Tokio Hotel VIP Blog

THUKST - Exclusive Interview with Misty Buckley!

"Misty Buckley-designer of Humanoid City Tour stage


THUKST: How have you found rehearsals this week with the tour coming up so soon?
MB: It’s been really exciting and intense. We’ve all been very focused and there has been a real buzz of creativity around the studio. Together with the band and lighting designer Dave Maxwell, we have all been working hard to develop a great show, the set, screen content and lighting. I think it is going to be one hell of a tour. The fans are going to love it!

THUKST: Has the very recent announcement of the optimus secret show had any impact on rehearsals…and everyone’s general mood? ;-)
MB: The optimus secret show didn’t take place at the rehearsal studio in London.

THUKST: Is there any part of the stage that makes you nervous? —Bill has mentioned Gustav’s drum riser and Tom even calls it his left testicle! ;-) Do you have a favourite part of the stage?
MB: Not nervous… Just excited. Yes, Gustav is up pretty high… but he looks great up there… a true natural….. Proper Rock n roll. The set has been designed with different levels and reveals so the guys have playground on which to work their magic. Tom and Georg have been doing a lot of running around and there are some really special moments.
My favourite part of the set is the pod… it’s like a mega industrial sculpture…. I love it… Also the work that the scenic artists have done is breath taking… We’ve been very lucky with our team.

THUKST: Tokio Hotel are not the household name they are in Europe here in the UK—did you know of them before you started working with them?
MB: Of course. They were on the EMAs and I see their posters all the time around Paris… Having worked with them, I think they will crack the UK., no problem. The guys put on such a good show and Bill is a fantastic performer.

THUKST: The band seemed very excited to be working with you on the stage design as they mentioned it a couple of times in their publicity—how did you feel about working with them?
MB: They are cool bunch of guys and very creative. It’s been a really brilliant project to work on and they are really fun.

THUKST: How did the collaboration come about?
MB: The production manager, Chris Vaughan and Kleo Tuemmler who has worked with the band for 4 years, put us together.

THUKST: How involved were the band in the design process?
MB: Especially Bill is very into design and creating show elements. They are all very visual, which is great… The band had a futuristic scenery in mind “the HUMANOID City”. So when I presented the first drawings, many cool ideas came up and they naturally know what’s cool and entertaining for their fans.

THUKST: The band always insists their English is not very good and they have trouble expressing themselves—how did you find communicating with them?
MB: Their English is perfect.

THUKST: Bill has spoken a lot about the costumes that Dsquared have designed for the tour—did inspiration for the stage design come from them or vice versa?
MB: The production was planned as an overall concept from the beginning. I think we have all inspired one another.

THUKST: Did you listen to Tokio Hotel’s Humanoid album for inspiration? What did you think?
MB: Yes I did. It’s a great album.

THUKST: We really loved the stage design you did for Bat for Lashes—what has been your favourite project? Who have you enjoyed working with the most.
MB: One of my favourite projects is designing for the Glastonbury Festival of performing arts. The scale of it is awesome. It’s amazing to work within the biggest art department in the world. There are 40,000 creatives, bands and performers. It is epic and exciting and for a great cause.

THUKST: Where else will we be seeing a Misty Buckley design in the future?
MB: The current Hot Chip tour.

THUKST: Will we see you on the Humanoid City tour checking out your stage in action?
MB:Yes as often as I can.

THUKST: Tokio Hotel’s official UK Street Team and Fanclub have mega paranoia that the band doesn’t like it here in the UK since they don’t release CDs, play gigs or do signings here—can you reassure us that they smiled at least once during their time in London? ;-)
MB: Yes of course they smile.

Source