Welcome to Tokio Hotel-Malaysia Today

Subject: Welcome to Tokio Hotel-Malaysia Today Fri May 07, 2010 3:59 am

The pouring rain was no obstacle for die-hard fans of German alt-rock band, Tokio Hotel, as the thousands-strong audience waited - umbrellas up - for the show to begin. And when it did, after a two-hour wait, it was worth it after all.

Sweaty bodies and wet hair may make for an odour to remember, but there was more to remember on the damp evening of May 1 as German alternative-rock-slash-emo-pop band, Tokio Hotel, played their first ever concert in Malaysia, courtesy of TM Streamyx.

If the line outside One Utama Shopping Centre was anything to go by, the quartet of Tom and Bill Kaulitz, Gustav Schafer and Georg Listing has proven that music transcends culture and language. Stretching from the Central Park Avenue until the entrances on the ground floor of the shopping centre, the line resembled nothing less than a mile-long snake of human bodies.

Even though these same bodies would later be drenched from the sudden downpour, nothing dampened their enthusiasm, because the band famous for their flamboyantly pretty, guy-linered frontman and catchy riffs was worth the two-hour wait.

Unfortunately, as the emcee from Hitz.fm warmed up the crowd, it was clear that there were delays in setting up the stage. Fans waited for more than half an hour between the opening acts of Pop Shuvit and Bunkface. Both bands put on a jolly good show - Pop Shuvit with their most recognisable hit, Mara Bahaya, and Bunkface with the ridiculously catchy Situasi, among other songs - but by the time the DJ came on stage for the third time to play yet another remix of Bad Romance, the crowd had begun to grumble.

Still, even though many feet were surely sore from standing still for so long, when lead singer Bill finally ran on stage dressed in black, with a metal-fringe necklace, throats became sore from the screaming. As the rest of the band took their places amidst a creepy, emo-electro riff and blue strobe lights, everyone was clearly awaiting a show to remember.

And Tokio Hotel did not disappoint.

The band went straight to their opening song, Noise, which is also the opening song from their latest English album (and the one that made Tokio Hotel a household name out of their home country), Humanoid.

Stopping between songs only to greet Malaysian fans and to thank them for coming out (no thanks necessary!) the band went on to play 13 more songs, mostly from Humanoid, which spawned their two biggest hits, Automatic and World Behind My Wall. When these two hits were played, the crowd went wild, cheering their hearts (and vocal chords) out and singing along with Bill.

Running off-stage every so often to change his accessories, frontman Bill gyrated, swayed, and tantalised the crowd, sounding and looking exactly how fans have come to love him in the bands' music videos.

Tokio Hotel also played songs from their earlier albums, such as the English version of Ready, Set, Go! and Monsoon, which they sang in their native tongue. The fans knew the lyrics too, and sang along, even if they were not sure what the words meant.

There was no fuss, no muss (though bassist Georg must have had a fan blowing in his face, because his long brown locks was flying out behind him, making him a photographer's delight), just good music that left fans wanting more.

But all too soon, it was over, after just an hour - but the band promised, irrevocably, that they will be back.

Hint: that they will be 'doing something with MTV' and will definitely be seeing Malaysian fans again!