Tokioholic Malaysia

While Tokio Hotel is becoming from a German singing band into an English singing band, music critics, who didn’t take notice of them before are now interested into what category to give them. What did the boys think about this? And do you want to know which Tokio Hotel songs they love and why? And what did Georg and Gustav feel about the twins’ popularity?

"I started to play guitar because of a girl". - Tom
Do you sometimes think of why the boys started to learn playing instruments and they loved it so much, they formed a band? Was it because their love of music or because of girls? A little of both, they say. "I used to like this girl and she told me she loves boys who play guitar. But I didn’t know how to play, didn’t even know how to hold it in my hands!" remembers Tom. So he bought a guitar and started to learn. "But it wasn’t just because of the girl. Time passes, and when I can play a little, I didn’t even meet the girl anymore. But I stood at guitar – I started to get more and more interested in it." Gustav’s way to drums was much normal. "My dad was a drummer also, he had a set of drums in the house. I often tried it and in time I learnt something and when dad told me I am good at it, I realized, that I really want to play it, so I started practice more every day." Georg tried to find something for his free time. "I knew I’m interested in music. But I didn’t know in what way. One day I saw on TV some bass player and told myself – that’s it! I started to learn at music lessons. It started with one lesson per week and in the end it was three lessons per week. And thanks to this I am where I am." And how did Bill figured out he can sing? "Actually with this came my mother and stepfather," remembers the TH frontman. "That is true, he always sang at family gatherings for fun – I laughed at him because of it," laughs Tom. "But it didn’t stand only at family parties, to became the rocker that I am, but I would say Mum can be proud on both of us," Bill smiles.

"Yes, I might not be so popular like the twins - and that’s good!" – Georg
It’s a fact that the twins are the main attraction of Tokio Hotel, but how does Gustav and Georg handle this situation, it wasn’t until now so much in discuss. Especially to Gustav, who is hidden behind drums. How does the boys taking the fact that media are interested more on Bill and Tom than on them? Gustav says, "Bill and Tom are so popular because they are extravagant, so they are more interesting for the media. But the girls (fans) are great and taking us like a band, so at the concerts I have no feeling whatsoever that I am there for nothing. And that is good." And Georg took this the same way. "I know that I am not so popular like the twins. Even from reactions from fans I can feel they want especially them. And it is good, really. I am happy with my position – to have bigger popularity like the twins, I don’t think I can handle it and I would probably have problems, so this is nothing to discuss."

"We are not an Emo band." - Bill
The boys are angry because of some music critics. They finally start to get interested in them, but for TH it would be better if the critics just ignore them. "I don’t know why they labeled us as an Emo band. We personally don’t care, and not that there’s anything wrong with that (being Emo), but our fans will get confused. So we want to make it clear that we are not an Emo band. They also call us punks but that is also not right. We are rockers! So don’t ever call us Emo," says Bill.

"The song ‘Reden’ is my favourite, because it is about me." – Tom
At their concerts the boys enjoy every songs. But of course there are personal favourite songs of TH that they have. "I always look forward to ‘Reden’. It’s about me and what I had with one girl in a hotel room number 483 - you can think about the rest alone! Haha! And I also loves ‘Spring Nicht’," Tom says. "I agree with my brother. ‘Spring Nicht’ is actually a very emotional song about brotherly love. You know, like, if Tom jumps, I’ll jump too!" explains Bill. Georg says his favourite is the energetic ‘Übers Ende der Welt’. "It is a super fast song with great melody – I always enjoy it!" And Gustav? "Well everything started with ‘Durch den Monsun’. So it has always been my favourite. And this song until now is hot between our fans."

Bill and Tom Kaulitz, identical twins, were born on 1st September 1989, in Leipzig, German Democratic Republic. Tom is the elder by 10 minutes. Despite being identical twins, their appearances differ because of their radically different fashion styles. They are popular German rock stars, best known for being in the band Tokio Hotel in which Bill sings lead vocals and Tom plays the guitar. The brothers also to do music and endorsement deals together. Their parents, Simone and Jòrg Kaulitz, divorced when the twins were 7 and Simone Kaulitz married to Gordon Trümper, the reason the twins are sometimes given the surname Kaulitz-Trumper. Since a very young age, the twins were heavily influenced in music, seeing as Gordon is the guitarist in a band himself.

StyleBill is known for his Visual Kei-like look. He often wears tight jeans, black jackets, rock band tees, and gothic jewellery. He has dyed his hair black with white-blonde streaks and styled it in a spiky, J-Rock style ever since he started singing. He also wears dark eyeliner. There is quite a lot of androgynous nature in his style. Tom went for the rapper style. His look often consists of very baggy jeans, baggy shirts and jerseys, New Eras Hats, baseball caps, headbands, and dreadlocks.

CareerBill and Tom had acted together in the German TV-film Verruckt nach dir, released in 1994, but their stepfather had a major musical influence on the boys, as he was in a band of his own. It was around this time that Tom began playing the guitar. Bill was writing lyrics while still in primary school. Encouraged by Trumper, the twins performed in several small shows. In 2001, they met Georg Listing and Gustav Schafer. They had similar tastes in music and formed a band together called ‘Devilish’. The band played in small shows in bars and clubs. In 2003, the group was approached by music producer Peter Hoffmann after he discovered Bill on the German version of the popular American television show, Star Search, in which Bill lost in the quarter-finals.

The band signed with Universal Music in Hamburg, Germany soon after. At this point they changed the band’s name to Tokio Hotel ("Tokio", the German language spelling of the city Tokyo, Japan, which they love, and "Hotel", due to their constant touring and sleeping in hotels), Tokio Hotel became a popular band in many European countries. In 2006, the band re-released their first album Schrei as Schrei — so laut du kannst (Scream — as loud as you can) after Bill’s voice fully matured. Their second studio release, Zimmer 483 (Room 483), was released on 23rd February 2007. Later that year, the band released Scream, their first English-language album which was comprised of translations of songs from their first two CDs. The album was supposed to be sold overseas in the United States but that decision was revoked, as Tokio Hotel set on being recognized in the United Kingdom instead of the United States.

Since becoming famous through Tokio Hotel, Bill has also provided the voice for the title character in the German dub of the Luc Besson film, Arthur and the Minimoys.