(21.03.2013)

They’re world stars – and now they want to find Germany’s new Superstar

What appealed to you the most about being part of the DSDS-Jury?
Bill: It may sound cliché, but it’s just completely different from anything we’ve done before. As a juror you have a big responsibility. You’re influencing the future of the candidates.
Tom: DSDS simply offers the winner an incredibly awesome platform. 500,000 € and at least one big Hit are a good start. What the artist then makes out of this, depends on him- or herself. After DSDS, it’s important to make the right decisions.

What are your strengths as jurors?
Bill: Tom and I have been making music since we were seven years old. We pretty much grew up in the music business. We know the small stages as well as the big states, we know the good and bad sides of this business which we will gladly pass on to the candidates. We want to accompany them on their way into the music business and are providing them with a little help in the beginning.
Tom: We also hope that the candidates take the advice to heart that we provide them with. That’s not always the case though! The biggest factor that plays into that is how much potential does the artist have to start a career.

What is a must have feature for a candidate to win the Jury’s hearts over?
Tom: I think we agree on that one. We want people with their own special kind of personality. We’re looking for artists and not just people who sing well.
Bill: Someone that captivates you and wants to spend their life making music. Who has this special something that you can’t teach anyone.

What should the candidates pay more attention to? especially during the Live shows?
Bill: That they’re comfortable with the song, their voice and of course with their stage outfit. Nothing is more horrible than performing on stage when you actually feel really uncomfortable. At the end of the day, each candidate has 2-3 minutes to show off their skills and to enjoy their few minutes in the spotlight, and that’s what I want them to do.

Do you have any advice for the candidates on how to get their excitement before the show under control? Do you have a ritual that you go through before a show?
Tom: An hour and a half before the show it’s only us four, the band, in the dressing room. That’s were we play together, with Bill singing to warm up his voice and just being nervous together. That’s the time when no one bothers us about anything.
Bill: There’s no secret or tip regarding that, and if there is then I’d really like to know it as well!!! One thing is for sure: It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing this for, you’ll always be excited about going on stage. And if you reach a point where this is not the case anymore, something is definitely wrong…
Tom: Oh, maybe I do have the ultimate Tip: Before a show you should really go to the bathroom to rid oneself of what you need to get rid of. You’ll be more relaxed during the performance. I learned that from our bassist.

Do you have the same favorite candidates or do you each support different ones? Have you had any fights about that?
Tom (laughs): That would’ve been nice, but Bill and I have the same favorites. We definitely talk a lot about our favorites behind the scenes. If there’s a “fight”, then it’s between us, Mateo and Dieter!
Bill: Tom and I, unfortunately, already had to say goodbye to some candidates that we would have really liked to see in the live shows!

What influence do you have on the candidates behind the scenes? Do you help them with anything they need help with?
Bill: Yes, definitely. Tom and I are interested in helping and moving the candidates forward. That’s what we’re here for! We have no interest in seeing someone fail or being embarrassed. We want them to grow and to improve as artists from week to week, and they can count on us for that. In front and behind the cameras!

Which experiences, that you made in show business, can you pass on to the candidates?
Tom: We always try to give them as much positive advice as possible, because most of the times the negative sides of show business already show themselves in the early stages of the career.
Bill: The candidates can ask us about anything they want to know, and of course we also try to protect them from a few things. But in the end, they do have to make their own mistakes.

And what are, in your opinion, the deciding factors, that make/define a superstar?
Tom: It’s hard to say. The people in the industry would say charisma, passion, ambition and so on. In the end it’s the same as when you’re asking someone that’s in love: “Why are you in love with that specific person?” You just can’t describe it, that’s just the way it is!

For all Tokio Hotel fans: What’s are you working on besides DSDS? What can the fans look forward to in 2013?
Bill: They can look forward to a new album. We don’t know when it will come out, but it will definitely be released in 2013.
Tom: We are now in the studio with the whole Band and putting the final touches on the production of the album. We already decided on the songs that will be on the album!

*At the moment you’re commuting between L.A. and Cologne – how does living in both worlds feel for you?
Bill: Sometimes it feels strange. Those are definitely two “world” that couldn’t be more different from each other.
Tom: We love both places and are happy that we can pull it off like that!

*Styling. You’re guys that attract a lot of attention. How important are styling and personality for an artists, to start a career in the music business?
Bill: You can’t generalize that. It always depends on the artist! There are artists where the styling is absolutely not important and then there are some where the styling is a crucial part of their career. Personality is important. Styling comes with the personality.

*two questions didn’t make the print version, but they were posted in the online excerpt of the interview on RTL.de.

– original article

translation by: Icey

(18.03.2013)

Audio Interview mit Tom & Bill

LISTEN HERE

New Live-Show season started on Saturday and that this time Bill and Tom are on board as jury members.
The first question goes to Tom. They wanted to know, whether he has a fave.

Tom: I would love to say it, but I am afraid, that people think, that we prefer someone. And people are very quick with the feeling, that’s unfair. That’s why I will keep it to myself as long as possible and will not reveal it.

Until now, all candidates had to pass in front of the jury, among them Bill and Tom, to be there, where they are. Now it’s our time, the audience. But the jury was previously the only ones, who judged about bad or good. That raises the questions, whether the two Tokio Hotel boys would pass each other, if the one brother would have come to DSDS.

Bill: Tom probably not
Tom: Of course I would pass, because I have an incredible beautiful voice.
Bill: The thing is, that Tom have in reality, really a beautiful voice. He just doesn’t have the courage to sing. He is shy, what most people don’t know.
Tom: What people don’t know, is, that I am the one, who sing our songs at first. I guide it and then Bill sings.
Bill: Tom has only the courage to sing with me, but not alone.

And if you asked the two boys, whether the candidate Dieter Bohlen would pass, you get a surprising honest answer.

Bill: Nee, exactly. Besides, he says himself, so he would not be offended, that he is not a great singer. He is not able to stand there alone and give us a good performance. He has probably other qualities. So, it would be hard for him with us.

A very honest answer. Let us think back, as RTL announced, that Bill and Tom will be in the jury. There was a little media-outburst, like: “What are these boys doing in that jury?! Get mature first.” In the meantime, you don’t hear things like this anymore, because, the two boys got mature.

Tom: That’s just, because we are a bit older. I can speak from my experiences, because I spend day by day with Bill. He doesn’t get mature. There is still very less in his brain, like in the years before. It didn’t change a lot. He has only got a beard now, otherwise it’s equal mindless.
Bill: I seriously believe, that we, we just developed normally like everybody too.
Tom: I feel comfortable in my body, that’s why I will get undress for huge magazine shortly. Because, I just feel comfortable in my body.

What the public still might not know, is the strong relationship between Bill and Tom Kaulitz. The brothers seemingly are really talking the same language. Which they confirm themselves.

Bill: For Tom and me it’s really like, we are nonstop together, always, every day. We do everything together, you can’t imagine. If Tom wouldn’t be, I can’t imagine just to go inside to say, what I prefer or what I need. We can’t exist without another.

Both Brothers are very stylish, if it comes to fashion. DSDS is looking for the complete package, as they always signal, a Star all through. And of course the style plays a huge role. So here a style-tip from the boys for the candidates and of course for all of us.

Bill: Basically, for those, who are a bit shy or just more the simple type, they should keep that.
Tom: That’s actually the mistake of some stylists. They walk around and say: Dude, you look so ordinary, we dress you now in a golden bling bling jacket. But that looks disguised, totally stupid. Of course you can optimize it.
Bill: For example Susan, there was a discussion, that she looks boring. Actually I don’t think so. You can give some advices, dress more good or bad. But I would never give Susan a crazy hairstyle or some spikes on her jacket. I would never loan her my jacket and say: Now, you look like a Rockstar! For everyone it’s different and Susan has to find her own way. The important thing is, that you are authentic.

translatio by: Lizzi BK Tarducci

(15.03.2013)

“Maybe we won’t find a Superstar“

“DSDS”-Jurors Bill and Tom Kaulitz open up about secrets, bad ratings, their band Tokio Hotel and give young musicians some tips.

Bill and Tom Kaulitz, what’s harder for you: Making music or talking about music as “DSDS”-Jurors?
TOM: Judging the candidates isn’t that hard, because it wasn’t our goal to be super nice or extremely strict before the show started. Our goal was to judge the candidates like we would do it at home, sitting on our couch and watching the show. What I had to get used to was being filmed the whole time. I really don’t like that. I like it as much as I like hearing my voice or seeing pictures of myself. It was already like that for me when I went to school. I hate it.

Then you chose the wrong job…?
TOM: Videoshoots and Photoshoots are definitely part of that, but playing live and producing music is more my thing. With Bill it’s completely different…
BILL: I don’t really think about the fact that a lot of people are watching “DSDS” or about the way I should phrase my sentences…
TOM: … but you should.
BILL: My strategy is being as honest as possible.

As part of the jury you’re in charge of finding Germany’s next “Superstar”. What does being a “Superstar” mean to you?
BILL: Precisely, the things that you can’t explain. That feeling, that you can’t get enough when the person gets off the stage, that this person stays a mystery to you. This special kind of charisma.
TOM: A lot of candidates come to us and say: “Please give me another chance, I can work on it.” But that’s often what doesn’t help them at all. There is a certain level of potential and talent that you can’t teach someone. I also think that there are less people who already carry that talent around with them their whole life. That’s why it could happen that we won’t find a Superstar at the end of the show – but the chances of finding one aren’t that bad!

What else is new? Every “DSDS”-winner ended up in the Charts, but none of them are Superstars.
TOM: For the winners it is of course difficult, because there’s a new season every year and therefore also a new “Superstar”.
BILL: And luck plays a big role as well. In the end, it’s also all about which candidate the viewers choose as the winner. Maybe a lot of the decisions made in the past years were just the wrong ones.

It is also possible that a casting show that follows the candidates every move takes a lot of the things away that make a “Superstar”: the secrecy, the things that don’t get documented?
BILL: I think that casting shows are pretty good at teaching someone how to present themselves and how to handle the media. There are candidates who can handle that pretty well. Whereas there are others, whom I can only advise to just keep their mouths shut.

Bill, when you were twelve, you yourself participated in the Sat-1-Show “Star Search”, but you didn’t make it to the finals. Was that your big lucky moment?
BILL: This at least shows that getting kicked out also presents you with a new chance. We were extremely lucky that someone discovered us as a band and that we got to experience a type of Cinderella story.

So, your career with Tokio Hotel is therefore the best example that a Superstar doesn’t necessarily have to be found in a casting show?
TOM: In the US casting shows like “American Idol” have indeed found a few stars that were extremely successful and who, like Kelly Clarkson, won a few Grammys. But to be real, here in Germany – and it doesn’t matter which casting show we’re talking about – no successful artist ever came out of one.

Why? Is the quality of the candidates in the US better?
TOM: The US has a whole other music market. Here, in Germany, we have very few new artists that are able to have a career in the long run.

But you managed it. Would you advise a young musician to go and take part in a casting show?
TOM: A lot of candidates come to the casting and don’t really have anything to do with music. They might like to sing and think that they’re pretty good at it, but there are very few candidates who really put their heart and soul into it.

Did that surprise you?
TOM: Most of them only want to try it out and aren’t very serious about it. That’s why I would ask a young musician first: What have you done for yourself? What did you invest into your musical career? And then you really have to look into it – if a casting show really is the right path for him or her. Then again, finding another path it also getting considerably hard these days.

Why?
TOM: Because the music industry has lost a lot of money in the past few years. The record labels have less money and they don’t invest in newcomers anymore.

Not only the music industry, but also casting shows have to report a drop in ratings. “DSDS” has been pulling in pretty bad ones, some which the show the last time had when it first aired ten years ago. Is the “Casting-Show-Boom” in Germany over?
BILL: You always have to look at this in relation to the other casting show. “DSDS” still has the best ratings. That’s the reason why I wouldn’t generalize that casting shows don’t have a future on TV anymore. It always depends on the candidates.

And on the entertainment value of the jury. Why did you decide to be a part of “DSDS”?
BILL: We were always in the mood for watching new talents. We’ve also been getting requests from all possible casting show formats for years, but we just didn’t have the time. “DSDS” just came in at the right time.

Do you plan on taking part in other TV-Formats after „Deutschland sucht den Superstar“ or is that enough for now?
BILL: Next to working on “DSDS”, we are currently in the studio, working on our new Album which is set to be released this year. I’m already getting jittery when I see all the candidates making music and not us as a band. We really want to start again.

translation by: Icey
– original article

(Jan, 2013)

Bill & Tom – Fashion Talk

Fashion-Alarm at DSDS! In the ten year history of DSDS, no other jury-members have been as stylish as Bill and Tom Kaulitz (both 23) from Tokio Hotel. Bill surprised the viewers of this season with 5 (!) outfit changes during the first episode – one more spectacular than the other! Bravo met up with the twins for a little style-Talk…

By now, both of you are fashion icons. Is a candidates style therefore important to you?
Bill: For me it’s important that they’re authentic. A lot of people wear crazy stuff, but more often than not it only looks like they’re disguising themselves.
Tom: Yup, if they dress “boring” every day, they should continue doing so. There’s no point in dressing up and not being comfortable with what you’re wearing, thus screwing up your performance.
Bill: One candidate, for example, came to the casting in a simple white shirt, jeans and sneakers – and he was great! I would never tell him: Go and put on a leather jacket with metal studs or try on the new collection of Givenchy. That’s ridiculous.

So candidates can’t make up for their weak/bad voice with their styling?
Tom: Both things play a role in our decision making process. If a candidate doesn’t sing that great, but has an awesome stage presence, is charismatic and has an awesome style, I would let him advance onto the next round. I would rather let such a person go on to the next round, than someone who might have a better voice but where you can immediately see: You can’t put him on stage because he’s missing the stage presence and the fire.

How do you find the right casting style for yourself?
Bill: You should be spontaneous: What do I feel comfortable with and in which clothes do I look best? I always get up in the morning and dress how I want to. I never think about what I’m going to do or what I have planned that day. And then, suddenly, I’m sitting behind the jury-table for ten hours, under the warm spotlights – bundled up in a thick sweater (laughs).

What do you like wearing most right now?
Bill: Colors! In the past I wore a lot of black. But I’m not one for following fashion trends and I don’t look at what others wear all the time. What’s an absolute no-go are the slippers that Mateo always wears! (laughs) I would never wear something like that. Just like shorts.
Tom: Those are also not my thing, even if I have very voluptuous/erotic legs…(laughs) Otherwise, I really like wearing sweaters.
Bill: Did you notice that Tom’s style really changed?

That’s true – what happened?
Bill: Tom slowly catches up with what I was born with! (laughs) He learned this from me.
Tom: You must be joking! I always liked wearing cloths in the pocket of my pants, and now you’re doing the exact same thing…
Bill: By now, Tom just raids my closet and steals things like sunglasses, for example, or jackets.
Tom: It was one jacket! And I had to cut off the sleeves. You should know: Bill’s closet is like a massive, smelly Second-Hand-Shop. Finding a nice jacket was really hard!
Bill: (laughs) But your pants have definitely gotten tighter!
Tom: That’s just because my ass got bigger…(laughs)

translation by: Icey

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