enigma

Getting stuff ready for Lovebox.

Ticket? Yep.

Mac? Yep.

Warm sweater? Yep.

Wellies? Yep.

Dontcha just love summer in the UK?

enigmablue @mikasounds

It's nearly as old as I am, we do tend to break down more often but boy do we have style!

mikasounds @enigmablue

Ha! Love that

Celebrate? The one truly genius artist to emerge in the last decade has come up with a totally disposable and distinctly average song. Not much to celebrate IMO. I am SAD.

It's heaven!

And it won't be muddy and we won't need wellies.

Crikey! Did he get dressed in the dark or what?

Can't see the pic.

Hmph. I dunno how to fix that! I only have one geek braincell, and I've used that to its full capacity at work today!

Or maybe get a pair of these...

...to raise you up above all the mud? Although you'd probably have to attach big planks to the bottom of them to stop you sinking in, and that might spoil the effect a bit

I popped down to the park today for a look about. Took the District line to Mile End. It was about 20 min walk from there to the venue.

I tweeted a pic of the muddy ground, which was just inside one of the service entrances where there was a lot of traffic. One of the security guys said it wasn't so bad inside the venue but he reckoned by Sunday we would need wellies.

The earth was very wet and soft all round the park.

 

Anyway being a shorty I avoid flat shoes at all times but I've gone and bought a pair of wellies and I think I'm be wearing them unless by Saturday the venue looks dryer and less muddy.

Yuk! I think it will definitely be a case of wellies by Sunday after the Friday and Saturday crowds have been trampling about on the soft damp ground.

Just thought this might be useful for non-London based people travelling to Lovebox, as they might not be aware. It shows which sections of the tube are disrupted or not running:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/emails/worksandclosures/Planned_closure_WE_17_JUNE_A4.pdf

Hmm. That's TWO songs now I don't think much of... but I await the album with hope, and more than a little trepidation

If you're coming from afar, be advised it's rained a LOT in London in the last few days. On Sunday we may all look something like this (from a previous Lovebox fest)!!!

Looks a beautiful venue! Can't go as I'll be in the Olympic Stadium that day... (watching, not competing, you understand!)

They said on fb today that we should get the VIP tics by Friday.

And to check with you ticket agent to track them.

Friday? For a gig on Sunday? That's crazy! Not everyone lives in London - some people have to travel and would be starting out on Friday! I hope you all get them in time!

"Fast track entry via dedicated VIP entry lanes,

Bespoke VIP area backstage right by the artists and all the action,

Dining area where you can buy delicious food,

VIP bar selling cocktails, wines, beers and spirits,

Posh cubicle toilets,

Dedicated music programming with a different host each day,

No booking fees"

I think posh toilets is the best thing on that list! I will just have to drink nothing, or cross my legs!

Hi again

 

I'm about to take my decision but I would like to know if the most of you took the VIP tickets ?

I think most people got VIP ones. I didn't, because I bought mine immediately, before I knew everyone was going VIP! I don't know what the difference is in terms of what/where they get you at the festival site. Maybe VIPs have access to better toilets? Better food? Champagne and caviar? Dunno!

Just a question: how do you see the pics when he posts them on instangram? With my pc I can't do it! Maybe instangram is only for iPhone?

I can see them on my Macbook and also on my Blackberry if they're posted on Twitter, but sometimes when they're posted on FB I can't see them! Odd!

Melachi's gorgeous! She's quite dark for a Golden Retriever, whereas mine was right the opposite end of the scale - very pale (and also gorgeous!).

I think most are about halfway between the two colours, and as a breed they're known for having wonderful temperaments.

Still no tickets

I think maybe the normal tickets went out first and the VIP ones afterwards? It might also depend on who you ordered them through. I got mine via Ents24. I'm sure they'll arrive early next week.

Mika has been re-branded

Now THAT hits the nail on the head. And that's why it's so sad. Sorry, but I've listened to this a lot now and I still say it is a total waste of what is a unique talent. Whereas I am not about to suddenly desert an artist I've liked since Day One just because of one song, I am also not the type of person who will blindly like (or convince myself to like) whatever an artist does just because it's them. I'll reserve my overall judgement until TOOL is out, and I hope there's some real musicianship on the album because quite honestly I feel someone who is classically trained and SO damn talented should not be stooping to this level.

You're still going to Lovebox? I think you will be persuaded by his physical charms.

Yep, got ticket, still going! I hadn't noticed his physical charms, but the delights of Victoria Park are simply too plentiful for me to consider not going!

But I guess we're getting ahead of ourselves here because we haven't heard the single yet.

Yes, I live in hope that either the single, or the rest of the album (or both) will be utterly fabulous, with soaring vocals, some piano, and superb catchy melodies, and a distinct lack of sounds that have been created by knobs (I use the word dubiously ). Then I will eat my words and go and sit on the naughty step for ever having doubted him!

I suppose you can argue that everything that happens on stage is for live effect. Otherwise we could all sit at home and listen to it on our CDs.

 

I get your point about Robyn's sound though. It's not exactly where I would have expected Mika to go and I think he could also use his vocals to better effect in the kind of stuff I really like. But it's his music so I don't expect him to do exactly what I like, especially since my preferences are also nothing like his earlier music I am just glad he's shaking things up because what he was doing in 2007 is too dated now and I'm bored of it.

Don't get me wrong, of course it's up to him what he does, and if I personally don't like it, well he won't be losing too much sleep... I know he needed to move on, and all artists change, but for someone who has such immense vocal talent, not to mention his piano-playing and ear for a wonderful melody, this change to me is a total waste of that unique talent, and a change borne far more out commercial/financial consideration than artistic integrity.

That's not true. All of Robyn's music is exactly like this and she has a full band on stage. She even has two drummers.

Maybe, but that's for "live" effect. Most electronic music can be created without any musicians, mostly on a computer. And besides, I don't want Mika to sound like Robyn. I want him to sound like Mika, and this type of stuff doesn't make use of his talent.

and it's pretty clear now why he needs a different group of musicians to back him.

He won't need ANY musicians. Just someone to twiddle some knobs. I have lost all faith in my favourite artist.

For someone who said he would "relentlessly pursue melodies", I don't think this is up to much.