The German goth-pop band Tokio Hotel is like some sort of nightmarish blend of Evanescence, t.A.T.u., and the Jonas Brothers, with just a hint of Adam Duritz’s dreadlocked aesthetic thrown in for good measure. It’s the kind of band that would never exist without the Internet, and I’d have remained blissfully unaware of its existence if not for a fateful run-in with its fanbase on Tuesday morning here in Madrid, which, thanks to my uncle, was captured on video as a record of what might be the most unwarranted mania in the history of pop music. And that’s including LFO and Limp Bizkit.
My family is visiting me this week, and at around 10:30 on Tuesday morning I was dutifully marching them down calle San Jeronimo to the Prado museum, which houses an impressive collection of works by Titian, Velazquez, Rubens, and Goya. But fate, it seemed, had loftier plans. We’d gotten about ten steps out of their hotel when we hit barricades and a mass of Hot Topic preteens*. At the very second we approached the crowd, it let loose a collective shriek, the likes of which I have not heard since Jingle Ball toyed with the hearts and minds of Long Island’s biggest Jonas Brothers fans. Needless to say, we were startled and confused, and I think I caught a couple of people laughing at us for for literally jumping back in reaction to the caterwauling. As it turned out, the crowd was gathered in front of a hotel awaiting the arrival of Tokio Hotel, and the sudden hubbub was a reaction to the approaching tour buses, which happened to pull up just as we were walking by.
Since we couldn’t get past the crowd, we stood and watched the mayhem for about fifteen minutes with some equally bewildered Japanese tourists who were also en route to the Prado. Luckily my uncle had his camera on hand to document the madness. Here’s the video, which isn’t much to see beyond general pandemonium, but at the 2:30 mark there’s some footage of a phone conversation that gets pretty amusingly emotional.
After it became apparent that Tokio Hotel was not emerging from the bus anytime soon, we decided to cross the street and reluctantly surrender our day to great works of art. Needless to say, the incident inspired a bout of curious Googling, the results of which both disturbed and perplexed me. As it turns out, this is what all the shrieking was for…
Look, I understand the appeal of provocative girly boys. Men who play up their feminine qualities inspire the most manic fandom among a certain subset of pop fans. But come on! Those two in the middle (they’re twins, by the way) make Panic at the Disco look like the starting defensive line of a fireman’s league football team. It’s not that they’re girly. It’s that they look just like girls, which in general is totally fine and their business, but I fail to understand it on a teenybopper appeal level.
And then there’s the music itself. Oh, boy.
I will never understand the appeal of leaden alt-rock, much less how it could ever sneak into the J-14 arena. Seriously, this song is so boring. Imagine if you were thirteen and having a pool party and you put this on the stereo system. Your guests would drown themselves to escape the maudlin dreariness.
Their English-language offerings aren’t any more entertaining:
But it seems that the band has got something going for them that’s even more important than enjoyable music: a good publicity team. Their YouTube channel hosts a large spread of promotional videos documenting their endless publicity tour around the world. The most interesting thing about these videos is hearing the twins’ deep German dude voices.
Oddly enough, the New York Times seems to think they’re just the cutest little things.
The occasion was the first New York performance by Tokio Hotel, a German act that scrambles musical categories in a way that feels ideally suited to the current era. Why shouldn’t fans go nuts for a goth-punk boy band influenced by the darkly theatrical love songs of HIM (from Finland) and AFI (from California) and led by a sexy androgyne with spectacular hair? Why shouldn’t the members of Tokio Hotel be given a chance to bring their not-quite-idiomatic refrains — “We are here tonight/Leave the world aside” — to the United States?
As this paragraph implies, it is a free country, and young girls have every right to strain their vocal chords over whomever they please. But at some point you have to wonder if “why not?” is good enough. While Tokio Hotel can, and, by every means, should write and perform music to be enjoyed by whomever is up to the challenge, it’s a shame that groups like The Spinto Band don’t have the kind of publicity machine to thrust them into international super-stardom. Because if this song…
… were just as likely to be played at some suburban thirteen-year-old’s pool party than “Monsoon,” the world would be a much happier place.
Tokio Hotel [Official Site]
A Wild Welcome to a German Teen-Pop Band [NYT]
The Spinto Band [Official Site]
* I wonder what the equivalent to Hot Topic is here in Spain? I’ll get back to you on that.
@EddieRebel: Yeah dood. What self-respecting rocker wears a ST. ANGER shirt?
Also, Kate - BIG UPS for the Spinto Band shout-out! They are my absolute fave. Killer live show, perfect debut record. They were recording in LA late last year….can’t wait to hear some new stuff from them. Go Team Spinto!
@cis: a glut of emogothtastic visual-kei bands
…which you will now list for us, with links please. (I have a feeling I’ve heard of a good chunk of them already but you never know.)
omg wow I never knew that people from 13-22 can be called preteens.This whole article is shniz.Dude yur just jealous that you cant look like Bill Kaulitz (the lead singer)
“As it turns out, this is what all the shrieking was for…”
First they’re not a THIS. They are 4 boys that go by the names of Bill, Tom, Gustav and Georg. So you could say ‘They where what all the shrieking was for…”
Second of all,
do you even understand the meaning behind Spring Nicht? (The first song that would make “Your guests would drown themselves to escape the maudlin dreariness.”) This song isn’t MEANT to be played at a pool party.
Spring Nicht means Don’t Jump in German.
It’s an anit-suicidal song. Maybe you could do SOME of your reasearch before going in and talking like you know everything about that song, when clearly you don’t.
Third.
They try FUCKING HARD to get all the songs in english and the pronounciation right. So THANK YOU for considering that fact.
Fourth.
I am NOT a pre-teen and neither are many of their fans that I know. We’re all 15 or older so thank you for mentioning that part of the fanbase.
And lastly, maybe if you took the time to listen to the message that these guys are sending, not only the music, which by the way is fucking amazing, you might come to appreciate them more. Not just take out all your frustration you have over the fact that you got delayed going to your museums because of fans that where waiting outside of a hotel for them.
I would just like to say that I am a Tokio Hotel fan. Not because of how they look or dress..but because of the music they make..they’re music is all about experiences & true feelings..songs that these guys write themselves..songs that speak to many of us who can relate in some ways..so for everyone to be knocking the band (mainly because of their appearance) take a look at some other bands out there..TH is not so much different from them..and yes the internet did play a large role in boosting their success both overseas & here in America. That’s because we as fans work hard on people getting to know who the guys in the band are for who they are and not how they look…we want the world to know their music for the lyrics and how good it can make you feel..yes they are now also singing in english..and no its not perfect..but why don’t you go and try and sing a song in another language that u barely know..bet u can’t do any better..its the fact that they are breaking the language barrier & making it work. Why is it that an international band with the looks of TH comes out and they constantly get the bad reviews of how they look?? when other bands out there have some of the same qualities..HIM, HInder, PATD as far as how they dress or the fact that they to have some feminine qualties to them..don’t get me wrong i like some of these bands too..but im not hearing anything negative about their appearance..but anywho..im not here to fight..but just merely here to stand my ground on a great band…and to simply say the old saying..”if don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all”…
ok- so many people love this band for what they are. yeah they are different but that is part of what makes them so great. their songs are slow and are not to be played at pool parties; they have so much meaning. EXPECIALLY spring nicht which in english means dont jump: its an anti suicide song that means alot to me. someone i know killed themselves and that song seriously means so much to me and many others. yeah bills feminine but GET OVER IT people are different thats part of the uniqueness that makes this band so great: i bet if you would listen to the songs and understand the lyrics; you would have a different view: the lyrics are what makes this band so great. people were emotional on the conversation because they waited for days to be first row and they found out their favorite band concert was canceled: wouldnt you be sad too
lastly they try their hardest to understand and speak english give them a break about their accents!
@swimmer_450: Third Eye Blind did it years ago.
@Handsome Pete:
Yes and I’m not denying that they didn’t try really hard and have a hard time with it.
I’m just saying people should appreciate what bands do for their fans in general.
@Handsome Pete: Thank you. And it was much catchier when they did it…
@swimmer_450: Simmer. We’re all friends here.
You people need to get a life….
You spend all your time making these stupid things and there not true. Tokio Hotel is a great band and they try really hard to do the things they do. I mean it cant be easy being fluent in both german and english but they try there best. They have great fans that like them for who they are and all the GREAT music they have made. So why dont u all just go talk shit about some other band that sucks because in reality it is YOU who SUCK not them. Besides half the shit you said about them is’n even true…. so just mind your own business and leave them alone… i dont care if you dont like them but dont shit about them because you dont even know fact form fiction when it comes to them.
i agree with swimmer_450. I sure as hell am not a teeny bopper pre-teen, i’m 19 and most of the fans i know are between 17 and 21 years old.
They’re music is all too amazing. what’s wrong with songs that actually show caring and compassion? Seriously, everyone thinks it has to be hard core now or it’s shit. What’s up with that? and yes, i listen to shit like Slipknot and Korn and stuff, i was raised on that, but i know how to broaden my taste.
maybe Spring Nicht couldn’t be played at a pool party. So? i’m pretty sure bands that you would play at a pool party have songs that can’t ‘be played’ at one too. Tokio Hotel has more upbeat songs such as Schrei (Scream) and stuff like that.
But that’s beside the point. and this whole thing about them looking like chicks… ya know what? i won’t even go there. you DON’T want to get me started on that.
Do some more fucking research before you bash a band because you were delayed by their fans.
*laughs at fans who get pissed off by internet postings*
I am 31yrs old from Singapore and I am proud to say I am a fan of Tokio Hotel. In case you don’t own a map, Singapore is a little island in South East Asia. No, we’re not part of China or Japan. I am definitely not a preteen and am located far from Europe yet here I am, a fan of the band. Yes the twins do look like girls but so what? They make good music and are fantastic when they perform live. It’s disheartening to hear that just because you don’t know the band you feel the need to post negative remarks about them. Word of advise. If you have nothing nice to say about a band you hardly know, maybe it’s better if you don’t say anything at all.
This post has the second best comments since the bandom ones. So I hope it becomes part of an ongoing series.
I could have sworn this was made illegal during the 1930s.
Eyeshadow guy’s got the anime thing down. Between that and the name they gotta be huge in Japan by now.
A St. Anger shirt? srsly?
I really need to read these articles first and masturbate second.
as far as I know they’re not very popular in Japan at all! I guess because Japan has quite enough anime– and a glut of emogothtastic visual-kei bands, of whom Tokio Hotel must seem a bit of a pale imitation (hah, ‘pale’, see what i did there). Plus there’s already a japanese guitar boyband called TOKIO, it’d just get confusing.
This band is very popular on the *chans. Even the straight guys want to do him. They want top of course.
@NedRaggett: A member of Glay had gone missing. Only to re-surface in Germany.
I LOVE true-blue fans!!! Of any band. Without reading the lengthy comments, I agree with everything these fans say out of that principle alone. Speak out against the critics! w00t.
“Singapore is a little island in South East Asia. No, we’re not part of China or Japan.”
Are you sure it’s not part of Japan?
Okay, so I tried really hard to just walk away and forget that I ever read this. However, I could not (obviously).
First of all, why do you feel the need to hate on a band you hardly know anything about? As far as I know, they’ve never done anything to you. Yes, you had to wait a whole fifteen minutes due to fans. So what? Have you never heard that patience is a virtue? Surely if it were a band you liked that were pulling up in a bus, you would not hate on the fans for their enthusiasm. Also, I know of fans from ages 7 to 54. Guys and girls. So you’re preteen fangirl assumption is false. Surely you know what they say about assumptions.
Second, if they look like girls… what is it hurting you any for them to look the way they do? It’s not! So why bring it up?
Third, so ‘Spring Nicht’ isn’t able to be played at a pool party… is that a crime? I suggest you do more research before talking about that song. Needless to say, “Your guests would drown themselves to escape the maudlin dreariness.” was about as ironic as it could get.
Why even bother writing about something you obviously are too close minded to understand? If ignorance is bliss, you must be pretty happy with yourself right now.
@katiexlovesxtokio: The problem is that they’re NOT different. That’s my whole point. They sound like every other deathly boring band on alt rock radio.
Please, somebody get JesseSchrei “started on that”.
@Kate Richardson: they are different i mean they are from a small town in germany and they are making it big
yeah they are different- i listen to all sorts of rock rap and everything in between, and tokio hotel is different
the lyrics have serious meaning unlike alot of bands
i am an american fan fur immer!
like it or not, tokio hotel is going around the world.
A little problem understanding English, Raul123, or are you just dense like that?
@Kate Richardson: We would be friends if you wouldn’t go around prentending to know everything about a band when you really know almost nothing.
@Raul23: Have you ever looked at a fucking map? Singapore is part of INDONESIA. There is a difference.
@katiexlovesxtokio: And JA! Tokio Hotel für immer!!!
Erm, swimmer? Singapore is it’s own country. But you’re close.
Oh, ok. Singapore is part of Indonesia. I knew it wasn’t its own country. Thanks for clearing that up swimmer ;)
I personally, feel that you do not know this band well enough to judge them in such a negative way. Please, before you start calling most of their fanbase “preteens” or what not, do your homework. I am a Tokio Hotel fan, almost 20 years old. This band has inspired me in more ways than any other band ever could. I’ve been inspired to actually sit down and learn another langauge. I’ve been inspired to actually try at an instrument. My song writing has improved by listening to their songs.
Bill and Tom? The most wonderful, unique twins I have ever seen. Maybe it’s because most people don’t have…the “balls” to be their selves? Yes, I realize that’s putting it in such a vulgar way. But it’s the truth. =/
Bill has a very lovely voice; Tom’s GREAT at the guitar…Gustav is simply amazing at the drums, and Georg is AWESOME at the bass guitar.
These four boys have worked so hard to get to where they are today. A band since 2001, and it’s 7 years later.
Songs that YOU consider “boring, only 13 year olds would play at a pool party” have saved lives. Songs like “Spring Nicht,” which translates to “Don’t Jump” if you know nothing about the German language. “I scream into the night for you, don’t make it true, don’t jump; the lights are not guiding you, they’re deceiving you, don’t jump… “
If you consider that boring, I really wonder where your heart is.
I have a friend that has told me recently that she considered dropping out of school. She’s a senior; so it would have been her last year. What stopped her? None other than Tokio Hotel.
What has helped me through a recent time of breaking up with an insane ex boyfriend, my own family problems? TOKIO HOTEL.
These boys are…well, more than just “simply amazing.” I believe no word in either the English or German langauge could give Tokio Hotel justice on how great they are.
And unfortunately, the American music scene is harsh. But Tokio Hotel has an awesome American fan base that will stick by their side, no matter what.
@baconfat:
I seriously don’t know what you guys’ problem is.
*I* can’t believe the poster is mad because she got delayed to a museum? I’m sorry, I find this reason pathetic. =/@Kate Richardson:
@Kate Richardson:
This is where you’re wrong. I have yet to be able to compare Tokio Hotel to any other band. =/
@swimmer_450: yesss! tokio hotel is the best.
Okay, a few things to clear up. I’m 17 and I’m from Singapore, and I absolutely adore Tokio Hotel. I definitely would not consider myself a preteen for that matter. And i’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that’s highly impressed with their music, which is totally freaking AWESOME. I honestly don’t think you should be writing about things that you obviously know nothing about.
How could you even say that their music is boring? The lyrics have so much meaning in them! And I’m sure that they’ve been trying their best at the English versions. AND to top it all off, the reason they’re translating songs into English is so that their fans can understand the lyrics. It’s an extremely thoughtful gesture, so cut them some slack already.
Furthermore, it’s definitely not right to compare bands, just because you’re biased against the way they look. For pete’s sake, it’s called ‘Expression of Individuality”. And they all look great!
And one very annoying thing left to clarify: Singapore is it’s own country. We’re definitely not part of anyone else. Not Japan, not China, and not Indonesia. We might be close to them but we’re not part of them.
TOKIO HOTEL, ICH LIEBE DICH, FUR IMMER!
priciple It’s amazing to see how history repeats itself. When I came back to
Germany in summer 2004, I was almost going to fall in love with this
beautiful girl on mtv. The same day, a friend told me that The front…
well… man I saw wasn’t a girl at all. For me Bill was just too young
and not manly enough to be seen as a frontman of a pop-rock band. For the
next months I couldn’t believe that this weird stuff could be interesting to
anyone. I underestimated the Emo movement and the eagerness of girls
who tend to adore musicians. Nearly every male person I met hated them and
made this puplic… and actually this is the priciple behind tokio: 1.Take a
product that you can either hate or love e.g. Tokio Hotel, leads to
2.Girlslove the music and the phenomenon, leads to 3. Guys how can’t
understand and
act angry, leads to 4. puplic interest which is a free advertisement for the
band … It seems like this happens in america right now… because It just
happened everywhere. (Except for Japan maybe)
Personaly, after all these years, I can’t tell I like their music but
compared to other bands they’ve been a real band since years and not just a
casted and styled plastic band. Although I am not very keen on boys I must
say in the german interviews they’re very funny and don’t just
talk synthetic shit like any other pop band.
Guys, if you really want to stop this you have to break the chain of the
“Tokio Hotel Priciple”. But actually, I it worth to loose the gosship?
I’m not in this internet stuff
hope this works:
if not try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIkOTKReXac
(it’s german)
Florian, male, 22 years old, from germany
It’s amazing to see how history repeats itself. When I came back to Germany in summer 2004, I was almost going to fall in love with this beautiful girl on mtv. The same day, a friend told me that The front… well… man I saw wasn’t a girl at all. For me Bill was just too young and not manly enough to be seen as a frontman of a pop-rock band. For the next months I couldn’t believe that this weird stuff could be interesting to anyone. I underestimated the Emo movement and the eagerness of girls who tend to adore musicians. Nearly every male person I met hated them and made this puplic… and actually this is the priciple behind tokio: 1.Take a product that you can either hate or love e.g. Tokio Hotel, leads to 2.Girls love the music and the phenomenon, leads to 3. Guys how can’t understand and act angry, leads to 4. puplic interest which is a free advertisement for the band … It seems like this happens in america right now… because It just happened everywhere. (Except for Japan maybe)
Personaly, after all these years, I can’t tell I like their music but compared to other bands they’ve been a real band since years and not just a casted and styled plastic band. Although I am not very keen on boys I must say in the german interviews they’re very funny and don’t just talk synthetic shit like any other pop band.
Guys, if you really want to stop this you have to break the chain of the “Tokio Hotel Priciple”. But actually, I it worth to loose the gosship?
I’m not in this internet stuff
hope this works:
if not try
(it’s german)
Florian, male, 22 years old, from germany
I like Tokio Hotel a whole lot, but those two (Bill and Tom), I’m pretty sure that they have ‘a thing’ for each other. I watched some video clips on YouTube, and yeah… I know, they’re brothers, but still… Anyway, I like ‘em. But there’s no way they’re better than AFI. AFI is amazing, and it took them a while to become really really famous, unlike most bands that keep popping up out of nowhere. There’s all these new bands, but they all sound the same. I don’t get it. Also, I don’t know why girls are all crazy over feminine dudes. I’m a girl, I’m totally straight, and have no idea why I find Bill & Tom Kaulitz attractive.
This turned into the most awesome troll-tastically hilarious comment section. These guys have been a bit of a joke between my brother and I since we caught them performing on the MTV europe VMA’s. I’m glad someone else is getting in on it. We spent a long time debating what gender they all were. I find that a strangely large number of girls have some degree of love for androgynous men.
I was enjoying the post all by itself only to find a great deal of entertainment just by scrolling down! Thanks Idolator!!!
@JessieSchrei: What’s there to not get you started on. They look like bizarre lady-boys. I don’t think there is even an issue to start with on that. It’s a fact.
The only thing keeping that lead singer from being doable is his lack of a biological vagina. He’s a sissy boy, a goth dandy, he’d make a fortune at Patpong in Thailand.
(gotcha covered baconfat)
@Stafford: a “sissy boy”? oh GOD FORBID! teh gays! RUN FROM TEH EVIL GAYS!
i bet ol’ bacon’s thanking the gods he’s got your razor sharp wit backing him up.
Okay first did you even bother to find the meaning to these songs? Becuase i know for a fact i would not play spring nicht at a pool party. That song and all of the Tokio Hotel songs have meaning to them, they wern’t just written for the hell of it. And yes they do have a great publicity team but guess what, the only reason they are so popular in other countries, the only reason they went to other countries, is because the fans made petions and sent requests to them. The fans didn’t know what they looked like, they didnt understand the lyrics, but they loved it anyway. Tokio hotel is popular in France, Japan, North America, South America, Italy, Russia, China, Isreal, nearly everywhere in the world. These four boys have been working hard since they were 12 and they are now in their 20’s. They managed to become international stars in four years and are the single most successful band to come out of Germany.Can you not just appreciate their success and the effect they have put on so many?
I’m 24 from VIETNAM and I like TH’s music from melodies to lyrics. You all know that It’s absolutely not easy for a band to have so many fan. Amazingly, TH can do it particularly through internet and live shows travel but not a promotion company live many other bands. I can feel the energy, effort and passion of the band and BILL KAULITZ, who inspire me the most when I’m down. For what black reasons you could write like that if not you’ve never really listen TH ?