I just read that its exactly one year ago they meet Tokio Hotel for their promotion!!

Last year they got to interview them, the owner was there..

Link to the article.

Link to it recorded.

SO GUYS TOMORROW THE VOTING FOR THE COMET AWARDS IS DONE SO YOU BETTER VOTE A LOT!!!

Tokio Hotel TV [Episode 27] Back in the States Part 2

From Bild, translations from Narin @ tokiohotel.org.uk:

Who earns off Tokio Hotel?

The fans scream wherever Tokio Hotel appears. And the cash is really rolling in because CD and merchandise sales bring in a pile of money. But who actually earns off the commotion? BILD.de explains.

The Magdeburg band earns more than the usual amount in the industry. Other artists receive on average 17% of their CD sale prices, whereas ‘Tokio Hotel’ and their team of producers pocket between 20 – 25%.

However, the German high-flyers also lower the costs for the record companies. The band take over the recording of the CD themselves – and hand over finished songs, as the “Welt am Sonntag” reported.

In three years ‘Tokio Hotel’ has gained up to 40 million Euros through CD sales. Furthermore, the merchandise sales bring in sums of over 10 million.

In addition, the boys have helped their record company, Universal Music Deutschland, to „Priority Status“. This means that all Universal branch companies must market Tokio Hotel in their country. This special status also allows the German record branch to earn over 10% of total US sales.

Since this has never happened before, the band is also allowed to scream in joy.

What inspired the songs on your record?

Bill: A lot of things: We found inspiration in situations or circumstances that happened in our lives over the past few years and also in the lives of our friends and family. We've also been moved by fans who have written us letters about their lives, and we've included some of that in our music and lyrics.

What's your favorite song on the record?

Tom: That's a tough one because it always changes and we also differentiate between "favorite song on the record" and "favorite live song". My favorite live song right now is 'Don't Jump.'

Gustav: For performing live, it's 'Raise Your Hands.'

Bill: For me, it's 'Break Away.'

Georg: Hey, same here. Right now, it's 'Break Away.'

Bill: But as Tom said, if you would ask us tomorrow we might name totally different songs -- it always changes.

What are the most-played songs on your iPod?

Tom: '99 Problems,' by Jay-Z.

Georg: 'Big Casino,' by Jimmy Eat World.

Gustav: 'Make It Whit Chu,' by Queens of the Stone Age.

Bill: 'It Means Nothing,' by Stereophonics.

Stern in Germany have picked up on Tokio Hotel and their "pitiful sales". Translations credit to Narin @ tokiohotel.org.uk:

Pitiful sales figures for Tokio Hotel

Tokio Hotel is on a US conquest tour. And the country of endless opportunities lies at the feet of the teen-band. At least, that is what can be read everywhere. Far from it; hardly anyone wants to buy the CDs of Kaulitz & Co.

What to do, when the German market is conquered? Well, it’s clear; on to America. Tokio Hotel is on a US tour. And with “unbelievable success,” as the PR strategists behind Kaulitz & Co. continually report to the homeland. New York, Los Angeles, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers must receive them warmly. Here comes Tokio Hotel!

Or maybe not? In reality, the facts look gloomier than Bill Kaulitz’s eyeliner: According to current Billboard figures which measure record sales in the USA, 16,000 Tokio Hotel CDs went across the counter straight at once. In spite of this, the band is under costly PR-attacks like similarly unknown artists such as Rick Ross and Michael Bubble. In any case, the aim of the Tokio Hotel management team for one million sold CDs lies far in the distance.

“America is so big”

Time for a reality check: Success in the USA certainly doesn’t come overnight. Stars like Miley Cyrus or Rihanna also know this. And somehow frontman Bill Kaulitz also seems to have suspicions that the American adventure is no walk in the park: “It is very difficult to win fans in other countries,” he says with a strong German accent in English interviews. “America is so big, so it’s really hard to get known.”

German staying power

Nevertheless, Tokio Hotel has brought a good German virtue across the Atlantic with them: staying power. A concert at a parking lot in New Jersey? Been done! Entrance into the (today rather unimportant) “Avalon” in Los Angeles? Certainly! 1,500 fans fit in there – over 900 people weren’t allowed in. This is still a long way away from the success of Miley Cyrus, who sold out a concert hall with 10,000 seats in less than 10 minutes.

In reality, German-speaking bands – and also actors – traditionally have a hard time in the USA. Nena and Rammstein are still the only German singing exports who are acknowledged by a fan base today. German stars like Til Schweiger or Franka Potente fail miserably in Hollywood, and at long last pull out grumbling from there.

Following this, the fact that Tokio Hotel – or rather; their management – has the goal to conquer the financially lucrative US market is stopping nothing. It is also a daring manoeuvre for Kaulitz & Co. to even travel there. America is the largest music market in the world. World-famous bands play good locations in LA every day. They come, and they go. Often almost unnoticed. A band like Tokio Hotel could quickly disappear into no man’s land before they’ve properly got going at all. And then “Scream” – the English title of the current album – would remain proverbially lodged in the throat for them…

UK:
Are you a UK fan without a copy of the international version of Scream? Now there is no excuse, it's less that £7 on Amazon! Snatch up your copies!

Got the question when the last day for voting for the Comet Awards, it's on friday, 2 days left to vote our asses off =P

Who? Tokio Hotel is a successful German pop band formed in the year 2001 in Magdeburg, Germany. Identical twin brothers, Bill Kaulitz and Tom Kaulitz performed in small talent shows as children. They later met schoolmates, Gustav Schafer and Georg Listing and their similar tastes in music led them to create a band called Devilish. They played small shows for a while and in 2003, they were approached by a music executive, Peter Hoffman. They were signed to the Universal music label in Hamburg, Germany and changed their name to Tokio Hotel (Tokio for the city of Tokyo…& why the “io?” It’s a mystery. ” Hotel I guess because they toured and slept in hotels a lot. The band claimed to like the name even though they’ve never been to Tokyo. All members of the band have their own distinct style, but might I add that these styles range from poser-scene to dread locks. Not only that but could they go any heavier on the make-up?

What? “Scream” was released as a single in America on December 11, 2007 under the name “Scream America!” It’s a two track limited edition single with “Ready, Set, Go!” After appearing and performing live on MuchMusic, while touring in Canada, Ready, Set, Go! entered the Much On Demand Daily 10. It remained there for over a week. On March 25th, 2008, Scream was released in Canada. Though Tokio Hotel is growing up, it doesn’t seem like they’re grown up. This single is screaming alright; screaming for help.

Sound? It sounded repetitive and immature. The boy who does lyrics sounds like he’s still going through puberty and the lyrics themselves were even worse! Even if you’re open to all kinds of different music, Tokio Hotel makes you want to roll your eyes and slap yourself silly. Harsh, but true.

Worth the Riches? I’m gonna say no. The single only has 2 songs on it and I can pretty much guarantee you’d get tired of listening to them. I don’t think many Americans would appreciate Tokio Hotel as much as they are in the UK.

Similar Artists:

• Rammstein

• Nena

• Alphaville

(http://tokiohotel.blogg.se)

TOKIO HOTEL WIN TWO TRL AWARDS!!!
Some great news came in from Italy! Tokio Hotel won two prizes at the Italian MTV TRL Awards - one for "BEST BAND" and one for "BEST 1 OF THE YEAR (with Monsoon)"! The band was overjoyed when receiving the news and Bill also has a message for you guys - here is what he wanted to tell you! Bill: "Hey guys, your support has been amazing! Thanks so much for making this happen - winning two awards at MTV TRL in Italy really means a lot to us....also because they are one of the first TRL awards we ever won outside of Germany. Thanks again for your support and rock on!"