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Mika as a guest of honour @ Italian X-Factor in Milan (Italy) on October, 7th 2009

mari62

By mari62
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I found it. Thanks a lot Ysa my friend.    

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Mika incontra i concorrenti di X-Factor 2009        

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A chat with Mika

 

He makes us wait for more than an hour, but, when he arrives at the Principe di Savoia hotel in Milan we understand straightaway that it was worth the wait. He's very tall and lanky (!), and moves about a bit awkwardly. Mika, 26 years old, with a magnetic stare, smiles at us almost embarrassed as he apologises for his justified lateness (he was at the X Factor studios rehearsing We Are Golden, that he performed at the end of the programme). He apologies and starts chatting - an enthusiastic flow of words that captures us instantly.

 

"Sorry for my lateness, but the rehearsals went on for ages... Poor guys, the X Factor contestants. I spoke to them for a few minutes and they said that they'd been locked up in the X Factor studios for weeks, recording and practicing... What a life! But, you have to realise that they're dealing with an unmissable opportunity".

 

How did you start out then?

 

I started sending out demos when I was 11. I'd go to the offices of the record labels and deafen (!) them with my songs. I thought "I have to present myself as if I were already famous, maybe then they'll take the bait." So I asked my friends to record a demo in a recording studio; my sister looked after the artwork for the CD and we made a special case by hand, in wood, autographed by myself and numbered as if it were a limited edition. And do you know what? It worked, the record companies called me!

 

Let's talk about The Boy Who Knew Too Much, why did you choose this title for your second album? Are you that boy?

 

Yes, the boy's me. You can interpret the title on several levels. Firstly it refers to me, in the sense that I wasn't popular at school, I was always in a corner watching everyone else. Let's say I preferred to learn indirectly, almost at a distance. So that's the meaning of "the boy who knew too much" explained. Obviously it's also a reference to Alfred Hitchcock (The Man Who Knew Too Much, from 1956 - editor's note). I chose that title for the cinematographic effect, it's perfect for the album, which is almost like a pop opera about adolescence.

How does it feel to be called an eternal Peter Pan?

 

I feel really bad every time journalists call me that. Would they be happier if my songs were boring?! For me, making "happy" music is a way of capturing the audience's attention. But my lyrics aren't superficial; let's say they contain the carelessness of being young, without neglecting the dark and painful side of adolescence.

You weren't popular at school, but now you are - how does that effect you?

 

Well, obviously it's nice. And whoever tells you anything else is lying! Not being a leader at school helped me later on to maintain the right distance from fame and from people's judgements. Practically, it's transformed into a protective shield. As music is. And I think that it's thanks to music and to art in general that we are able to overcome our anxieties and worries, and to forget about everything. Art's got the ability to liberate us from ourselves and others... If I think about it, that's the reason why I love writing.

Life In Cartoon Motion dealt with your childhood, while The Boy Who Knew Too Much focuses on your adolescence. Why is there all this interest about your past? Is it a way of protecting yourself?

 

I use my past to talk about the present, that's all. Afterall, each one of us is our own past, right? If it is a way of protecting myself?... It could be, I don't know, but if it was... Is it something so negative?

 

How much of you is in your songs?

 

Well, you know, I think that in each of my songs and characters there is a part of me. It's a bit like how it is for actors... We show different aspects, different fragments of our identities.

 

What do you think of those people who seem morbidly obsessed with your sexual inclinations?

 

At the start I used to tell journalists who asked me direct questions on the subject to get lost. Then I learned to talk about sexuality, but without sticking to labels. Hetero, gay, bi: what sense does it make defining them? I've never liked doing it. I've gone out with people that I've wanted to, without hiding myself. And I play with sexuality, I'm fascinated by it, and I deal with it in my songs. At the end of my concerts, there are these nude puppets who get on the stage and dance, and the kids love seeing them. The parents aren't so happy, because of the nudity and the explicit gestures... they think it's scandalous. Their kids, however, don't think about it. It's the adults who feel that they have to be the moralists. And why?

 

So, at the end of the interview, we don't want to (and we don't succeed in) labeling Mika. We go back to the office with the impression that behind the sunny and enthusiastic boy of We Are Golden there is so much more. The new king of pop, certainly, but above all he's a shy Londoner has invented a career in technicolour to overcome his insecurities. A life in technicolour, rather.

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mari62

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exactly 2 weeks after.......here's my report:

 

1) The show

i won't repeat what others already said about it; i just would like to add that, although we were last row and couldn't stand up, I had a great time.

(hope the others had, too :biggrin2:)

 

We had to wait long till Mika came on stage, and unfortunately the audio was so deafening we couldn't always understand what was said; but despite of that I enjoyed it very much coz we were chatting and watching the show, there were some good songs and singers.

 

I was attending a TV show live for the first time and was very happy to be there! A new, intense and pleasant experience!

 

During WAG we sang our lungs out and waved our golden wigs (thanks Dani!) ...... one single song was enough to bring back the magic!!

 

The song is incredible live!! soooo much better than on CD and video!!

 

So energetic and positive!!

 

I enjoyed every second of it!!

 

As a Romanian journalist wrote: "WAG works just as a good cocktail drunk at the end of a week with some friends - full of optimism and gives you as much energy as a ginseng dose" :D

 

Afterwards he was briefly interviewed and they said he'd stay till the end of the show as a judge!! What great news!!!!!!

 

I couldn't ask for more as I didn't expect so much!!

 

What a pity Mika couldn't see or hear us during the show and especially during WAG!!

 

A quick note: fortunately my hubby managed to get inside, too, coz I had given the other ticket to an MFCer....... he asked and they let him in when the show had already started; when we saw him we were all surprised and glad and I was very happy he didn't have to wait outside alone so long.

On the contrary my hubby was very tired......poor thing... and he had to drive back home!

 

2) After the show we went outside and waited for Mika at the main entrance in-vane, he was very tired, must have gone away through the artists' entrance.

 

But it was very pleasant to stay there with MFCers for about an hour and a half, and the temperature was very agreeable, then at about 2 am we all left.

 

I wasn't feeling tired I'd have stayed there longer :biggrin2:

 

3) Before the show: in the afternoon

 

Mika arrived short after 5 p.m. : as he got out of the car, some of us could greet and give him presents, he stayed for about 5 minutes, he said he'd come back after rehearsals and meet&greet (there were 4 lucky winners). And from the video we now know he also met the X-Factor's contenders.

 

I just managed to wave to him saying "Ciao Mika" from afar.

 

At about 7 p.m. he came out, we had almost lost our hope, coz we had to go inside for the show at that time.

 

But we've been lucky: as soon as he came out, my hubby saw him and said: "Here's Mika!"

I think I was one of the nearest to him, so i got close to him, shook his hand and said "Hi Mika, nice to meet you!"

The first thing that came into my mind was asking him for a group pic, as we had talked about it in the afternoon and telling him I was from mikafanclub.

 

He nodded his head and replied it was ok at once without hesitating!

I asked my hubby to take it and remember calling the others; i dunno why only a few of us are in that pic!

maybe they were far from there and didn't realize about the pic immediately.

Unfortunately everything went very quickly, as he was in a hurry, i noticed it as soon as I saw him.

 

Btw I was standing at his left side and put my arm very gently around his hips :blush-anim-cl:

He asked me who was taking the pic and I pointed at my hubby and so did he.

 

We posed for a while and i told him my hubby was taking more than one pic, just to be sure at least one turned out good

Unfortunately this wasn't the case :naughty: the pic where he was smiling turned out blurry, and not all of us are on it, but its still a lovely memory.

 

th_DSC01391.jpg

 

Afterwards I asked him to sign my Songs for Sorrow's book, told him my name and he wrote:

 

"Per Marina

Mika

x"

 

"Per" means "to" in Italian

 

In Sispan's video you can see us posing for the pic and him signing my book! :wub2:

 

After that he stayed a little longer signing and then went away, he had a press conference!

 

So we got inside to watch the show, (all of us could get in thanks to Roberta!) which didn't start until 9 pm and we waited for him till 11.30 pm.

 

I was over the moon of course!!

In June I went to my first Mika's gig at last and now I had the chance to meet and greet him, ask him for a pic and get an autograph!! I could hardly believe it!! :fangurl:

 

I think I had a stupid smile on my face for the rest of the day and for a few days after (and I still have whenever I think of it). :naughty:

 

When I approached him I was calm, excited but calm, and he was relaxed too, so this helped me to relax as well.

 

Meeting him in person just confirmed what I thought of him:

 

staying near to him and talking to him was a very pleasant feeling, I felt very good and positive vibes.

 

He's very sweet, kind, sensitive, good-hearted and generous, although he was very tired and in a hurry, he did take the time to greet us two times!!

 

And I immensely appreciate that!

 

Mika is special and I love him for that, not only for his music! :wub2:

 

Just like the 6th of June this is another amazing and unforgettable day and experience to me, not only because of Mika, but also because of the company!!

 

It wouldn't be the same without the other crazy MFCers!!

 

Thank you Mika!! Thank you hubby!! Thank you MFCers!! :group_hug:

 

And of course thank you mikamusic for giving us this amazing opportunity!!

Edited by mari62
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