FULL VIDEO: Bill Kaulitz Interview For Volksbanken Campaign

Here it is the complete interview of Bill Kaulitz for “Werte schaffen Werte”-Campaign

He talks about his operation in 2008, his school time and how teacher didn’t like the way he looked like, what means to have an identity for him and how he was so similar to Tom till 6/7 years old

An amazing and deep interview shot between Ritz Cartlon hotel in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin and Hansa Studios (where Tokio Hotel recorded part of “Humanoid” album).

Enjoy the video 😉

Ulrich Wickert: Actually Berlin is the city I’d love to live in the most because to me Berlin is a metropolis. What defines a metropolis? A metropolis is defined by: Internationality first of all of course and I think cities that are broken are very beautiful. That’s because new things grow in that crack of a city, there are people who are coming here and just say “We want to try something.” Those are young Chinese people, there are young Russians, there are young French people who are coming here because they say “Here we can find a kind of freedom and motivation that’s unlike of what we can find in other cities right now.”

I find this young man’s biography very exciting because he created his own identity for himself very early on. Back then he just said “I want to be different than the others and I’m doing it even though I get mobbed for it.” I find that very exciting indeed. Bill: For me it’s of course… Especially back when Ulrich Wickert was still doing the “Tagesthemen” [nb “Tagesthemen”, lit. “daily topics”, is the news broadcast on the German channel ARD], I think I was 16, 17 [years old] back then. Of course those were the times where I didn’t watch something like that. Despite of that he’s of course still well known and I think also a big household name for my generation. Everybody knows him. Of course he used to have a very important task. With all of the topics he’s dealing with you can always tell that he really stands behind them. He’s not some boring news presenter who’s just talking about something but one is somehow always able to grasp and understand whatever he’s doing without getting this feeling of being lectured. Especially my family was very taken and excited when I told them ”Yes, I’m going to meet with Ulrich Wickert and we’ll be spending the day together.“ I don’t think I’ve ever managed to score as many brownie points as with this conversational partner today. Therefore I’m also looking forward to meeting him. *having breakfast together* Bill: For us this hotel is actually the hotel where we’re always staying in Germany. It almost feels kind of like our own house. Ulrich Wickert: Once you’ve also already lived in this hotel: for three months after your surgery. Bill: Exactly! Yes and now I just came… I haven’t been here in a long time and then I came here and they were so nice and thought “Ok, let’s use the same room [for him].” and then I walked in and thought “Gosh no, I have to get out of here.” and changed rooms one more time because obviously that was… I think that was the worst and most exhausting phase of our career. That’s what it was like when my voice was gone and I had surgery then and like, that was just… of course it was also totally a mental burden. Ulrich Wickert: Of course. Bill: Then that was, that was… really, one was just so scared about what might happen. After all one didn’t know what was happening and so I was… Ulrich Wickert: What was actually going on with your voice? Bill: I’ve had cysts on my vocal chords. Ulrich Wickert: I see… Bill: And then they [vocal chords] were basically no longer closing properly and it basically took a lot of strength to even make a noise at all and then my voice was actually completely gone. And that really was… Ulrich Wickert: So how does one communicate? Does one write notes on paper? Bill: Yes, then I’ve had this piece of paper and of course my brother helped me. Ulrich Wickert: Yes. Bill: Well, that’s the good thing really. We only just need to look at each other and then he knows straight away what I want to say and erm… therefore that was quite good. He somewhat became my voice during that time. Ulrich Wickert: In this respect he’s, he’s the ideal… partner? Bill: Absolutely. I mean… Yes, in any case I think that is… erm… a partner and a partnership that will always be a constant in my life. Ulrich Wickert: So do [both of] you feel that there is a stronger and a weaker one of the two of you? Or is one of you like this and the other like that? Bill: Well, I think we totally complement one another. Meaning, he’s just got… erm… like both of us, we’ve got our weaknesses after all but we’re… For instance it’s also about our energy and when one of us is somehow in a bad mood or isn’t feeling well or is experiencing a low in that moment, then it’s actually the other one who motivates him and drags him along. Bill: This is a very famous studio and recording room where very famous albums have already been created. And David Bowie and so on… Big artists have already been recording [here]. *both taking seats in the recording studio*

Ulrich Wickert: One question that I was asking myself is: Everybody has got their identity. Identity develops through where one grows up and through language, through what one hears, what one learns with their family. You started to get your own identity when you were eight and nine years old. How did that happen? Bill: Well, in the beginning Tom and I were running around in identical things until we were six or seven years old, I think. We were wearing the same clothes. Back then we always had those sweaters with our names on so that somehow our kindergarten teachers and teachers etc. could tell us apart somehow. Erm, and then our interests just totally drifted apart, also music-wise. Meaning, Tom was listening to very different music than I was and we just developed into completely different directions. Probably also because as a twin one always, erm… only gets perceived as a twin. Meaning, often one isn’t even addressed by their name but instead it’s always “the twins” and I think that’s probably why each of us subconsciously tried to develop on their own and to create their own personality that way. And somehow that happened quite extremely with our looks. Meaning, we’re really… Of course we also went through many different phases then and erm… but [we] have always been very extreme in everything [we did]. Meaning, his look was very extreme, my look was very extreme and together the both of us totally attracted attention of course and of course we didn’t make things easy for ourselves that way. However, very early on it was important to me to be free and erm, in me I’ve also always had this kind of rebel who always wants to have freedom with his appearance and with all of his music etc. and I still have [this rebel in me] nowadays. This… Well, if anything freedom is actually the most important to me. That was already very important to me when I was younger. Ulrich Wickert: That’s why ”freedom“ is also an incredible expression to me but you probably also rebelled because you’ve said, “I’m getting that freedom!”. Bill: Well, it was… Because of that one often gets treated unfair, right? And then I always chose the difficult path and was always involved in discussions then, erm… After all I’ve always had my opinion and erm, for as long as I was right I just wanted that to also be ok for everyone else, right? However, one already had… We’ve had massive problems in school. Meaning, my time in school was absolute hell. I’ve hated having to go there every morning. Especially now when looking back I’m also thinking then, like, „Yes, of course I made it extremely difficult for myself. I also could’ve had it much easier.” However, the more people fought it and said “He cannot come to school with eye make-up on.” and “That’s just not possible.” And “He can’t… Tom can’t […] with the guitar case…“ and “That’s not working out.“ etc. The more we… Meaning, the darker my eye make-up was the next day and the more… Well, the blacker my hair got. Meaning, we always went one better and then had, erm… Yes, that way we really made things a bit difficult for ourselves but I’ve always had the urge to say, like… I was good in school. [I’ve] always had good grades, of course [I did this] only for myself [and no-one else] and erm, in return I wanted to be treated just like everybody else was. Ulrich Wickert: If someone has really disappointed me and [I] perceive them as conniving or whatever… Bill: Yes. Ulrich Wickert: … then I’m saying “That’s what they’re like. I no longer want to have anything else to do with them.“ Bill: Yes. Ulrich Wickert: Well, I’m a bit radical in that respect sometimes. Maybe I’m only doing it to protect myself.

Bill: I think one always looks for someone who has got the same moral concept as oneself and I think, even though initially one might think that it somehow could work out, after all one has to immediately see that [it won’t work] in the long run. Meaning, that goes for both relationship and job-related matters with partners. Well, I think it’s the same on all levels. So for as long as one has got people who really hate them, one also has got people who really love them and that’s how one knows that they’re also doing it right somehow. Well, I think when one has got beliefs and expresses and communicates them then one also radiates some kind of freedom that some people might not dare having, then, erm… love and hate also lie very close together and erm… Well, I always have the feeling that everything is actually going the right way and one is also doing it right for as long as that’s the case. And I’ve always felt comfortable with there also being people who don’t like you and who’ve got something against you because at the end of the day that always gets you further somehow.