The New Paper: We Get Attacked Sometimes

The boys may be mobbed by fangirls here but rock band Tokio Hotel says it has its share of haters too.

transcript:

Screaming and sobbing young girls swooped on them like ravenous vultures when they stopped over in Singapore this week. The more hardocore ones waited in line for hours to get the choice "mob" spot.

One even faced the possibility of getting fired from her sales job for chasing her favourite band during work hours. It's a familiar scenario for uber popular German quarter Tokio Hotel, who are loved the world over by millions of female fans.

But with hotness comes haters.


The fact that they make radio-friendly music that can be classified by grumpy purists as teenybopper pop-rock fuels the negativity. And just one look at the outlandish androgynous front man Bill Kaulitz provokes an instant, and oftentimes extreme, reaction.

The Teutonic heart-throbs of Tokio Hotel - which also comprises Bill's twin brother/guitarist Tom, 20, bassist Georg Listing, 23, and drummer Gustav Schäfer 21 - acknowledged they've faced several potentially dangerous situations.

Their bodyguards have reportedly nabbed man who stood with knives at red carpet events, disguised as fans. Schäfer even had a hated smash a beer mug on his head at a club one night.

Bill, 20, told The New Paper yesterday during an interview St Regis Hotel: "We've had concerts where when we went out of the venues, there were demonstrations." He added: "But it's a good thing. We had always hoped that everyone has an opinion about the band."

(The haters) helped us in a lot of ways, because they talk about you. We wear those clothes and we do what we want to do and we know that there are people out there who don't like that. "(Tom and I) had this experience also in our childhood. When we went to school and grew up in a small village (in Magdeburg), it was like everyone was looking at us like aliens."

Tom pitched in: "I also love that I'm a fan of bands and artistes that other people don't like." But have the boys got to the point where they feared for their lives or were attacked? Tom said with hint of bravado: "They should try it"

That's not a problem! "Sometimes when we meet the haters (in a private capacity)... we do get (verbally or physically attacked). "I'm not afraid of that. We're four guys and we enjoy it."

Tokio Hotel was in town for the Audi Fashion Festival at the invitation of of TAG Hauer. The group performed an acoustic set at the Tent@Orchard on Wednesday night after the DSquared2 opening show, which featured the latest collection from Canadian twin designers Dean and Dan Caten. It's the foursome's first time in Asia.

The band left Singapore yesterday for Kuala Lumpur and will end its Asian promo tour in Taiwan before returning to Germany.

Well - Mannered

Despite their status as one of the biggest and best-selling acts in Europe, with numerous music awards and hit songs like Monsoon, Automatic and World Behind My Wall under their belt, the young rock stars come across as well-mannered, humble and appreciative of their international success.

Although they didn't have enough free time during the four-day stopover to soak in any local culture or cuisine, they raved about Singapore's landscape ("it's like a beautiful modern jungle with all these trees") and weather ("Feels like you're on holiday")

But what they didn't expect was to be mobbed by their Singapore fans at the Audi Fashion Festival (see report below). Said Bill: "You can see in their eyes they're so exited and thankful you're here...They were so sweet, screaming and crying and singing along our songs...

"You never really get used to it, specially when we traveled so far (not knowing we have fans here). "It's strange because we are just four boys from Germany. Five years, we went to school like normal guys. We've known each other well for 10 years. None of us thought the whole thing would go so far.

Tom, Tokio Hotel's resident Casanova, added: "The first time meeting fans always has that positive energy that's what the band wants, that's what we are about. It is still a thrill. "And I saw really cute girls (among the fans)!"

During the Audi Fashion Festival, the Kaulitz brothers were special guests at the DSquared2 fashion show and were spotted in front row. In January, Bill even opened and closed the DSquared2 Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan with the runaway walk at the request of the Caten twins, who also provided custom-made costumes for Tokio Hotel's current Welcome To Humanoid City tour.

Recalling how nervous he was about his modeling debut, Bill - who wore tight leather pants and a giant feathered cape - said: "I'm used to singing on stage, so just walk in a huge costume in high shoes was weird.

"I had to hoped for the rehearsal but there was nothing! But everything worked out." And he sure fit in with his fellow catwalk clothes horses, since he's 1.9m tall and stick - thin.

The Kaulitz twins have been vegetarian for the past two years, so could that be their secret to staying slim? Bill said: "No, I was always like that. The good thing is I can eat whatever I want - I love Italian food and I eat pasta and pizza the whole day... just without the meat."

Fans were given unexpected access to the band

For a few precious hours, a group of fans were given an impromptu peek into the world behind Tokio Hotel's wall.

Among 80 of them queued for over three hours outside the Audi Fashion Festival's Tent@Orchard on Wednesday evening, hoping for merely a split-glimpse of their idols. However, the fans - ranging from from an eight-year-old girl to 20 somethings - got more unexpected access than they dreamed of.

Ms Irene Rekha a 21 year-old student told The New Paper: "This is the only time we'll get to see them. We want to welcome them properly to Singapore since we couldn't do so at the airport.

When Tokio Hotel eventually showed up, the crow went wild over lead vocalist Bill Kaulitz.

Let's just say "Oh my God, he's so beautiful!" was the common battle cry among the emotional mostly-female contingent.

The German rockers were all smiles as they stopped for a couple of minutes to sign as many autographs as their hands could manage. Some lucky fans were overheard shouting "danke schön" (thank you in German), while those who ended up empty-handed wept like there's no tomorrow.

But there was more in store for 40 or so fans who hung around the vanue. About 400 invited guests had shown up for the exclusive DSquared2 opener. But after a 30-minute break, only half the turnout stayed behind to watch Tokio Hotel's two song acoustic set.

The New Paper believes that the band's record Universal Music had asked the Audi Fashion Festival organisers if the fans could be allowed inside the tent.

Possibly in a scramble to fill the empty seats, permission was granted. Ms Cindy Lin, a 19-year old retail assistant who boasts a Tokio Hotel-inspired tattoo on her arm, held back tears as she shared how risks losing her job to chase Tokio Hotel, but that it was "worth it".

Student Hazira Adlan 18, added: It's so amazing that we're the first people in Asia to see Tokio Hotel perform live. We've waited so many years for this.

"I just feel sad for those fans who left . They really missed their chance."

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Source: The New Paper, fanofth