[Interview + traduction] ITW pour MuchMusic

Bill, Tom, Gustav & Georg of TOKIO HOTEL were back in the MuchMusic building today, and so naturally, since it worked so well last time. I had to pull them aside for a couple of minutes to ask them a few of your fan questions. The guys were in good spirits and once again I was amazed at how relaxed, grounded and fun they were. Here's how it all went down with the German rockers...

First off, welcome back to Canada! You just performed at the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey. How was it?

Bill: It was really, really cool. It was the first time really performing after my surgery. We played three songs and there were a lot of fans and then after that we traveled to LA and in LA we had one concert and now we are here in Toronto.

So what do you prefer? Playing in festivals or your own concerts?

Bill: I prefer doing our own concerts.

Tom: Yeah, doing your own concerts are great. You have your own production team and your own crew and your own stage and stuff. It's great.

Bill: You know, festivals are always hard because there are so many bands and then it's just crazy backstage. Everyone is talking and there are so many people.

Georg: And you don't really get a sound check.

Tom: You always have sound problems in festivals, but I think at Bamboozle it was cool.

Bill: Yeah, it was good.

Did you get a chance to see any of the other bands perform?

Bill: Unfortunately, no. We had a really, really tight schedule.

Tom: Yeah, we had a lot of interviews to do and stuff like that and yeah, not much time.

What are some of your most embarrassing 'guilty pleasures'?

Tom: [laughs] I wouldn't admit to them. But Georg, he's a David Hasselhoff fan.
How "German" of you...

Georg: Oh, come on - not again. He's told this joke, like, 10 times now.

Tom: It's not a joke. It's the truth, but it's embarrassing.

Georg: [rolls eyes]

Bill: I love dogs, but that's not embarrassing. I just really love dogs. You know, if I see a dog I just go crazy.

Any kind in particular?

Bill: No, any dog. When I see a dog, it's like, "Oh my God, come here, come here!"

Tom: And Georg really likes to surf videos on YouPorn, and that's also embarassing. [Laughs] I'm joking.

Georg, is it true that you like Nickelback?

Georg: Yeah, I love Nickelback.

Tom: I really like the video for Rockstar because there's Kendra and, uh, from the Playboy Mansion - the three Bunnies. So that's a great video.

Are there any other Canadian bands that you know of and like?

Gustav: Is King's X from Canada?

No, don't think so.

Bill: Billy Talent are cool.

Nice. Hey Georg, does it bother you when people call you "George"?

Georg: Um, people can call me whatever they want - Georg or George.

Tom: Or you know, on his case where he stores his bass, he wrote "David Listing." [laughs] He likes the name David because of Hasselhoff. George Hasslehoff!

Georg: [groans]

[all laugh]

So last time you were in Toronto, you went up the CN Tower and went shopping at the Eaton Centre and went a bit unnoticed. Do you like that? Was it refreshing not to be attacked by throngs of fans for once?

Bill: That's always the goal, to go into a city and at first no one recognizes you, but we really want people to see us and to have fans. And now it's really cool that we have Canadian fans and that we're playing a concert tomorrow night. So I think it's better when people recognize you. That's good for a band.

Tom: It's always the goal that people recognize you on the street.

Bill: But of course, sometimes when you have free time, it's nice when no one recognizes you and you can just chill.

Tom: But that's boring.

Well, your fanbase is growing in Canada and now people know you are here for the night - they'll be looking for you.

Bill: Yeah, I think there will be some fans at the hotel tonight, but our schedule is so tight so that we are doing a lot of photoshoots and interviews during the day, so we don't have as much time this time to go out and check out things in the city.

Well, is there anything about fame that you find annoying?

Bill: I hate paparazzi, I really hate paparazzi.

Tom: Especially when we're on holidays.

Bill: Yeah, especially on holidays, it's just terrible. I hate them in Europe. In America there are also paparazzi, but not as as bad as in Europe. It's very terrible, I hate it.

So are you constantly on edge when you're walking around? Do you always notice them? Are they hiding behind corners or in bushes...?

Tom: Well, yeah, it depends. Sometimes on holidays, they hide. But, you know, on the street they just attack us.

Bill: Yeah, you know, it's OK to, I dunno, when it's at a concert or whatever, but in free time or when you're in private, I think it's just annoying.

So we all know how you got your name, but how did you come up with your band's symbol/logo?

Tom: You know, the idea was that in this logo we had a lot of T's and a lot of H's. And, yeah, that's what it is - it wasn't meant to be a big deal.

Bill: We just wanted something that was very simple. And, like, everyone can draw it and that was the idea so you can paint it on walls --

Tom: -- or windows --

Bill: -- or my neck. [laughs]

Who designed it?

Bill: We did it together with a guy --

Tom: I think it was my idea.

[all groan]

Have you ever actually worn traditional German clothing like lederhosen for Oktoberfest?

Tom: No, never. Sometimes Georg does, when he's dancing to David Hasselhoff.

Bill: We've never even been to Oktoberfest so far.

Tom: No, I hate Oktoberfest.

Do you drink beer?

Tom: Yeah, we drink a lot of beer, but not at Oktoberfest.

Well, I read this study that states the average German drinks 120 liters of beer per year.

Tom: We drink that in one month.

[all laugh]

Bill: No, we drink a lot of beer, but in America it's really hard because you have to be 21 to drink alcohol.

Tom: But not in Canada, right?

No, here in Ontario it's 19.

Tom: 19?

Gustav: [throws hands up into the air] YES!

[all laugh]

But in Montreal, it's 18.

Georg: We LOVE Montreal!

Bill: It's hard, because in Germany you have to be 18 and we were always, like, "Oh, c'mon - 18, 18, 18..." and now we are 18 and we come to America.

Tom: And you have to be 21.

Do you have any favourite kinds of beer?

Bill: Um, Heineken. Heineken is a nice beer.

Tom: I don't care.

Georg: I prefer German beer.

Gustav: I like the Czech Budweiser.

Nice, I'll have to try it. Enough about beer - back to the music. Do you have any plans to do any future collaborations with any other bands?

Tom: There's nothing planned yet, but we would love to do some collaborations.

Is there anyone in particular you'd love to work with?

Bill: Yeah, I dunno - I think there are some dreams for every band to do something with, like, the Rolling Stones or whatever, but I think, yeah, let's see.

Tom: In the summer we go back into the studio to record some songs, and I say, let's see what happens.

Bill: And then we can talk to other people, but I'm not sure, I don't have anyone in mind yet.

David Hasselhoff?

Tom: Yeah, David Hasselhoff! That would be great for Georg. Maybe a dancing project with Georg and David Hasselhoff. [laughs]

Speaking of dancing, a fan wanted to know if you, Tom, knew the Soulja Boy dance.

Tom: Yeah, I know the Soulja Boy dance, but I'm not a good dancer. No, Georg can do it, he's a very good dancer.

Can we video you doing it and put it up on YouTube?

Tom: Yeah, Georg can. He was doing the dance in the hotel room [laughs]. Yeah, Georg can do it. [laughs] No, I'm not a dancer. I'm a shy guy.

Georg: Oh, c'mon. You showed it to me this morning!

Tom: No, that was you!

Bill: I don't know this dance.

Tom: I've seen the video and the personal videos that people have uploaded to YouTube who do the dance, but you know, I'm not a dancer - I'm more a sexy guitar player [laughs].

Tomorrow night at the concert, we want to see the dance.

Tom: Yeah, maybe at the show. Together with David Hasselhoff and Georg.


Elle est juste hilarante ! J'adoore !!

JE VOUS LA TRADUIT DEMAIN !