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Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 24 Apr 2024 Pressreader https://pressreader.com/article/282145001407330 KEY MOMENTS Judges Mika and Lang Lang discuss the new series of musical competition show The Piano with host Claudia Winkleman The concept behind the hugely successful first season of Channel 4 show The Piano was simple: amateur pianists played in major train stations, without knowing they were being secretly watched by singer-songwriter Mika and Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang. The secret is very much out now, and anyone who spotted presenter Claudia Winkleman in a train station would surely know what was going on. So how could the second season work and keep that magic alive? “We were a little worried, weren’t we, all three of us,” Winkleman, 52, admits. “Because what was so beautiful about the show was this concept of what happens if people are playing and they don’t know anyone’s watching? That is so unbelievably poetic, I had never heard of anything like it.” This time round, Winkleman says she expected people to “come in ballgowns, walk in and say under their breath ‘Hello, Mika’.” Luckily, that wasn’t the case, which The Traitors presenter credits to the subtlety of the camera crew who managed to disappear “into the walls”, meaning the amateurs would forget what was going on and just play. “We were worried something would change, in terms of the people – their intention, their ambitions from season one to season two, because they know we’re hidden away somewhere and we’re listening to them,” agrees Grace Kelly singer Mika, who co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. But the show managed to keep a love of music at its core. He tells the story of an NHS nurse who recently retired and spent a big chunk of her pension buying a grand piano, knocking out walls to fit it into her house. She comes on the show and Mika, 40, remembers: “She sits down – she’s so nervous that her piece lasts about 42 seconds. Super short and it wasn’t very good. And yet, that just shows the passion she has. The fact that she goes and buys that, she dreamt her whole life of having a piano. “She’s not a prodigy, but the power of telling that story in itself, for me is magic.” One positive thing about the second season is it’s not a secret that Mika and Lang Lang are waiting in the wings, so they don’t have to stay hidden. “I see this as a good advantage, because if there’s somebody we feel is special, we actually go out and see them, to encourage them to do better,” Lang Lang, 41, explains. Winkleman recounts a moment in an Edinburgh train station when a teenager came out who was “young and cool, he’s like 17, good looking, and all like ‘whatever’”. He “banged out” a Chopin piece, then Mika appeared and Winkleman says: “I’ll never know what you said to him, but Mika whispered something to him and he did it again – and it was like a totally different piece of music.” All three can agree on one thing in this show: you never know what you’re going to get. A visually impaired 13-year-old girl called Lucy won the first season, impressing the judges with her rendition of Debussy’s Arabesque – but it’s not always about advanced classical music. “We never know what’s going to move you,” Mika notes. “Sometimes someone can come and play something really, really complicated – a piece by, let’s say Chopin or something. And technically, it’s all there. But it doesn’t provoke emotion, neither in me nor in him [Lang Lang]. “And then someone comes in, plays something with the most simple triadic chords and really simple arpeggios, and sing something very simple – and for some reason, it clicks, everything aligns and it makes people cry. “Figuring out or finding out why that is, is endless. It’s just so complicated and so simple at the same time.” Mika describes it as “magic that you can’t quite put your finger on”, but even the audience can feel it, as they gather to listen in train stations all over the UK. When one girl played, Winkleman remembers seeing a man “in floods of tears”, adding: “I assumed it was her dad, so I went up to him and I went, ‘You must be incredible proud’, when in fact, he didn’t know her at all, and was just moved by her performance.” Lang Lang says: “You’ll never know what they are going to play – what type of music. The way they look, very often that doesn’t mean that’s their style”. The show puts the spotlight on a diverse array of people in a range of cities. “For me, for all of us, probably one of the most amazing things about this project is that it’s all over the UK,” Mika says. “So often shows that have music in them are very London-centric, right? What’s so beautiful about this is you realise there is a different musical cultural soul which is very distinct in each region and niche city – and you really feel it.” All three are visibly thrilled at the prospect of returning for another series, with a Christmas special also in the works, particularly as they didn’t quite predict the success of the first season, which became Channel 4’s best-rating new format since 2017, with each episode averaging 2.7 million viewers. Mika says he was “quite amazed” by the reception it got. “Heartwarming, more than anything, with this little beautiful project shot as a documentary. We had no idea, we knew nothing – the freedom we were given was amazing.” He refers to the success of the first season as “quite a tender surprise, which is rare”. While Lang Lang says he had “some kind of expectation” that this would be “very different than the regular piano shows on television from the past, or a piano competition”, he “didn’t expect such a success”. So, after spending so much time around brilliant pianists on both series, what has Winkleman picked up about music? “I know nothing,” she deadpans. While Lang and Mika refuse to accept that, Mika adds with a laugh: “She’s the worst singer you’ve ever heard,” with Winkleman admitting: “I’m not even allowed to sing The Piano returns to Channel 4 on Sunday, April 28 at 9pm.

Compressed VIDEO files DOWNLOAD links LIVE ( 720p / 1.2 GB ) https://firestorage.com/download/fbf95497a6d01bbf59d9f438d0ce47b492f911b4 BONUS ( 720p / 172 MB ) https://firestorage.com/download/90f46ffa73c5d74c9f80830a8e764240b89b0b4a download password MFC

From the UK, I'll probably travel down to Gatwick or Stansted for a cheap flight direct to Marseille, then get a train into Orange.

From X LIVE https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J7csWxU9OnnWv40EZzkp1tqVJrjJs5Ds/view?usp=sharing Backstage Interview https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fiqiUrjsvvidNi3Nbp6rlg4swHykXzaY/view

PRESS Franceinfo france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr Mika sur scène au Printemps de Bourges 2024 : je vous débriefe ma soirée... extraordinaire Le chanteur-compositeur et musicien Mika s'est produit sur la scène du W ce mercredi 24 avril. Ambiance, morceaux, scénographie, voici ce que j'en ai pensé Mercredi 24 avril marquait le coup d'envoi des concerts au Printemps de Bourges 2024 avec, au programme, le chanteur franco-britannique sur scène du W dès 22h30. Étant moi-même adepte des créations de l'artiste, j'attendais beaucoup de cette soirée. À l'image de son extravagance et de sa personnalité haute en couleurs, j'espérais du concert qu'il reprenne les titres qui l'ont fait connaître. Connu pour sa proximité avec le public et pour sa scénographique hors pair lors de ses représentations, j'en attendais beaucoup pour cette soirée de festival... et je n'ai pas été déçue ! Titres joués, décors ou costumes, tout était remarquable sauf peut-être certaines notes aiguës que l'artiste n'a pas su atteindre. Sûrement dû à sa tournée et au froid à Bourges, sa voix n'était pas toujours au rendez-vous. Heureusement, la musique de fond préenregistrée était d'une aide précieuse. Les billets qui se sont vendus à une vitesse folle. J'espérais donc que le public soit au rendez-vous. Avec des chansons aussi récentes qu'anciennes, Mika a su embarquer le public dans son univers. La salle était pleine et le public impatient de voir monter sur scène le chanteur. "Mika Mika Mika", chantaient les premiers rangs, exaltés. J'ai trouvé la scénographie particulièrement bien recherchée. Avec une arrivée sur scène dans une cage d'oiseau, le décor évoluait au fil des chansons. Connu pour ses costumes faits main hauts en couleur, Mika a porté cinq tenues différentes tout au long du concert. Ses musiciens ont eux aussi eu droit a un dress code : des costumes rose bonbon. Mika a donné à son équipe une place importante. Elle faisait partie intégrante du show. Vers la fin du concert, l'artiste est descendu dans la fosse pour se rapprocher de son public. Il en a profité pour interagir avec les fans et donner quelques anecdotes sur ses chansons. De quoi ravir la fosse arrière qui a pu approcher l'artiste malgré l'éloignement avec la scène. Comme attendu, l'artiste a bien sûr repris les titres qui l'ont fait connaître comme Lollipop ou Relax mais également des titres plus récents comme C'est la vie, sorti en 2023. Il a fini son concert en beauté en reprenant les tubes planétaires de son premier album Life in Cartoon Motion, tels que Happy Ending ou encore Love today. Avec une diversité de titres, toutes générations confondues ont trouvé leur compte. Qu'elles soient connues ou avec un nombre d'auditeurs plus réduit, la foule connaissait toutes les paroles et n'hésitait pas à chanter. Accompagnés de pancartes ou de costumes colorés spécialement créés pour l'occasion, les fans de l'artiste sont bien présents et ne passent pas inaperçus. Souvent par groupes d'amis, ils sont venus nombreux pour soutenir Mika au Printemps. Ce qui plaît surtout aux fans du chanteur, c'est sa personnalité. En plus de son univers musical unique, c'est son côté humain et bienveillant qui fait chavirer le cœur du public. Il mériterait d'être élu personnalité préférée des Français Cette proximité tant aimée par les fans s'est une fois de plus ressentie lors du Printemps de Bourges. Lancé de nœud papillon dans le public, interactions... l'artiste a même fait monter sur scène deux admiratrices qui avaient confectionné pour l'occasion un des célèbres costumes que le chanteur portait lors de sa représentation. Sans trop de surprises, l'ambiance était à la hauteur de mes espérances. google translator Mika on stage at Printemps de Bourges 2024: I will debrief you my evening... extraordinary Singer-songwriter and musician Mika performed on stage at the W this Wednesday, April 24. Atmosphere, songs, scenography, here is what I thought of it Wednesday April 24 marked the start of the concerts at Printemps de Bourges 2024 with, on the program, the Franco-British singer on stage at the W from 10:30 p.m. Being a fan of the artist's creations myself, I expected a lot from this evening. Like his extravagance and his colorful personality, I hoped from the concert that he would cover the titles that made him known. Known for his proximity to the public and for his outstanding scenography during his performances, I had high expectations for this festival evening... and I was not disappointed! Titles played, sets or costumes, everything was remarkable except perhaps certain high notes that the artist was unable to reach. Probably due to his tour and the cold in Bourges, his voice was not always there. Fortunately, the pre-recorded background music was a huge help. The tickets which sold at crazy speed. So I hoped that the public would be there. With songs as recent as they are old, Mika was able to take the audience into his world. The room was full and the audience was impatient to see the singer take the stage. “Mika Mika Mika,” sang the front rows, exhilarated. I found the scenography particularly well researched. Arriving on stage in a bird cage, the decor evolved throughout the songs. Known for his colorful handmade costumes, Mika wore five different outfits throughout the concert. Its musicians were also entitled to a dress code: candy pink costumes. Mika gave his team an important place. She was an integral part of the show. Towards the end of the concert, the artist went down into the pit to get closer to his audience. He took the opportunity to interact with fans and give some anecdotes about his songs. Enough to delight the rear audience who were able to approach the artist despite the distance from the stage. As expected, the artist of course covered the titles that made him known such as Lollipop or Relax but also more recent titles like C'est la vie, released in 2023. He finished his concert in style by covering the hits worldwide hits from his first album Life in Cartoon Motion, such as Happy Ending and Love today. With a diversity of titles, all generations have found something to suit them. Whether they were well-known or with a smaller number of listeners, the crowd knew all the words and didn't hesitate to sing along. Accompanied by signs or colorful costumes specially created for the occasion, the artist's fans are present and do not go unnoticed. Often in groups of friends, they came in large numbers to support Mika at Spring. What especially pleases the singer's fans is his personality. In addition to his unique musical universe, it is his human and caring side that capsizes the hearts of the public. He deserves to be elected favorite personality of the French This closeness so loved by fans was once again felt during the Printemps de Bourges. Bow tie throwing in the audience, interactions... the artist even brought on stage two admirers who had made one of the famous costumes that the singer wore during his performance for the occasion. Without too many surprises, the atmosphere lived up to my expectations.

YouTube channel @yj_mika Bougez Apocalypse Calypso Talk About You Sweetie banana Feels Like Fire Underwater Jane Birkin Moi, Andy et Paris Grace Kelly C’est la Vie Happy Ending+Love Today intro Any Other World

Here is the Official trailer !

Cheap Flixbus to Lyon and then a nice train ride!

Those who are going and are not from France, how do you travel? I found quite cheap flights to Lyon which is not the closest airport but it seems it takes "only" about 2,5-3 hours by train...

The Scotsman 25 Apr 2024 Pressreader https://pressreader.com/article/282114936636431 ‘We never know what’s going to move you’ ◆ The surprise element of The Piano may be gone for season two but Claudia Winkleman, Mika and Lang Lang tell Prudence Wade there’s still music magic The concept behind the hugely successful first season of Channel 4 show The Piano was simple: amateur pianists played in major train stations, without knowing they were being secretly watched by singersongwriter Mika and Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang. The secret is very much out now – anyone who spotted presenter Claudia Winkleman in a train station would surely know what was going on. So how could the second season work and keep that magic alive? “We were a little worried, weren’t we – all three of us,” Winkleman, 52, admits. “Because what was so beautiful about the show was [this concept of ] what happens if people are playing and they don’t know anyone’s watching? That is so unbelievably poetic, I had never heard of anything like it.” This time round, Winkleman says she expected people to “come in ballgowns, walk in and say under their breath ‘Hello, Mika’.” Luckily, that wasn’t the case – which The Traitors presenter credits to the subtlety of the camera crew who managed to disappear “into the walls”, meaning the amateurs would forget what was going on and just play. “We were worried something would change, in terms of the people – their intention, their ambitions from season one to season two, because they know we’re hidden away somewhere,” agrees Grace Kelly singer Mika, who co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 – but the show managed to keep a love of music at its core. He tells the story of an NHS nurse who recently retired and spent a big chunk of her pension buying a grand piano, knocking out walls to fit it into her house. She comes on the show and Mika, 40, remembers: “She sits down – she’s so nervous that her piece lasts about 42 seconds. Super short and it wasn’t very good. And yet, that just shows the passion she has – the fact that she goes and buys that, she dreamt her whole life of having a piano. “She’s not a prodigy, but the power of telling that story in itself, for me is magic.” One positive thing about the second season is it’s not a secret that Mika and Lang Lang are waiting in the wings, so they don’t have to stay hidden. “I see this as a good advantage, because if there’s somebody we feel is special, we actually go out and see them, to encourage them to do better,” Lang Lang, 41, explains. Winkleman recounts a moment in an Edinburgh train station when a teenager came out who was “young and cool, he’s like 17, good looking, and all like ‘whatever'”. He “banged out” a Chopin piece, then Mika appeared and Winkleman says: “I’ll never know what you said to him, but Mika whispered something to him and he did it again – and it was like a totally different piece of music.” All three can agree on one thing in this show: you never know what you’re going to get. A visually impaired 13-yearold girl called Lucy won the first season, impressing the judges with her rendition of Debussy’s Arabesque – but it’s not always about advanced classical music. “We never know what’s going to move you,” says Mika. “Sometimes someone can come and play something really, really complicated – a piece by, let’s say Chopin or something. And technically, it’s all there. But it doesn’t provoke emotion, neither in me nor in him [Lang Lang]. “And then someone comes in, plays something with the most simple triadic chords and really simple arpeggios, and sing something very simple – and for some reason, it clicks, everything aligns and it makes people cry. “Figuring out or finding out why that is, is endless. It’s just so complicated and so simple at the same time.” Mika describes it as “magic that you can’t quite put your finger on” – but even the audience can feel it, as they gather to listen in train stations all over the UK. When one girl played, Winkleman remembers seeing a man “in floods of tears”, adding: “I assumed it was her dad, so I went up to him and I went, ‘You must be incredible proud’, when in fact, he didn’t know her at all, and was just moved by her performance. Lang Lang says: “You’ll never know what they are going to play – what type of music. [The way] they look, very often that doesn’t mean [that’s] their style” – and the show puts the spotlight on a diverse array of people in a range of cities. “For me, for all of us, probably one of the most amazing things about this project is that it’s all over the UK,” Mika says. “So often shows that have music in them are very London-centric, right? What’s so beautiful about this is you realise there is a different musical cultural soul which is very distinct in each region and niche city – and you really feel it.” All three are visibly thrilled at the prospect of returning for another series, with a Christmas special also in the works – particularly as they didn’t quite predict the success of the first season, which became Channel 4’s best-rating new format since 2017, with each episode averaging 2.7 million viewers. Mika says he was “quite amazed” by the reception it got. “Heartwarming, more than anything, with this little beautiful project shot as a documentary. We had no idea, we knew nothing – the freedom we were given was amazing.” The Piano returns to Channel 4 on Sunday at 9pm.

The Yorkshire Post 25 Apr 2024 Pressreader https://pressreader.com/article/282149296374160 The show that hits all the right notes Judges Mika and Lang Lang discuss the new series of the musical competition programme, The Piano, with host Claudia Winkleman. Prudence Wade reports. THE concept behind the hugely successful first season of Channel 4 show The Piano was simple: amateur pianists played in major train stations, without knowing they were being secretly watched by singer-songwriter Mika and Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang. Previously Lucy Illingworth, a blind Yorkshire girl who won the first series aged 13, captured the judges’ attentions in series one after performing Chopin’s Nocturne Opus 9, No 1 in B flat minor at Leeds Station. So the secret is very much out now – anyone who spotted presenter Claudia Winkleman in a train station would surely know what was going on. So how could the second season work and keep that magic alive? “We were a little worried, weren’t we – all three of us,” Winkleman, 52, admits. “Because what was so beautiful about the show was [this concept of] what happens if people are playing and they don’t know anyone’s watching? That is so unbelievably poetic, I had never heard of anything like it.” This time round, Winkleman says she expected people to “come in ballgowns, walk in and say under their breath ‘Hello, Mika’.” Luckily, that wasn’t the case – which The Traitors presenter credits to the subtlety of the camera crew who managed to disappear “into the walls”, meaning the amateurs would forget what was going on and just play. “We were worried something would change, in terms of the people – their intention, their ambitions from season one to season two, because they know we’re hidden away somewhere and we’re listening to them,” agrees Grace Kelly singer Mika, who co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 – but the show managed to keep a love of music at its core. He tells the story of an NHS nurse who recently retired and spent a big chunk of her pension buying a grand piano, knocking out walls to fit it into her house. She comes on the show and Mika, 40, remembers: “She sits down – she’s so nervous that her piece lasts about 42 seconds. Super short and it wasn’t very good. And yet, that just shows the passion she has – the fact that she goes and buys that, she dreamt her whole life of having a piano. “She’s not a prodigy, but the power of telling that story in itself, for me is magic.” One positive thing about the second season is it’s not a secret that Mika and Lang Lang are waiting in the wings, so they don’t have to stay hidden. “I see this as a good advantage, because if there’s somebody we feel is special, we actually go out and see them, to encourage them to do better,” Lang Lang, 41, explains. Winkleman recounts a moment in an Edinburgh train station when a teenager came out who was “young and cool, he’s like 17, good looking, and all like ‘whatever’ ”. He “banged out” a Chopin piece, then Mika appeared and Winkleman says: “I’ll never know what you said to him, but Mika whispered something to him and he did it again – and it was like a totally different piece of music.” All three can agree on one thing in this show: you never know what you’re going to get. Lucy actually won the first season with her rendition of Debussy’s Arabesque – but it’s not always about advanced classical music. “We never know what’s going to move you,” Mika notes. “Sometimes someone can come and play something really, really complicated – a piece by, let’s say Chopin or something. And technically, it’s all there. But it doesn’t provoke emotion, neither in me nor in him [Lang Lang]. “And then someone comes in, plays something with the most simple triadic chords and really simple arpeggios, and sings something very simple – and for some reason, it clicks, everything aligns and it makes people cry. “Figuring out or finding out why that is, is endless. “It’s just so complicated and so simple at the same time.” Mika describes it as “magic that you can’t quite put your finger on” – but even the audience can feel it, as they gather to listen in train stations all over the UK. When one girl played, Winkleman remembers seeing a man “in floods of tears”, adding: “I assumed it was her dad, so I went up to him and I went, ‘You must be incredibly proud’, when in fact, he didn’t know her at all, and was just moved by her performance.” Lang Lang says: “You’ll never know what they are going to play – what type of music. [The way] they look, very often that doesn’t mean [that’s] their style” – and the show puts the spotlight on a diverse array of people in a range of cities. “For me, for all of us, probably one of the most amazing things about this project is that it’s all over the UK,” Mika says. “So often shows that have music in them are very London-centric, right? What’s so beautiful about this is you realise there is a different musical cultural soul which is very distinct in each region and niche city – and you really feel it.” All three are visibly thrilled at the prospect of returning for another series, with a Christmas special also in the works – particularly as they didn’t quite predict the success of the first season, which became Channel 4’s best-rating new format since 2017, with each episode averaging 2.7 million viewers. Mika says he was “quite amazed” by the reception it got. “Heartwarming, more than anything, with this little beautiful project shot as a documentary. We had no idea, we knew nothing – the freedom we were given was amazing.” The Piano returns to Channel 4 on Sunday, April 28 at 9pm. Page 15

I can only tell that the sound in Dublin was perfect, at least from the circle zone

I would really love to go to this one. I've been to Orange before and I've seen the venue. But it's so hard and expensive to get there.

Here's an example, I've just received a follow request from this account: Doesn't use his profile pic or bio - that's good. But. It also doesn't tell us anything about the person behind the account. There's nothing personal. Could be a scam, could be a bot. Let's look closer. The account title. Why use "officiel"? To make people think it's officially connected to him? The bio text just states "MIKA" in capital letters, like his. Again, trying to make people think it is him? Let's check the account info. The account was created in March, but has 0 posts and just one follower. But is following 83 other accounts. That's suspicious. Finally the name of the account has been changed 4 times. That's a lot, especially if it was only created in March! No, this account is throwing up too many warnings. There's not enough for me to definitely state it is scam, but it's possible. It could also be a bot. Either way, I don't trust it. R&B!

Mika and Vianney performing "Keep It Simple" at The Voice episode 10. FC2 2024.04.20 "Keep It Simple" The Voice Ep.10　𝙇𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠 VK 2024.04.20 "Keep It Simple" The Voice Ep.10　𝙇𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠 The Voice season 13 episode 10

I hope so ...... Btw I wasn't in Bourges but it would be interresting to know if the sound was better

Here is a DOWNLOAD link of the compressed video file. ( 720p / 1.17 GB ) https://firestorage.com/download/fb342aea4712f8289f1660bec5f5a26defb900cf download password MFC

YouTube by @Happymika_by_celine Thanks a lot for sharing !

Why? Do you think he's responsible for the too loud sound? I didn't notice it at the festivals last summer and Massimo was there too. I think it's the speakers right in front of the stage, those were new for this tour (and too loud and taking up too much space). I suppose at the festivals it'll be ok, the festivals have their own sound system.

Please keep reporting them to us, Deb is forwarding all these fake accounts to Mika's team and they keep working on having them taken down. And of course also report them to the social media channel where you found the account and block them. Unfortunately that's all we can do. Here on MFC we can monitor who creates accounts and posts, but on social media it's out if our hands.

Had one last month who gave themselves away. They'd copied his official profile text: "Love music and Melachi and Amira". Except they'd typed it all in lowercase, and misspelt Amira as "amari". 😏 Love a self-own like that. 😁 But don't point it out to them if you see mistakes like that, they're useful clues for others that it might be a fake account. Just report and block, and let them make the same telling mistake again.

Merci énormément pour le partage !!! C'est vraiment un superbe souvenir de cette soirée

If he wants to fire Massimo , I'm in

Lots, unfortunately. It's very easy to create an account on social media. As soon as a scammer has one account taken down, they just open another.

Unfortunately, too many! 🙁