MZ nov 17: interview w.TH's press agent

Euphoria to Venezuela

The band from Magdeburg is to become export hit - Even experts marvel
by VON ANTONIE STÄDTER

HALLE / MZ.
Tokio Hotel could be something quite big. It was on an evening in April 2007, as Melanie Fürste realized this. There were four boys from Magdeburg in the main concert hall of France, in Paris Zénith, euphorisierten before thousands of fans. "When the French girls' Durch den Monsun 'on German mitgeschrien have, for me there was no doubt more," said Fürste. As a press manager at Universal Music, the world's largest record company, they manage a lot of bands. But something like this she had not yet experienced. "That was independent and was no longer to stop."
The four from the Tokio Hotel have become real international stars: Israeli fans gathered 5 000 signatures, so Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav also could occur in Tel Aviv, the New York Times reported on them and how incidentally, were the four overwhelmed with music prices. Without end, until today: Recently, they won the MTV Europe Music Awards.

"Tokio Hotel is the largest phenomenon, which the industry currently has in Germany," says Hubert Wandjo, professor of music business at the Pop Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg. A phenomenon that works internationally: In total 18 countries have Official Tokio Hotel fanclubs. Even in Venezuela: in October at the MTV Latin Awards they won "Best Fan Club" award.

Several Goethe Institute are pleased with the growing interest in the German language. Because, although it also provides an English-language album: "At the concerts abroad, the fans always demand that at least one song is sung in German," said Melanie Fürste. "If German artists abroad are successful, then often when they sing German," said Hubert Wandjo.

But how is the worldwide success of the former province-band Tokio Hotel also to explain? "When a company like Universal once its international machinery anwirft, there are few white spots that remain," says the music business expert. Then the phenomenon exported voted the country in which the single appears, where and when the boys promotion and go on tour. As the first German band Tokio Hotel was at Universal the "priority status": In each country where the label is active, it must be marketed.

Around the World on

"This marketing machine must be fed constantly," explains Wandjo. Therefore it needs protagonists who are willing to many markets and cultures set - and above all by steadily World geschleust them. The four teens seem to be as professionals. Fan-cult but was only partially taxable, says Wandjo. Such processes would certainly not in motion, if the quality of the songs and the attractiveness of the band not voted. Crucially, he stressed: USP. The abbreviation for "Unique Selling Proposition" describes the marketing language in the unique position of a bid.

The guys from Tokio Hotel are just not a Boygroup in the usual sense - that is their look too specific, their songs to rock. But they have a similar audience. "They fit exactly into the requirement profile of a very young audience," said Wandjo. Most are female fans between twelve and nineteen years. Besides Tokio Hotel uses a strategy, already in Take That and the Backstreet Boys attacked: The band members are assigned permanent roles.

Front man Bill with his oversized hedgehog hair, black eye makeup with black and painted fingernails embodies the fans for a spell androgynous beings. The emotion with which he songs about puberty usual subjects - love, anger, fear of the future - sings, fascinated. "A front man like Bill can be found, if at all, only every few decades," the band manager David Jost said.

But Bill's three colleagues also contribute to the Tokyo hotel in cult. As would be his twin brother Tom, in the Baggy-pants hip-hoppers and are happy with women's stories brags: "If I'm honest, I do not believe in love. Except in the love for a night" - such verdicts are not uncommon for the 19-year-old guitarist. "He is so cute!", The many admirers on the Internet. And then there are the two "G" s, and Georg Gustav, which remain in the background and some fans are just so idolizes. So much so that there are sites like www.georg-gustav.de.vu with youth magazines such as the "Bravo" are invited to learn more about the two to bring.

Circulating on the Net but not just languish on the contributions of young stars. Tokyo-hotel-hater provide themselves with the fans in discussion forums long bitter floor fights. "I think Tokio Hotel shit. They only make our punk ridiculous," writes one. "A sure sign that the band is interesting," commented Wandjo.

Inertia in the U.S.

The Internet also has the international boom in the group transported, he is sure: "In the U.S., there was already a fan of inertia, as her promotional tour has begun." Since the beginning of the year is a focus that even the American music market to conquer - what artists such as Robbie Williams previously failed. In early December, there are concerts in the United States. Whether the four Magdeburg there will create the breakthrough? Music business expert Wandjo can be well imagined.


source: mz-web.de