TOKIO HOTEL PERFORMING AT LONDON’S EVENTIM APOLLO

★★★★★ (5/5)

**TOKIO HOTEL PERFORMING AT LONDON’S EVENTIM APOLLO**
**PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI**

It is 2007. Tokio Hotel have just released their first English album - Scream - containing all English versions of their previous two albums. The album is sold out everywhere, Tokio Hotel win every single MTV Music Award they are nominated for, and the whole of Europe is a collective of black eyeliner, spiky belts and big hair.

It is now 2009. Tokio Hotel have just released their new double album - Humanoid - in English and German. One day after the album release, they are starting their Humanoid City tour which spanned across 4 continents for almost two years. They create a DVD and a music video with millions of fans from all over the world screaming, crying, singing along. They fill stadiums in a heartbeat, they are on every single radio station, every single channel and magazine. They are so famous, no other band has reached the heights they have in Europe at this age. They are still young, just 18 years old, famous beyond belief. And then, as they reach the heightest of highs, they stop. And they disappear.

It is now 2025. Sixteen years after Humanoid City, and Tokio Hotel are a new band. Different looks, different sound, big production, big fashion, lots of glamour. Tokio Hotel are not as famous as 2009 but they have different awards under their belt. They have a racy podcast, a spicy Netflix series, a few indie albums, collaborations with DJs, and appearances at the Voice of Germany. And they are back for their European tour, already upgrading venues and selling out the venues booked. The tour is not even done and they already have a bigger one planned.

Last time they were in the UK, they had no support band. This time, they brought Malou Lovis with them, the winner of the Voice of Germany. Malou has a very sweet voice and an even sweeter stage presence. Her setlist consists of mellow and slow songs that are about her and her experiences, like “25” and “A Part of Me”. She also treated the audience to a few of her newer singles, setting the mood for the main act.

Drama is a word that is not enough to describe Tokio Hotel’s visuals. As the courtain falls, the band is on top of a mirrored cubic platform, as Bill Kaulitz rises above the crowd on a pole with massive wings making him look like an archangel. Starting off with “Miss You”, one of the newer songs, the band’s stage charisma and level of production is evident as the first note hits.

Tying over, the band then performed “Dark Side of the Sun” as the videos from Humanoid City streamed behind them, showing the versions of them from that era as they played right before their fans. To top off the openers, they then turned the venue into a club with “The Heart Get No Sleep”.

The curated setlist was not the only thing that Tokio Hotel had prepared for this tour. Fires, strobes, lights, different instruments played from the console and an array of designer flamboyant outfits for Bill turned their gig into a one of a kind show. Showing up in a fluffy hat and a fluffy pink guitar, they performed “Love Who Loves You Back”, followed by a live debut of their newest release “Hands Up”.

The rest of the set was a journey through the eras, consisting of songs from every album. Whether that was “Feel it All”, or the netflix soundtrack “Home”, “Rette Mich”, and “Spring Nicht”, the crowd sang along every single lyric - English and German. The same happened as Bill showed up skating on stage with a keytar singing a cover of “Careless Whisper”, followed by Pokahondas soundtrack “Colours of The Wind”.

Apart from singing, Tokio Hotel know how to entertain the audience with playful and honest banter. Engaging with their fans to even draw tattoos on posters, the band show that the connection they have with their audience is truly one of a kind. To end their set off, they performed their greatest hits, “White Lies”, followed by the all time fan favourite “Monsoon”, which the audience sang back to the band word for word.

The meteoric rise of Tokio Hotel is a phenomenon that needs be studied. Because it happened once and it is already happening again. It might not be shaping a generation like it used to, but it is still impactful. Hearing the band perform “Monsoon” almost 20 years after its release like it was yesterday, and rising back to fame like they did before was not only emotional but also heartwarming. And of course, it left me looking forward to their arena gig next year - unmissable.