their first ever US live television debut on MTV’s TRL. They conducted the entire show in English periodically apologizing for their bad language skills. The boys did a wonderful job conversing with everyone, proving their English is definitely on par. While on the show they performed “Ready, Set, Go” to a hysterical audience and presented a lucky fan with a costume from the actual video shoot. The Boys will be returning to TRL for a whole week as guest hosts August 4th-9th 2008.

Most recently Tokio Hotel attended the 2008 Comet Awards in Germany where they picked up four Awards including the Super Comet Award. More exciting than the new awards was Bill’s unveiling of his brand new hair style. He temporarily ditched the famous Sonic the Hedge Hog main for a darker sleeker look. Don’t worry his hair may be darker but it still has the ability to defy all gravity.

So what’s next for Tokio Hotel? Only time can tell. The band is currently touring the European festival scene and will begin their US invasion in August. With the support of their many eager fans throughout the world there’s nothing these boys can’t do. Now it’s our turn to help them stay on top. Are you ready to “Scream” for Tokio Hotel?
Fun Facts about the Band Members:

Tom Kaulitz:
# Has around 70 caps
# He hates dr. pepper
# Owns a Black Cadillac
# Was born 10 minutes before his twin brother, Bill.
# Hated Subjects in School: Math & Physics
# Favorite music: Hip-hop, especially German.

Bill Kaulitz:
# Was voted “most annoying German in 2006″ by the viewers of TV network ProSieben (27 December 2006).
# Favorite musicians are Nena, Green Day, Coldplay, Keane and Placebo.
# He and his brother, Tom, do not have middle names.
# Pets: A black Labrador named Scotty that he got from a shelter a few years ago, and reportedly a cat named Casimir. (The cat hates Tom)
# Enjoys peppermint tea.

Georg Listing:
# His Idol: Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers
# Favorite Music: Fall out boy, Billy Talent and Yellowcard.
# Favorite songs: “Glamorous” von Fergie und “Golden” von Fall out Boy
# First album he ever bought: “Definitely maybe” from Oasis
# First concert he’s ever been to: Die Ärzte

Gustav Schafer:
# Favorite Subject in School: Sports and Economics.
# Hated Subjects in School: Math and Physics.
# Hobbies: Riding his bike and music.
# His Idol: Lars Ulrich of Metallica.
# Favorite Music/Artists: Metallica