Marilyn Mastin

Each year since 1947, Norway has sent a big and beautiful Christmas tree to London.  It's a symbol of thankfulness, for all the help from the UK, during the 2nd world war, when a government -in- exile was set up in London 

It was very special,  when me and our daughter was in the city in Dec-96, and stood by the tree at Trafalgar Square, singing x-mas songs, together with a lot of people  A man standing next to us, heard us talking together, between the songs, and asked us where we came from.  He said our language sounded like music - and was happy to say nice things about the yearly tree gift, and added: "btw, my fav. gosphelchoir is Reflex from Norway"    So yes, it's a really nice and great tradition - between mine and your  country...    

 

Love,love

me

I had a feeling it was something to do with the war Thank you for explaining how the tradition got started. It's wonderful to know that there are still beautiful things happening in the world.

There is something very unique about his songs. They don't all grab me in the same way, but the majority of them do. Mika is also a unique person who does seem to encapsulate the whole world. 

This is why I always wish he was still on top, in the UK and elsewhere. It is such a waste when people don't know what a wonderful singer, songwriter, and person, he is.

Scream it out loud - MIKA might hear it all the way down to London - and obey your order!  Today the mayor of Westminster,  and the mayor of Oslo,  have been together in the forest outside Oslo,  to cut down the yearly Christmas tree - growing for the last 25 years,  and now "ready" with its 21 meters high   The tree is shipped to MIKAs hometown - and will soon be placed at Trafalgar Square.  I hope that MIKA will enjoy it, together with all the Londoners, and have a peaceful and nice time ...

 

Love,love

me 

Certainly I hope and pray for a peaceful time. I think it's lovely how Oslow send London a Christmas tree each year. It's a beautiful thing to do. How did the tradition start? I have no idea about it, but I think it's really great.

Hello there !!! Just wondering if there are any Northern Irish members out there??? Would love to get in touch!!!

I'm from England, but it's great to see anyone on here from the UK.

Have fun on MFC!

 Grazie Chy for sharing,  and Charlie20 for translating!  I wonder what MIKAs BBC project is about!  Anybody knows ?

 

Love,love

me 

Please let it be something BIG! Not just a small thing!

I sit up and beg, like Melachi

I pull out my tongue and pant, like Amira!

Happy Birthday!

If Mika were doing this for his own enjoyment, to listen to himself, all well and good.

But it is for his worldwide fanbase, and I will repeat this very loudly, NOT ALL OF WHOM ARE MEMBERS OF MFC, and certainly not all lovers of the foreign language songs. Also this is being released to SELL to said fans, to make money, so if they take one look at the track listing and decide not to buy, then he isn't going to make money from it.

I suspect people might think I am not a fan of the foreign language songs. NOT true. I can't get my head around singing along to them, which is frustrating at gigs, but I do like EMD, and BBB.

And despite what people might assume, the UK isn't adverse to foreign language songs, over the decades many of them have got to #1 in the charts here.

But that said, I know that a fair amount of people here (the UK) don't like them, so that is why some foreign language songs don't do well here.

And as I've said in another thread, how the album sells here, is down to promo, which at the moment doesn't seem to be top of Mikas to do list.

I would say that the problem isn''t the foreign songs. There have been a lot of foreign songs which have done well here. The problem with the UK, as I see it, is the complete lack of publicity. It's not enough to do a couple of TV slots and a couple of radio interviews. He need to Mika-bomb the UK. There needs to be an ad for the album, and for Mika to, maybe, feature in a TV ad that is shown a lot. If not him personally, then one of his new songs in an advert on UKTV.

I'm sure, if he expressed an interest in getting onto a UK advert, he would be welcome. Let's face it, if Joe Essex can do adverts on UKTV, then Mika surely could get on one as well. He just needs to show some enthusiasm for getting the UK interested in him again. All he needs is the enthusiasm to do it.

Thank you!!   I think this is the smartest thing MIKA can do for his further career - as these conserts are just fantastic, and fully prove what an amazing singer MIKA really is...     

 

Love,love

me

Not only that. It proves just how brilliant his music really is. He's a true musician and his music has such heart, and so many layers to it. It lends itself to the classics and it's almost classical anyway. It's not normal pop music. I've thought that he should go down the classical route from now on. I don't think he'll ever again be big as a popstar. For one thing, the pop world has moved on. Another thing, he's getting older. But that's good. Mika is like wine that improves with age, and there could be a niche for him in the classical genre, which he would be wise to try to fill.

I got this same e-mail on Fri 13th - with totally 5 gig dates, in Korea and Japan, and was wondering about these "more LIVE NEWS coming soon" as well.

 As I can't see any hope for Scandinavian dates, I do hope it will be something for the UK, and Germany...

 

Love,love

me

Give me a U... U

Give me a K... K

Give me a UK concert Mika.

Preferably in...

Man ches ter

Na na na na

Man ches ter

Na na na na!

I know there have been things happening, not just in Paris. My heart and prayers are with everyone who belongs to the countries where the attacks have taken place. I hope everyone on this site stays safe, and everyone else as well.

I don't know what more to say, except to pray for our world.

I was away this weekend when the terrible events in Paris happened. I thought of all the French people and also hoped that Mika wasn't anywhere near Paris when it happened.

My heart and prayers are with the French people.

I've been away for the weekend.

This is something good to come back to!

i was researching (Mika & Adele actually) and found this little tidbit in an interview with Valentino's designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri from June 2015 on Yahoo Style

 

full interview on https://www.yahoo.com/style/maria-grazia-chiuri-pierpaolo-piccoli-interview-120501910808.html

 

 

i knew Pier Paolo was at Mika's Brooklyn gig, but it sounds like Maria Grazia was as well 

Mika isn't Italian!

I can understand why people get confused though.

When the day comes, that I see MIKA annonces a gig in Manchester, I'll make a big jump of joy, just for you Marilyn!   And I'll seriously consider to visit your city, for the first time in my life - I would so so  much love to meet you ...

 

Love,love

me 

Thank you. I'd love to meet you too.

Thanks also for spelling my name right.

Hello all! Never good at these introduction posts so bear with me.

 

I'm actually a returning member, I originally joined the MFC around 2009/10 as a teenager but as I got older my tastes changed and I'm ashamed to say Mika kind of faded into the background for a while. But last month I heard Talk About You playing in a shop and thought 'I know that voice!', loved the song, listened to all the tracks from No Place In Heaven when I got home and it felt just like the old days! Since then I've been listening to all the older stuff again and I can definitely say my love of Mika has returned   I used to really love this place so I'm back and hoping to have as much fun this time around. I saw Mika in London in 2010 and am a bit gutted to realise I've just missed out on catching him again, but I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities in the future!

This warms my heart.

I just wish that Mika would re-discover his love for the UK. I couldn't go to the concert in London as it's so difficult to get to London at the weekend. It would be better for me if he did a Manchester gig, so I hope he does one in the near future.

NPIH is a wonderful album and the song itself has become my favourite Mika song.

Welcome back to MFC.

When I first started reading it, I got excited, thinking it was something new. But it's OLD!

When people open threads for old articles, I think they should add the year, in this case 2007, so that people don't get excited, thinking it's new.

Such a fun dance! He will be so happy to watch this!

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1093255154027284&id=140279489324860&_rdr

If only he could be big in the USA! I keep hoping he will be.

If he was big in USA, then the UK would follow. They always make a fuss over anyone who "breaks America".

hi everyone , ive been a mika fan for long time but then due to exams and school work i stopped listening and about 2 years ago i started listening to his music again and then stopped and started listening again last year. this may make me look like a bad fan (trust me im not a bad fan ) but im sure you all understand school work and exams is a really stressfull time. i didnt really listen to any particular music just whaveter was on radio or the tv. i heard of the MFC but never really took time out to check it out but today i joined and looked at a couple of things and love what is going on, its such an amazing way to talk to other fans and get news on mika. i hope to get to know you all and meet you, you all seem like amazing people, i hope to hear from you soon

Hi there! It's so good to see another UK fan here!

The sad thing is, Mika isn't doing anything in the UK at the moment, so there aren't many UK people who are active on here at the moment. But Mika is busy in Europe, so I hope you have a great time on the MFC.

If you need any help with anything, I'm one of the English reps on here, so just click my banner and you can message me.

Have fun.

It is understandable that he does more in France or Italy because in those countries there may be a huge will more than others. In my country few people know about him, so I dont expect he can do something. But what bothers me is that apart from tv shows, he does almost all his concert in these two countries. He even performed in the same place just one month later. I just cannot understand this. Millions of gigs in Italy or France but no others I am dying to hear just one gig in my country. So it doesnt make sense for me :(

Exactly my point too. It's his choice to do the TV shows in Italy and France, but he does most everything else there too. Like you say, it makes no sense.

The only thing I see people complaining about is that his music wasn't promoted in the UK, Netherlands, etc. How is promoting his music "bending to market rules"?

 

 

And maybe the Queen should let him live in Buckingham Palace too?

 

This mentality is astounding to me. That everyone in the music industry should just hand over success to Mika on a silver platter and it's all their fault if his promo is lacking. All artists are playing by the same rules, it is not some special case for Mika. If you put absolutely nothing into a market you will get absolutely nothing back. Do you think other artists can spend 40 weeks a year in France and Italy and expect any kind of opportunities elsewhere? Do you think even top pop stars like Katy Perry did not have to pay their dues by repeatedly playing small dive bars of 200 people in London before they earned radio play and spots on TV shows?

 

People are disappointed that Mika and his team have chosen to focus all their efforts on Italy and France and it is not Simon Cowell's or anyone else's responsibility to find opportunities for him elsewhere for heaven's sake.

I agree with you. Artists have to put in the effort, to get something out. I think Mika could have become a judge on UKXF if he'd wanted to. But he'd signed up for Italy again. The problem is that every year now, Mika is in either Italy or France, for a lot of the year. He could plan a UK gig, or some UK promo with his team, but he doesn't seem to want to do that. Therefore, his fans can't be blamed for feeling disappointed.

It's also, not up to his fans to get him onto the radio. Quite a few of us tried, in the past, to request his songs, but there's more to it than that. I think it has to come from the top, so-to-speak. When GK was a huge hit, he was only just forming his fanbase, so someone on his team got his song on the radio, but that doesn't happen now.

It's such a shame, but there's not really anything we can do about it.

His management also manages Clean Bandit and I see them on Corrie commercials all the time. Not just their music but the band actually has speaking parts.

I hear ya. If Clean Bandit can do it then why not Mika?

Wow!  If only Mika had this sort of promotion in all countries...

Well I have no sympathy for him. He MUST know how badly he is promoted, so if he wants that all to change, he should sack his current team, and hire a new promo team.

If he doesn't, then he only has himself to blame if no one knows about his new album and his singles.

If he just wants to cocoon himself with his TV work in Italy and France, it's entirely up to him.

They played Talk About You in the Rovers on Friday's episode of Coronation Street.

That's really great! I don't watch Corrie, but lots of UK people still do. I think, if Mika would only make an effort to approach the UK again, by TV work, or the radio, or advertise something on TV, he could get back into peoples' minds in the UK. He just needs to do something, like he has in Italy and France.

Maybe he should also think of doing an orchestral concert here. I'm sure it would be welcome and would generate some good publicity for Mika.

As others have said, they were passed out and appreciated Marilyn. I even Instagrammed/tweeted about them, but maybe you didn't see.

 

https://instagram.com/p/8_IHTIJEr2/?taken-by=mikafanclub

I can't get onto Twitter anymore, unless I go through Alan's account, so I didn't see it. Thank you so much for posting the picture of one of my badges. I have no idea how to post pictures myself.

A few words from me about the BBB discussion. In one point I agree with Christine: that Mika does everything to please the crowd in most countries. In amsterdam he sang in dutch, in france, italy and spain he speaks the language at gigs (at least a little bit in spain). Tbh, i was disappointed that at the only gig in the german speaking area, in zurich, he didn't even know the german words for "my german is not so good" anymore, which i think he has said at every gig in german-speaking areas so far. In the earlier days, he always said a few sentences in the local language, wherever it was. But in zurich now he chose to speak a mix between english and french, sometimes saying everything in both languages, sometimes using just one. I felt betrayed, because i had hoped (and knew from previous german-swiss gigs) he wouldn't speak french in an area where it isn't the main language. No idea if the german-swiss people minded, i don't know any except daeni, and she wasn't there. Anyway, french or not, i hated it that he hadn't even bothered to learn that one german sentence again for the gig, if he has forgotten it.

 

Now back to the topic, london... i'm not british and i've accepted over the last few years that mika isn't just a british artist anymore but that it makes my life as a fan easier to accept him talking and singing in other languages too, instead of trying to fight or to ignore it. Which ofc isn't the case for everyone, especially those who are not that interested in following most of his interviews etc.. so i understand jemma's point that if you still see him as a british artist, you won't be happy about a french song in london. There are british fans tho who didn't mind, or even liked, him doing BBB, and i don't think all of them follow his international career as closely as i do. You could also say about promiseland that it's just a bonus track, so why does he do it. He knows many of his fans like it, and maybe hopes other random gig-goers might like it too, when they hear it live. I don't know what his obsession with BBB is, but ever since it was released, tho it wasn't really a hit even in france, i got the impression that he loves this song for some reason. Maybe it's what camille said in her post above, that he likes the idea so much that "boum boum boum" has such an international meaning, in his opinion (but tbh, without the context of the other french words in the song, or his performance, cover artwork or videoclip, i'm not sure i'd have understood it...). Don't know if there was any gig since the release of the song where he didn't play it? at least he did at all the gigs i went to, including italy, where i wouldn't have expected any french songs either.

 

Maybe to him playing a french song in the uk is as "punk" as playing billy brown in russia... if he ever got bullied as a kid in the uk for his french accent or french background, this might be his way to say 'see, i can get away with it!'. - it might not be what most of his uk audience likes, but i'm sure he knows this (last time at the roundhouse i wasn't sure, but now i am), and that he does it anyway probably means that he won't listen, whatever some people might say. For some reason, it's more important to him than the risk of disappointing anyone in the audience.

 

Personally, i don't mind bbb - although there are a lot of songs i'd prefer to hear instead of it, but the same goes for over my shoulder. For me, it's just a question of my personal perfect setlist, which even might include 1-2 french songs, but not bbb. I'm just glad he didn't do that l'amour song - which might have nice lyrics, but the music is just... well, he even had to defend the song in luxemburg, guess that says it all.

As a British fan, it isn't that he has songs in French that sometimes bugs me, nor is it that he has an international career. He has to find his career where he can, and at least the foreign shows keep him going strong. I'm not so interested in the foreign shows, but I've always understood why he does them.

What gets to me is that he never mentions the UK, and all we have had is this one London gig. He must know that his UK fans still love him and want him to do more over here. I know there has to be invitations for him to do certain things, but do they even know he'd like to do, maybe, an advert on TV, or some TV work?

When he was on The One Show, the hosts seemed really enthusiastic about him, talking about how he speaks so many languages and seemed enthusiastic about his album. but there wasn't really enough UK publicity, only that brief week with a couple of radio shows on Radio 2, not radio one.

But then there was this announcement that he would be starting some radio work in the UK. That would have been awesome! But it's come to nothing.

I come on here in the vain hope of something being announced. Some radio in the UK, some TV, or some more UK gigs? I hope against hope, and Mika remains silent.

If only he would say something. Just to let his UK fans know he hasn't forgotten us, even if it is such that it would be next year before we get him back. He announces when his book is out in Italy, he announces a gig for Korea, and nothing for the UK.

This is why being his fan these days, in the UK, is so disappointing.

Besides, if he had tried to get EMD or BBB on the radio in the UK, maybe people would have liked the songs. He never gave them a chance to be liked. Maybe he should have done. .