Även denna artikeln kommer ifrån den franska tidiningen Dream Up
Tack till Seipth @ THA

BILL KAULITZ
"My dream has been ruined!"
Brutallly condemned to silence for health reasons, Tokio Hotel's singer had to cancel the concerts, awaited by thousands of fans. Sick but combative, Bill recalls this painful trial in an exclusive interview conducted by e-mail.

What message would like to send to the fans who are concerned about your health?
First of all, I want te reassure them and tell that I'm fine. The operation lasted only a few hours and was not anything unusual for surgeons who took care of me. I read a lot of frightening stories about this surgery: people sometimes have really a great imagination! I believe fans were worried after the publication of these pieces of information, sometimes fake and often exaggerated. Now I'm in convalescence and I have to rest.

Is this the first time that you undergo this kind of surgery?
Of this kind, yes. So far I never had such serious problems with my voice, so this operation to the larynx was the very first one. And I also hope it'll be the last one...

How did the operation end up?
Very well, although I was terribly scared. Fortunately, the margin of error for this kind of surgery is minimal. I was operatedwith a laser, under anaesthesia. The following days I felt very tired, but soon I was on my feet again.

The reason is: bad luck or excessive work?
It might be a little of both... My state is explained by the accumulation of several factors: a little fatigue, that's true, a cold that dragged out and, to be honest, a lot of recklessness!

What medical instructions are you following to heal more quickly?
Doctors ordered me to rest! I take some medicine to promote the healing of my throat and I also take some anti-inflammatory drugs. At the same time, I must avoid to eat some kinds of food, specially dairy products. I drink a lot, I keep myself warm and I avoid talking too much. Since I am so chatty, that's not easy for me!

What feelings did you have when you faced this painful trial?
I felt a sense of injustice, anger and even a little resignation. At the beginning, I was really mad! We had to cancel dates twice because of my voice! This tour had to go through all the European countries where the group was called for. It was the realization of a wonderful dream. It was interrupted because of my voice. I thought a lot to all our fans who were disappointed because they could not be at our concerts. In time, I resigned myself and I accepted the fatality. Little consolation: most of the cancelled dates will be rescheduled for this summer.

What did you learn from this?
From now on I will have to pay more attention to my vocal chords. Before every performance, I'll force myself to to do exercises to warm up the voice.

In whom did you take comfort?
I was lucky to be supported so much in this period. The band members helped me a lot, as well as our team. Moreover, messages sent by fans helped me to hang on and they increased tenfold my desire to heal as soon as possible.

What are you doing during your days of convalescence?
To be honest, I'm a little bored because we went from a frenetic pace to a dull daily life... I watch tv, listen to music and sleep.

Do you take advantage of your free time to write lyrics for next songs?
Yes, I'm writing a lot for our next album. For example, this free time allows me to complete some lyrics that I scribbled here and there. The biggest frustration is that I cannot sing them right now. I'm looking forward to healing completely.

CONFIDENCE
During the long period of convalescence in which he was forbidden to pronounce any word, poor Bill had time to devise one thousand scenarios, sometimes dramatic. He also imagined to lose his voice permanently and to be no longer able to sing. Anyway, since he is never short of good ideas, Bill asked his twin brother Tom to replace him at the microphone.

--------

TOM KAULITZ
"Criticisms are useful to move forward..."
Since his return from the United States, Tom has had his head in the clouds! Tokio Hotel' first concert beyond the Atlantic have conquered the audience and even the blasts published by some medias didn't spoil his good mood. Suddenly, the American dream seems to be within reach...

What impressions did this first American tour leave to you?
It has been a great adventure for us because, honestly, we hadn't thought to come across such a fervor on the American soil. We were really surprised to find in Canada and in the United States the same energy we see in Europe: all the concert halls were sold out and fans knew all our songs by heart, in English this time!

Is there a concert that impressed you in a special way?
I have really given myself away during the concert in Los Angeles. Obviously because it was our first performance in the United States. And also because artists like Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls or Jay-Z (Beyoncé's husband and Rihanna's producer) were in the concert hall that night. It's still hard to believe (laughs) ...

Have you been affected by bad reviwes published by the American medias?
We are accustomed to the fact that no everyone are into Tokio Hotel, but it's better this way. And then, criticisms are sometimes useful to move forward. Some American medias has ridiculed our music, but others have praised it a lot. A journalist has even compared Bill to David Bowie. Isn't it a wonderful compliment?

Have criticisms ever touched you?
The most important thing for me and for the other band members is that fans appreciate our concerts. We make music for them, not for medias.

Among fans who have been following you since the beginning, there are a few that do not appreciate your Anglo-Saxon evolution...
Bill, Gustav, Georg and I are grown idolizing American rock bands. Singing in English offers us the opportunity to play in the United States, the country of rock par excellence! Where's the problem? In German or in English the story told by each of our songs remains the same, as does the music. I am sure that the audience can understand that. In addition, where the fans ask - in France for example - we continue to sing in German.

Are you at a turning point of your career?
About two years ago we told ourselves that it would never be possible to sing outside Germany. Then France opened its arms. Thanks to France, the rest of Europe immediately called for us. Now it's the turn of Canada and the United States. It's still too early to know where this new adventure will lead us... But the first signs are encouraging. They're enough to make me say that the American dream could be within reach (laughs).

What did you specially appreciate in America?
Since I'm a big hamburgers-consumer, that's heaven for me. Moreover, I loved the hip-pop clothes shops, one more magical than the other. You can find one of them on every corner in Los Angeles and New York. Obviously I took the chance to make a new collection of hats and t-shirts.

On the other hand, what do you not like of America?
Controls at the custom-house are endless and security measures are too strict, specially for someone like me with my dreadlocks and my rapper look. I really had the impression of being mistaken for a dangerous criminal! It's always the same: wherever we go, I'm controlled ten times more than the others.

Are you thinking of moving to the United States?
If circumstances so require, it's not excluded that we'll stay there for a few weeks, or even for some months. The experience could be rewarding even though I would surely have homesickness. I love travelling and discovering new horizons, but wherever I am, I always miss Germany.

ETERNAL SEDUCER
Loyal to his reputation of lover-boy, when Tokio Hotel were in the United States, Tom, that rascal, told journalists that he's looking for an American girlfriend. This piece of information spread among the press. On the list of reasons for this new sentimental option, the young artist said that would be the best way to improve his English...

--------------

GUSTAV SCHAEFER
"Tokio Hotel are my whole life!"
Since the birth of Tokio Hotel, Gustav, the band's drummer, has devoted himself to the "great artistic adventure of his life", according to his precise words. A gifted musician and a perfectionist, "Gus", 19 years old, is determined to take the group to the top.

According to you, what is Tokio Hotel's strong point?
That's a difficult question and it deserves a careful consideration... Several things come to my mind. First of all, the authenticity of our music. Our songs are not fake or mere copies. We have our own distinctive mark. On the other hand, the band has a common history, made of friendship, passion, shared efforts. A 7 years long history that allows us to stay together whatever happens.

Which is the band's feature that makes you more proud?
On stage we get along quite well. Obviously, we still have to improve a lot, but the basis is there. We don't have to be ashamed of our live performances.

What is your biggest fear before getting on stage?
I fear technical problems. I love order and rigour more than anyone else in the band. I hate things that don't go as planned. I confess that things I can't prefigure are my worst nightmare! That's why I never get on stage without having personally supervised the instruments check out, the cables placement and other technical details.

Have you ever faced an upsetting issue?
We have prepared the ground with a great attention to details, but unfortunately a small grain of sand often jams the machine...

Are you referring to a particular episode?
Oh, yes... The break of Tom's guitar strings in mid-concert are nothing compared with the event I'm thinking of. It happened during a concert in France last autumn. I was in the middle of my drum solo when a cameraman perched on a steel girder placed several metres above me suddenly fell at my feet! The organizers rushed to carry him away and give him first aid. However, I had to go on playing. It was surreal! In the end that clumsy man ended up with a simple fracture to the chin.

The prospect of the concert at Parc des Princes must stress you out a lot...
I dare not even think about it (laughs)! However, that appointment will mark the band's history. For the first time in our career we're playing in front of an audience of 45,000 fans.

When will you begin the preparations for this amazing event?
We have been thinking of the project for several months. You can't improvise such a huge concert! We are ready to try on stage a few ideas. We want to give a unique and amazing concert. As soon as Bill has fully recovered, we might move immediately to the operational phase. He must train day in and day out to be worthy of the event.

Apart from music, what project do you wish to realize?
Tokio Hotel's adventure allows me to realize my craziest dreams. At the moment I have no particular project in mind for my life outside the band. It's the same for Bill, Tom and Georg. Currently, Tokio Hotel are my whole life. It'll be awesome if this dream would last again for many years.

DID YOU KNOW?
Gustav has realized a dream! The idea to have beautiful tattoos has been in Tokio Hotel's drummer's mind for some years. His stay in Hawaii last December allowed Gus to realize his old dream. He had himself tattooed a rain of comets on his right forearm and a pair of eagle wings on his two shoulder-blades.

-----------

Jag tar inte med Georg's intervju, för der viktigaste finns att läsa i förra inlägget
ang. Deras 3:e album

Puss/Sara