Tokio Hotel is a
pop rockPop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
bandIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, founded in 2001 by singer
Bill KaulitzBill Kaulitz is a German singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel....
, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing. The quartet have scored four number one singles and have released three number one albums in their native country, selling nearly 5 million CDs and DVDs there.
After recording an unreleased demo-CD under the name "Devilish" and having their contract with Sony BMG Germany terminated, the band released their first German-language album,
SchreiSchrei is the debut album by the German band Tokio Hotel. In 2006, they released a partly re-recorded and expanded version, Schrei - so laut du kannst. The album was only released in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and Japan...
, as Tokio Hotel on
Universal Music GermanyUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
in 2005.
Schrei sold more than half a million copies worldwide and spawned four top five singles in both Germany and Austria. In 2007, the band released their second German album
Zimmer 483Zimmer 483 is the second album by the German rock band Tokio Hotel. It was released in Germany on 23 February 2007. The album yielded four singles including "Übers Ende der Welt", "Spring nicht" and "An deiner Seite "...
and their first English album
Scream*Best Buy has an exclusive DVD with a behind the scenes look at their U.S. concert shows and three live videos .-Singles Chronology:Europe * Monsoon...
which have combined album sales of over one million copies worldwide and helped win the band their first
MTV Europe Music AwardThe MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
for Best InterAct. The former,
Zimmer 483, spawned three top five singles in Germany while the latter,
Scream, spawned two singles that reached the top twenty in new territories such as
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In September 2008, they won in the US their first
MTV Video Music AwardAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
(VMA) for Best New Artist. In October 2008, they won four awards including Best International Artist and Song of the year at Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica (MTV Video Music Awards Latin America) held in Mexico. Tokio Hotel became the first German band ever to win an award at the MTV VMAs and also at the MTV Latin America Awards. They also picked up the Headliner award at the
MTV Europe Music Awards 2008The MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 took place on November 6, 2008 in Liverpool, United Kingdom at the Echo Arena. Nominations were officially announced on September 29, 2008. The hosts of the awards were Katy Perry with Jared Leto, Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević of 30 Seconds to Mars hosting the...
held in
LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on November 6, 2008 and the Award for Best Group on November 5, 2009 at the
MTV Europe Music AwardThe MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 took place in Berlin, Germany at the O2 World and in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The award show was presented by Katy Perry. Nominations were officially announced on September 21, 2009. This is the fourth time that the MTV Europe Music Awards were hosted in...
(EMA) held in Berlin. They won an Award for Best World Stage Performance on November 7, 2010 at the
MTV Europe Music AwardsThe MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
in Madrid. In July 2011, they became the first German band to win an
MTV Video Music Awards JapanThe MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
(VMAJ).
Founding
Tokio Hotel by vocalist Bill Kaulitz and guitarist Tom Kaulitz, who are identical twin brothers, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bass-guitarist Georg Listing. The four met in 2001 after a live show in a Magdeburg-Club, where Listing and Schäfer, who knew each other from music school, watched from the audience while Bill and Tom Kaulitz played on the stage. Under the name Devilish, the band soon began playing in talent shows and small concerts. After Bill Kaulitz's participation in a children's Star Search in 2003 at age thirteen (which he lost in the quarter-final), he was discovered by music producer Peter Hoffmann. Devilish changed their name to Tokio Hotel: "Tokio", the
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
spelling of the Japanese city
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, due to a love of the city, and "Hotel" due to their constant touring and living in hotels. Soon after Sony BMG took them under contract, Hoffmann hired David Jost and Pat Benzner into the team of creators and authors, and had them give the teens instruction on songwriting and instrument playing; most of the songs of the first album were written by Hoffmann, Jost and Benzer (including the singles "Scream" and "Rescue me" which were completely written by them), only the single "Unendlichkeit" was written completely by Tokio Hotel themselves. Shortly before release of their first album, Sony terminated their contract. In 2005, Universal Music Group took Tokio Hotel under contract and developed a marketing plan. The band is now one of the biggest modern acts from Germany and the biggest in 20 years.
Schrei
Their first single, "
Durch den Monsun"Durch den Monsun" and "Monsoon" are songs by German rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song "Durch den Monsun" was released as their debut single in 2005 from their debut album Schrei...
" ("Through the Monsoon"), quickly rose in the charts, appearing on the German official
Media ControlThe official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
single chart at #15 on August 20, 2005 and eventually reaching #1 on August 26, 2005; it also reached #1 on the Austrian
singles chartÖ3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
. Their second single, "
Schrei"Schrei" and "Scream" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Schrei", was released as the second single from the band's debut album Schrei and is also the album's opening track...
" ("Scream"), climbed to the #5 position in the German charts. These two songs were written by singer Bill Kaulitz together with their group of producers Peter Hoffmann, David Jost, Pat Benzer and Dave Roth. Their debut album,
SchreiSchrei is the debut album by the German band Tokio Hotel. In 2006, they released a partly re-recorded and expanded version, Schrei - so laut du kannst. The album was only released in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and Japan...
, was released on September 19, 2005, and was certified triple gold by the
BVMIThe Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises....
in 2006 for selling over 300,000 copies in Germany. In 2006, a third and fourth single, "
Rette mich"Rette Mich" is the third single by German rock band Tokio Hotel, from their 2005 album Schrei. This single version of "Rette Mich" was re-recorded as lead singer Bill Kaulitz's voice began to deepen and was included in the Schrei - so laut du kannst release...
" ("Rescue Me") and "Der letzte Tag" ("The Final Day"), were released; both reached #1 as well. "Der letzte Tag" contained a B-side called "Wir schließen uns ein", which was also accompanied by a music video.
Zimmer 483
The first single off their second album
Zimmer 483 (
Room 483), called "
Übers Ende der Welt"Übers Ende der Welt" and "Ready, Set, Go!" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Übers Ende der Welt", was released as the first single from their second album Zimmer 483 and it is the album's opening track.The song was later translated into...
" (later re-released in English under the name "Ready, Set, Go!"), was released on January 26, 2007 and quickly reached #1 in Germany and Austria, and #2 in France.
Zimmer 483 was released in Germany on February 23, 2007, along with a deluxe edition of the album containing a DVD. The album's second single, "
Spring nicht"Spring nicht" and "Don't Jump" are songs by German pop rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Spring nicht", was released as the second single from their second album Zimmer 483....
" ("Don't Jump") was released on April 7. The tour accompanying the release of the album, The Zimmer 483 Tour, was scheduled to start in March 2007, but was delayed by two weeks because the band members wished to have a different stage design. A third single, "
An deiner Seite (Ich bin da)" ("By Your Side"), was released on November 16. The single contains the B-side "1000 Meere" ("1000 Oceans"), for which a music video was also produced.
On April 28, 2008 Tokio Hotel released their single "
Heilig"Heilig" is a song by the German rock band Tokio Hotel from their second album Zimmer 483. The song was released as the album's fourth single on April 28 in France. Due to the tight schedule, no music video for the single was released...
" but no music video for the single was released, because of the tight schedule they had.
Scream
Tokio Hotel's first
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
album,
Scream*Best Buy has an exclusive DVD with a behind the scenes look at their U.S. concert shows and three live videos .-Singles Chronology:Europe * Monsoon...
, was released on June 4, 2007 throughout Europe. In Germany, the album was released as
Room 483 in order to emphasize the continuity with their last German album
Zimmer 483.
Scream contains English versions of a selection of songs from their German-language albums
Scream"Schrei" and "Scream" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Schrei", was released as the second single from the band's debut album Schrei and is also the album's opening track...
and
Zimmer 483. "Monsoon", the English-language version of "Durch den Monsun", was the first single from the album. "Ready, Set, Go!" (the translation of "
Übers Ende der Welt"Übers Ende der Welt" and "Ready, Set, Go!" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Übers Ende der Welt", was released as the first single from their second album Zimmer 483 and it is the album's opening track.The song was later translated into...
") was released as the album's second single and "Don't Jump" (the translation of "Spring nicht") as the third single. A video for "
Scream"Schrei" and "Scream" are rock songs by German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song, "Schrei", was released as the second single from the band's debut album Schrei and is also the album's opening track...
", the English-language version of their 2005 hit "Schrei", was also recorded, and was released to the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in early March 2008.
Tokio Hotel gave their first concert in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on June 19, 2007. "Ready, Set, Go!" was released in the UK as the band's first single on August 27, 2007. The song reached #77 in the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Tokio Hotel won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best InterAct on November 1, 2007 and were also nominated for Best Band. They performed "Monsoon" at the event.
Tokio Hotel released their first US single, simply called "Tokio Hotel", in late 2007. The single contains the tracks "Scream" and "Ready, Set, Go!", and was available exclusively at
Hot TopicHot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores. Their second US single, "Scream America", was released on December 11, 2007. The single contains the track "Scream" and a remix of "Ready, Set, Go!" by
AFIAFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
's
Jade PugetJade Errol Puget is the guitarist for the alternative rock band AFI , and the keyboardist/synthesizer operator for the electronic duo Blaqk Audio. Puget is vegetarian and straight edge....
. In February 2008, the band toured North America for five dates starting in Canada and finishing up in New York. After appearing and performing live on
MuchMusicMuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, while touring in Canada, "Ready, Set, Go!" entered the
MuchOnDemandMuchOnDemand was an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from the Much broadcasting studio on 299 Queen Street West in Toronto. The Best of MuchOnDemand, aired Sundays at 10am ET, highlighting the...
Daily 10, a countdown of videos chosen by viewers. It remained there for over a week, then returned to the top of the MOD Daily 10 chart on April 8. "Scream" was released in Canada on March 25 and in the US on May. 6
1000 Hotels Tour
The "1000 Hotels" European Tour began on March 3, 2008 in
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and continued to locations including The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Scandinavia, and was scheduled to finish on April 9; during the concert in
MarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France on March 14, Bill started to experience vocal problems. He let the audience sing more frequently than normal and instead of the original 21 songs that were on the set list, they only played 16 songs. Bill apologized, in German, for his bad singing and explained that he was sick. Two days later, the band canceled
LisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal concert minutes before it was supposed to commence. The rest of the "1000 Hotels" Tour and a scheduled North American Tour were cancelled following an announcement in Bild by the band's manager that Bill Kaulitz had to undergo surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.
Bill Kaulitz had been putting strain on his voice after playing 43 concerts in the 1000 Hotels tour without vacation. He had to undergo Larynx surgery on March 30 to remove a cyst that had formed on his vocal cords. The cyst was the result of a throat infection that went untreated. Following his surgery, Bill was unable to speak for twelve days, and had four weeks of vocal rehabilitation. If Bill had continued singing the rest of the tour, his voice would have eventually been permanently damaged. Tokio Hotel started performing again in May 2008 and after that they embarked on a 2nd part of their 1000 Hotels European Tour adding many Open Air concerts and wrapping up the tour on July 13 in Werchter, Belgium.
North American Tours and Humanoid
Tokio Hotel embarked on a second tour of North America in August 2008, which included a performance at the Bamboozled festival in New Jersey. The band's music video for "Ready Set Go!" was nominated for Best Pop Video at the
2008 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
, where they also won the award for Best New Artist. They returned to North America again in October 2008 for a month long tour of concerts and record store signings. In December 2008, a behind-the scenes DVD called
Tokio Hotel TV – Caught on Camera was released. It contains footage from Tokio Hotel TV and backstage feature stories of the previous year on disc one entitled "History – The very best of Tokio Hotel TV!". A deluxe edition contains a second disc entitled "Future – The road to the new Album!" which features footage of the band on promotion tours and preparing for their third studio album.
In between the North American tours, the band returned to their record studio in Hamburg to record their third studio album,
Humanoid, which, according to their producer David Jost, is currently set for release on October 2 in Germany & October 6, 2009 in the U.S. This is despite earlier statements predicting a March/April 2009 release or a May/June 2009 release. The album was recorded in both German and English with both versions were released simultaneously worldwide.
On August 10, it was announced on MTV news that the first German single would be "Automatisch" and its English counterpart, "Automatic", would also be released as a first single in the United States. On August 20, MTV Buzzworthy released a video which previewed "Automatic" and
Cherrytree RecordsCherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
announced that the English version of the song would be released in the US on September 22. Nevertheless, the video for the single was released on September 3.
On November 2, it was announced on Tom's Blog that the second English single would be "World Behind My Wall" and its German counterpart, "Lass uns laufen", would be the second German single.
The music videos for both versions were released on December 14 and December 15.
On June 24, the live music video for their single, "Dark Side of the Sun" was released on the band website.
On July 20, 2010 they released their second live album
Humanoid City LiveHumanoid City Live, is a live DVD and CD released by the German band Tokio Hotel on July 20, 2010. It was recorded on April 12, 2010 at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, during their Welcome to Humanoid City Tour. The DVD bonus material includes a new "backstage" episode of Tokio Hotel TV, and a...
from
MilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
On November 22, 2010, their new song "Hurricanes and Suns," premiered on the Greek radio station Mad Radio. It was included in the bonus track on all versions of "Tokio Hotel: Best Of," a compilation album of their most successful songs. As well as the single for the 'Best of' release. The album will also include "Mädchen aus dem All", the first song the band recorded in a studio.
On December 14, 2010 their 'Best of' was released. December 2 was the World Premiere of the video for "Hurricanes and Suns" on their
Official Website.
On April 28, 2011 they received the "Fan Army FTW" award at the
MTV O Music Awards, the networks first online award show. A clip of Bill and Tom thanking their fans was played after the winner was announced.
Asian performances
Tokio Hotel performed their first concert in Asia (excluding their concert in Israel) at the Audi Showcase in Singapore, followed shortly by the TM Connects With Tokio Hotel event in Malaysia, promoting the sales of their album Humanoid. They concluded the series of mini-concerts with Taiwan. They returned to Malaysia a couple of months later to perform at MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010. They performed in
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on December 15, 2010, after their South American Tour concluded in Distrito Federal, Mexico on December 2, 2010. In February, 2011 Tokio Hotel travelled to Japan to complete a second promo tour. A number of TV appearances and media interviews took place between February 8 and February 11.
On June 24, 2011 Tokio Hotel performed in Japan at “The Next Premium Night Tokio Hotel in Tokyo". The event was presented by Audi A1 and 150 fans were chosen to win tickets to attend the show. The event was the bands first acoustic performance in Japan. On June 25, 2011 the band performed live at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo. The show, which was formerly called the Video Music Awards Japan, was used as a music benefit to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross in order to help those who were affected by the recent earthquake.
Modeling and commercials
On January 19, 2010, lead singer Bill Kaulitz teamed up with twins
Dean and Dan CatenDean and Dan Caten are identical twin brother fashion designers and the creators of DSquared2, a high-end fashion label.-Early life and career:...
of DSquared to walk the runway at a fashion event in Milan. Kaulitz made two appearances, as he opened and closed DSquared's Menswear Autumn/Winter 2010 show to Tokio Hotel song "Screamin".
Car maker Audi hired the two frontmen to star in their new advertising campaign to attract the younger generation. They were featured in an episode of Tokio Hotel TV (on Tokio Hotel's website) and also in a commercial.
On August 4, 2010, Tom Kaulitz got his own Reebok shoe commercial. Reebok signed the 20-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist and sneaker addict to model shoes for the company. "At home, I created a little room like a little storage room," he said of his sneakers. He also said that he gets 10 new pairs a week.
Bill Kaulitz
Bill KaulitzBill Kaulitz is a German singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel....
was born on September 1, 1989, in Leipzig ten minutes after his identical twin brother, Tom.
Tom Kaulitz
Tom Kaulitz (born 1 September 1989 in
LeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
,
German Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
) is a German guitarist
singer, songwriter and model from Tokio Hotel. He is the twin brother of
Bill KaulitzBill Kaulitz is a German singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel....
, and Tom was born 10 minutes before Bill.
Early life
Tom Kaulitz and Bill Kaulitz were born 1 September 1989 in Leipzig. Their parents, Simone and Jörg Kaulitz, separated when Tom and Bill were seven years old. Their mother married Gordon Trumper in August 2009.
Tom's guitar playing and Bill's singing showed their natural aptitude for music, and gave an early indication of their potential. Trumper helped the twins to start their own band. He and Bill began writing music at the age of seven years old.
The twins met Georg Listing (then 14) and
Gustav SchäferGustav Schäfer may refer to:*Gustav Schäfer , German Olympic rower*Gustav Schäfer , drummer of Tokio Hotel...
(then 13), in the audience of one of the twins' shows. Listing and Schäfer were friends and after the show, having liked what they heard and saw, offered to join. The band was promptly re-named "Devilish" due to an article published at the time that referred to their "devilishly great" sound. In 2003, Bill entered the reality TV talent show "Star Search" and became well known.
This continued until 2005 when David Jost arranged a meeting between the band and
Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
's
Interscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and Tokio Hotel was signed. They began working immediately, releasing their debut LP Schrei ("Scream") later that year. Their first single from the album Schrei was "Durch den Monsun" ("Through The Monsoon"), which reached #1 in Germany within a month of its release.
Stalking incident
More trouble came for Kaulitz when in late 2008/early 2009 several female stalkers pursued the band relentlessly, even following his twin brother Bill Kaulitz to his parents' home in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and attacked the twins' mother. The issue seemed to end after Tom allegedly hit one of the stalkers at a gas station in April 2009 and drove off. However, a recent article in Bild stated that the issue had resurfaced and that Tom Kaulitz may stand trial for assault. In late December 2009, the charges against Tom were lifted and he is pressing charges himself — against the girl he allegedly hit — on grounds of stalking.
Personal life
Tom Kaulitz and his identical twin brother, Bill, used to live in
Hamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
but moved to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
following an incident involving stalkers and a robbery. They have stated that it is easier for them to work on their new album, as they are closer to their manager David Jost. They are currently living in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
but also have a second home in
Hamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Tom and Bill modelled for a PETA.de photoshoot. Bill also models for Reebok sneakers and shoes.
Tom is friends with
Nicole ScherzingerNicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
. Tom prefers to listen to hip-hop music. His favorite rapper is
Samy DeluxeSamy Sorge , commonly known as Samy Deluxe, Wickeda MC or Sam Semillia is a German rapper, and hip hop artist from Hamburg. He is one of Germany's most successful solo rap musicians while also releasing albums as a member of two separate crews, Dynamite Deluxe and ASD...
. , Tom uses
GibsonGibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
guitars and Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Heads with Mesa Boogie Rectifier 4x12 cabinets. Tom currently has his hair in cornrows, which he had done in early 2009. Tom had allegedly been dating
Chantelle PaigeChantelle Paige is an American singer, songwriter, actress. She is a former member of the R&B/rap group Flipsyde.-Early life:...
after the stalker incident, but later it was said that they had been going out to better publicise Tom and his band, as well as Chantelle’s band,
FlipsydeFlipsyde is a rap/R&B/rock band from Oakland, California. Flipsyde consists of singer/guitarist Steve Knight, guitarist Dave Lopez, rapper Jinho "the Piper" Ferreira, and for a short while Chantelle Paige. They have toured extensively with Fort Minor, The Black Eyed Peas, Snoop Dogg and on the...
. In an interview with her, Chantelle had said : "I think Tom is quite nice, actually he is my dream boy".
Georg Listing
Georg (Moritz Hagen) Listing was born on March 31, 1987. His hometown is
HalleHalle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
. He began playing bass when he was thirteen years old, and, , uses a Sandberg bass. He has said that his playing style was heavily influenced by
FleaMichael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
of
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, and other musical influences include
Die ÄrzteDie Ärzte is a punk band from Berlin. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B. and bass player Rodrigo González...
and
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
.
Gustav Schäfer
Gustav (Klaus Wolfgang) Schäfer was born on September 8, 1988 in his hometown of
MagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. He currently lives in
MagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
and in the temporary home in
Hamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
where the studio is. Gustav has been playing the drums since he was five. His musical influences include
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
,
Joe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, and
Rod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
.
Discography
Studio albums
- Schrei
Schrei is the debut album by the German band Tokio Hotel. In 2006, they released a partly re-recorded and expanded version, Schrei - so laut du kannst. The album was only released in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, and Japan...
(2005, Universal Music/IslandIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
)
- Zimmer 483
Zimmer 483 is the second album by the German rock band Tokio Hotel. It was released in Germany on 23 February 2007. The album yielded four singles including "Übers Ende der Welt", "Spring nicht" and "An deiner Seite "...
(2007, Universal Music/Island)
- Scream
*Best Buy has an exclusive DVD with a behind the scenes look at their U.S. concert shows and three live videos .-Singles Chronology:Europe * Monsoon...
(2007, Universal Music/Island
- Humanoid
Humanoid is the third German studio album and the second English studio album by German band Tokio Hotel. Released through Universal Domestic Pop, Island Records and Cherrytree Records, the album was recorded in both German and English with both versions set for a simultaneous worldwide release...
(2009, Island)
Awards
Since the release of the "
Durch den Monsun"Durch den Monsun" and "Monsoon" are songs by German rock band Tokio Hotel. The German version of the song "Durch den Monsun" was released as their debut single in 2005 from their debut album Schrei...
" single in 2005, Tokio Hotel have gone on to win 102 awards in various categories and countries.
2005
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Best Newcomer |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
October 6 |
| Super Comet |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
October 6 |
| Best Newcomer |
Eins Live Krone |
November 24 |
| Best Pop National Act |
Bambi Awards |
December 1 |
| Best Single |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
...2005 |
| Best Pop |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
...2005 |
| Rock Band 2005 |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
...2005 |
2006
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Album of the year |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
February 8 |
| Band of the year |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
February 8 |
| Song of the year – ‘Der Letzte Tag’ |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
February 8 |
| Best Newcomer |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
February 8 |
| Ausverkaufte Tourhalle |
Sold-out-Award of Königpilsener Arena |
March 11 |
| Best Newcomer |
ECHO Awards (Germany) |
March 12 |
| Best Newcomer |
Steiger Award The Steiger Award or Der Steiger is an international award established in 2005 and presented annually by the award organization based in Bochum, Germany. The title translates as The Miner, and reflects the qualities of responsibility, honesty, openness and hard work valued in the North Rhine...
s |
March 25 |
| Pop National |
Radio Regenbogen (Germany) |
March 31 |
| SuperBand Rock – Golden Otto |
Bravo Otto |
May 6 |
| Music Award |
Bild OSGAR |
May 22 |
| Best Newcomer International |
Popcorn Awards (Hungary) |
May 26 |
| Best Newcomer |
Bravo Otto (Hungary) |
June 24 |
| Best International Band |
Bravo Otto (Hungary) |
June 24 |
| Best Newcomer Band |
Popkomm Bavarian Music Lion |
September 21 |
| Best German Pop Band |
Goldene Stimmgabel |
September 24 |
| Best Selling German Artist |
World Music Awards |
November 15 |
| Best Pop National Act |
Bambi Awards |
November 30 |
| Best Live Act |
Eins Live Krone |
December 7 |
| Best Rock band |
MTV France |
|
2007
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Single of the Year – Durch Den Monsun |
Golden Penguin |
|
| Best Selling German Act – Album Schrei |
European Border Breakers Award |
January 21 |
| European Border Breakers Award |
NRJ Awards |
January 21 |
| Rock Award |
BZ-Kulturpreis |
January 23 |
| Best Video National |
ECHO Awards (Germany) |
March 25 |
| SuperBand Rock – Golden otto |
Bravo Otto |
April 28 |
| Best Video |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 3 |
| Best Band |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 3 |
| Supercomet |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 3 |
| Best Band |
Jabra Music |
July 2007 |
| Digital prize |
Festivalbar (Italy) |
September 7 |
| Most Successful Group Rock International |
Goldene Stimmgabel |
September 22 |
| Most Successful Popgroup International |
Goldene Stimmgabel The Goldene Stimmgabel is an annual prize awarded within the German music scene.The prizes are awarded according to the number of records sold from October of the previous year to June of the year of the award, as determined by Media Control...
Awards |
October 3 |
| Best Album |
TMF Awards (Belgium) |
October 14 |
| Best Video |
TMF Awards (Belgium) |
October 14 |
| Best New Artist |
TMF Awards (Belgium) |
October 14 |
| Best Pop |
TMF Awards (Belgium) |
October 14 |
| Best International Act |
MTV Europe Music Awards (Germany) |
November 1 |
| Best band of the Year |
MTV Italy Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award |
December 1 |
2008
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Band of the Year 2007 |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
January |
| Best International Band |
Rockbjörnen Award (Sweden) |
January 24 |
| Best Music National |
Goldene Kamera (Germany) |
February 6 |
| Best Music Video |
Echo Awards (Germany) |
February 15 |
| Best International Artist |
Emma Gala Awards (Finland) |
March 8 |
| Best International Group |
Disney Channel Kids Award (Italy) |
March 28 |
| Best Concert |
Hitkrant (Netherlands) |
May 2008 |
| Best Mood Song – Monsoon |
Hitkrant (Netherlands) |
May 2008 |
| Song that Satys in your Head – Monsoon |
Hitkrant (Netherlands) |
May 2008 |
| Superband Rock – Silver Otto |
Bravo Otto |
May 3 |
| Best Band |
MTV TRL Awards (Italy) |
May 17 |
| Best Number 1 of the Year with Monsoon |
MTV TRL Awards (Italy) |
May 17 |
| Best Band |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 23 |
| Best Video – An Deiner Seite |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 23 |
| Best Live Act |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 23 |
| Super Comet |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 23 |
| Best New Artist |
MTV VMA Music Awards (USA) |
September 7 |
| Fan Choice Best Entrance |
MTV VMA Music Awards (USA) |
September 7 |
| Best Male Artist International (Bill Kaulitz) |
TMF Awards The TMF Awards are an annual television awards show broadcast live on TMF .The first Dutch TMF Awards were held in 1995, as a brand extension to the recently launched local Dutch music channel TMF. The show was very small and held in the company cafeteria...
(Belgium) |
October 11 |
| Best Video International – Don't Jump |
TMF Awards (Belgium) |
October 11 |
| Song of the Year |
MTV Latin America Awards (Mexico) |
October 16 |
| Best Fanclub-Venezuela |
MTV Latin America Awards (Mexico) |
October 16 |
| Best New Artist-International |
MTV Latin America Awards (Mexico) |
October 16 |
| Best Ringtone |
MTV Latin America Awards (Mexico) |
October 16 |
| Headliner |
MTV Europe Music Awards (England) |
November 6 |
| Best Selling DVD: ZImmer 483 – Live in Europe |
Rekord (Russia) |
December 2 |
2009
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| SuperBand – Golden Otto |
Bravo Otto (Germany) |
May 12 |
| Best TRL Artist of the Year |
MTV TRL Awards (Italy) |
May 16 |
| Best Online Star |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 29 |
| Export Hit of Germany |
Bavarian Music Lion |
September 17 |
| International Award (2009) |
Audi Generation Award (Germany) |
October 18 |
| Best Group |
MTV Europe Music Awards (Germany) |
November 5 |
| Best International Rock Band |
Telehit Awards (Mexico) |
November 12 |
2010
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Band of the Year |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
January 29 |
| Album of the Year |
Golden Penguin (Austria) |
January 29 |
| Band of the Year |
Bravoora Awards (Poland) |
February 1 |
| Best International Artist |
Emma Gala Awards (Finland) |
February 4 |
| Walk of Fame |
König-Pilsener Arena (Germany) |
February 26 |
| Best International Band |
Radio Regenbogen Awards (Germany) |
March 19 |
| Favorite Music Star |
Kids Choice Awards 2010 (Germany) |
April 10 |
| Best Live Act |
Comet Awards (Germany) |
May 21 |
| Foreign Song of the Year - World Behind My Wall |
Rockbjörnen Award (Sweden) |
September 1 |
| Concert of the Year |
Rockbjörnen Award (Sweden) |
September 1 |
| Best World Stage Performance |
MTV Europe Music Awards (Spain) |
November 7 |
| Best Band National |
CMA Awards (Germany) |
December 12 |
| Best Single National - World Behind My Wall |
CMA Awards (Germany) |
December 12 |
2011
| Category |
Award |
Date |
| Band of the Year |
Bravoora Awards (Poland) |
March |
| Star of the 20th Anniversary |
Bravoora Awards (Poland) |
March |
| Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW) |
MTV O Music Awards (USA) |
April 28 |
| Best Rock Video |
MTV Video Music Awards Japan |
July 2 |
| Best Fan Army (Fan Army FTW) |
MTV O Music Awards (USA) |
October 31 |
External links