Ellie13

I just thought - what we need is something like Live Aid where he could perform live to millions of viewers and grab the audience like Queen (sorry) did at that event! And subsequently they had a career renaissance. Who should we pester to put something on, I wonder?? And which cause?

I don't think its the music, but how he presents himself - but that's so much a part of how he wants to be that I don't think he will change that, and fair play to him. I do think the way he came over in 2007 was distinctive and himself, but relate-able and inclusive. Think of how he looked in the Grace Kelly video and the content of that - he looked like any boy next door, and he was creating a party that looked so much fun, but was really different in including all types of people not the super cool. At that time it was quite a radical statement. I think personally that he kind of lost his inclusivity with TBWKTM - I'm a fan and I couldn't get half of it. Don't think the videos helped either, notably Rain. I felt he was really hiding in that album - to me it lacked the integrity of the other 2 and was just a bunch of stories that might or might not relate in some way to him. I think he's got his relate-ability and integrity back in the music now, but his videos still aren't helping massively. Maybe we should just accept he's not ever going to be a major star in the UK or US, and not worry about it anymore. I really can't see him giving up performing or not being able to sell tickets to gigs, he is so brilliant live... Please don't kill me, is just my thoughts!

Grace Kelly had intelligent, witty lyrics that make sense and anyone can identify with WAG doesn't - its aimed at teenagers and how many teenagers do you know outside MFC who'd identify with the chorus?? The video for GK was also really inclusive. with all ages represented and just about people having fun - making magic out of ordinary things. Compare that with the Rain video.

True indeed, but I got the feel from all the reviews I read before it and the album came out, that the critics were expecting him to repeat LICM / Grace Kelly level success with Boy and WAG, sweeping all before him. And that didn't happen and WAG left the charts quicker than GK. So it did do really well, but perhaps not at the expected level of mikafying the world... Oooh and I love analysing videos and lyrics by the way... What's happened with releasing BIOTG in the US? Was it released and how did it do?? Or is it still to happen?

The vid isn't that mainstream, it just starts off that way. Don't think it helps that what you see conflicts with what you hear in it (lyrics all about NOT wanting to be ordinary, whilst visuals are all about running away from the extraordinary).

I think its because WAG didn't do as well as expected that he's getting ignored now I think. Maybe.

Think you're right there - odd decision to head for the hardest market first before shoring up sales in the homeland. I don't think anyone else will agree with me, but trying to look at it from the point of view of someone neutral who maybe bought LICM but isn't a keen fan, I don't think his videos are doing him any favours either. Still, maybe its all part of a cunning plan...

That's really interesting - something wierd is going on then.. I'm actually really heartened by this. Thanks for posting!

Me too....totally agree Did anyone see any reviews of Rain in magazines? I didn't (unlike WAG), and am just wondering if some of the press have turned off Mika and so Rain isn't being promoted enough? IF the mags aren't reviewing it, how would non fans know its there to be bought? Personally I reckon its also partly down to WAG and non-fan reactions to it. I had to listen to it a lot to like it, and I wouldn't have listened to it a lot if I hadn't had the incentive of being a fan. Its a shame it was the first single. How many people outside the MFC do you know who could identify with its chorus?

Um, excuse me please, where is the one who a couple of months back was really new and inspiring hope in him?? Do we think he was in room 6 until Something Went Horribly Wrong....

Ooooh, but, what about the Heat interview couple of months or so back, where he'd just started a relationship and was hopeful about it, but wouldn't say more because it was 'too new'! I liked it better when he didn't out and out lie, just said mind your own business. But hey, its Mika, it don't have to make no sense to you at all.... Or maybe he's in an open relationship? Or a very on again / off again one? Doubt it... Wonder what the next variant is going to be - married? divorced? off sex completely and joining a monastery? tantric sex? polygamy? eee, the possibilities are endless....

Maybe we should just ask non Mika fans who liked the first album, but not the second, why they don't like it as much, or why they didn't like WAG. We're Mika fans so we're NEVER going to understand it! Has anyone had feedback on this? Still think its WAG and its lyrics... And the sexuality issue, much as I hate to say that and ridiculous as it is...

I agree WAG was a bad choice - I was really disappointed when I heard it, although I think its a fun stadium song that probably sounds best live. The chorus is really meaningless, whereas Grace Kelly was very witty which helped. Rain on the other hand is great so hopefully will do well, but I don't think the video is going to help his cause much. I love it, but non-Mika-ites might find it too 'camp'. Never mind, bet his third album is great, the pressure will be off a bit! He's brilliant so its going to come through...

Oh I dunno, might be a relief then we could all forget about his sexuality!! Although he probably wouldn't comment and then people would say ho, hum the person was probably lying anyway... Frankly I just can't understand why anyone who's studied him would think he was anything other than into guys and against labels (quite rightly) and why anyone on this forum should have a problem with that! Why put 'admit' to being bisexual - you don't read someone 'admitted' to being heterosexual. He must have excellent taste in partners to pick people who don't do kiss and tell, good for him! That's the really surprising and impressive thing to me...

Great article, thanks for posting! Anyone else noticed the contradiction of he shuns famous friends and then further down a list of some of them... thinking about it Mika actually has a heck of a lot of famous friends. Or rather friends who happen to be famous .

Thanks for posting x

Thanks for report Rose! You lucky things seeing him to talk to - hope I get to do that one day, would be great. And thanks to everyone who posted pictures and vids - and for kind support re drunk idiot - I feel all hugged! This is a lovely club... Off to watch the vids... x

Report back from Latitude Ok, so - got there easily enough but then spent about 2 hours queuing to get into the park, they kept changing the gates we were supposed to go in by so literally drove twice round the area which was enormous. Got in and parked and walked long way to the arenas through the forest - must be a lovely park to just ramble in. Everything very smooth getting in there, and it was a good atmosphere with all ages, and SUNSHINE! Thank God he wasn't on yesterday! No mud, hmmm, almost disappointed (festival virgin you see!). Went to the Uncut Arena about 3pm and as it was filling up decided to stay there and see the act before. It was Paloma Faith, who I'd never heard of and she was brilliant, and so appropriate to have before Mika. The perfect warm up act for him actually although of course she wasn't there for that. Balloons, glitter, confetti, a good voice and presence, yup, she was like Mika-fun on a smaller scale. After she went everyone moved forward and got crushed up a bit. Lots of people around age 15, 16. In came the piano, John, Cherisse wheeled in already in place at her drums (they were moving the gear in in a way that looked like it was gliding on an escalator, dunno how) and looking anxious about said drums. She fixed something and left. Then the orchestra came in with tall silver pointed glittery hats on (spec there's pictures here anyway so won't say much about the look of things). Couldn't see all the instruments they had but there were quite a few. Then all the others came in together including Mika in electric orange jacket. After a quiet Hello Latitude, he started straight in on GK, then Blue Eyes. Then he went to the what's it called, (small instrument, is it a celeste???) and said would sing Toy Boy and that he'd just sung it on the radio and really confused Dermot O'Leary as it was about a 'homosexual toy' (His words). Of course it was great and went down well where I was I think. (I was about 10 rows back). Small moment of much amusement afterwards for me I have to confess, as, when it finished a girl in front turned round to her friend behind and said in utter incredulity 'Is Mika gay??' Probably the last person in England not to have heard the speculation!! Then he went back to the piano and sang Billy Brown, so that was quite an interesting pairing of songs. He said something about the big tent being noisy and couldn't they turn it down and that we would challenge them by being the quietest. You could hear the bass coming from there but it wasn't loud enough to interfere and spoil anything (for me anyway). Next was 'Over My Shoulder'. (I really hope I'm getting this in the right order and not leaving anything out - v sorry if so). That was the highlight for me, it sounded absolutely heavenly and it hit me again what an amazingly beautiful voice he has and what a skilled singer he is! I didn't actually like that track on the single it was on, but live both here and Amsterdam it was incredible. And I really didn't expect it to be spectacular in this environment as you haven't got the perfect acoustics of the Concertgebouw. I've just got to say it again, he is a seriously, seriously talented artist, in a different league to most. But y'all know that...! Mmmmm...where was I? OK in terms of the crowd, and despite the beauty of the song and his voice, I'd say that - and I can only speak for the section I was in -he lost them a bit with Over My Shoulder. Some started checking texts or talking a bit and one started looking at the programme. It wasn't a lot, and there was plenty of applause at the end, but I could sense a change in the vibe. And brilliantly, he then grabbed their attention right back with a snowstorm of white confetti and 'Big Girl'. It was all pretty lively and upbeat then with the LICM hits and Blame it on the Girls. Can't remember the order I'm afraid but we had a great SITM, LT and Lollipop (at the end I think). He danced quite a bit and ended on the piano like in Amsterdam. I dunno if anyone else would agree but I think there was a bit of a deliberately sexier edge to the dancing than before - maybe that's part of the move- from-childhood-to-adolescence theme?? Or maybe it's my imagination, but I don't recall it so much from Hammersmith or Brixton in 08... He'd never struck me as a particularly effective dancer before, but I thought he was good today. Ended with telling us the first new single was out on Monday. Other observations - he didn't seem as excited and happy at first as he was in Amsterdam (but then that was really special). To me I thought he looked a bit preoccupied at first. Then he got into it more. Either way he gave 100% and had the usual skill and charisma and professionalism we expect. I did enjoy it a lot, but it would have been nice to have had more of the new songs or 'Songs for Sorrow'. I assume he focussed on the upbeat items because of it being a festival environment which was really sensible actually. Oh yeah - and can anyone tell me - is there an age limit on appreciating good music? Or attending a festival?? I'd just like to say a personal f**k you to the drunk, red-faced idiot behind me who said 'you're even older than I am, what are you doing here?' I think its safe to say not a member of this club... Not going to end on that note though, I had a great time, loved the festival environment, the food, the sunshine, Paloma Faith - and most of all, our man who definitely made it worth going. Off to wash the festival dust off now....bye for now xx

Report back from Latitude Ok, so - got there easily enough but then spent about 2 hours queuing to get into the park, they kept changing the gates we were supposed to go in by so literally drove twice round the area which was enormous. Got in and parked and walked long way to the arenas through the forest - must be a lovely park to just ramble in. Everything very smooth getting in there, and it was a good atmosphere with all ages, and SUNSHINE! Thank God he wasn't on yesterday! No mud, hmmm, almost disappointed (festival virgin you see!). Went to the Uncut Arena about 3pm and as it was filling up decided to stay there and see the act before. It was Paloma Faith, who I'd never heard of and she was brilliant, and so appropriate to have before Mika. The perfect warm up act for him actually although of course she wasn't there for that. Balloons, glitter, confetti, a good voice and presence, yup, she was like Mika-fun on a smaller scale. After she went everyone moved forward and got crushed up a bit. Lots of people around age 15, 16. In came the piano, John, Cherisse wheeled in already in place at her drums (they were moving the gear in in a way that looked like it was gliding on an escalator, dunno how) and looking anxious about said drums. She fixed something and left. Then the orchestra came in with tall silver pointed glittery hats on (spec there's pictures here anyway so won't say much about the look of things). Couldn't see all the instruments they had but there were quite a few. Then all the others came in together including Mika in electric orange jacket. After a quiet Hello Latitude, he started straight in on GK, then Blue Eyes. Then he went to the what's it called, (small instrument, is it a celeste???) and said would sing Toy Boy and that he'd just sung it on the radio and really confused Dermot O'Leary as it was about a 'homosexual toy' (His words). Of course it was great and went down well where I was I think. (I was about 10 rows back). Small moment of much amusement afterwards for me I have to confess, as, when it finished a girl in front turned round to her friend behind and said in utter incredulity 'Is Mika gay??' Probably the last person in England not to have heard the speculation!! Then he went back to the piano and sang Billy Brown, so that was quite an interesting pairing of songs. He said something about the big tent being noisy and couldn't they turn it down and that we would challenge them by being the quietest. You could hear the bass coming from there but it wasn't loud enough to interfere and spoil anything (for me anyway). Next was 'Over My Shoulder'. (I really hope I'm getting this in the right order and not leaving anything out - v sorry if so). That was the highlight for me, it sounded absolutely heavenly and it hit me again what an amazingly beautiful voice he has and what a skilled singer he is! I didn't actually like that track on the single it was on, but live both here and Amsterdam it was incredible. And I really didn't expect it to be spectacular in this environment as you haven't got the perfect acoustics of the Concertgebouw. I've just got to say it again, he is a seriously, seriously talented artist, in a different league to most. But y'all know that...! Mmmmm...where was I? OK in terms of the crowd, and despite the beauty of the song and his voice, I'd say that - and I can only speak for the section I was in -he lost them a bit with Over My Shoulder. Some started checking texts or talking a bit and one started looking at the programme. It wasn't a lot, and there was plenty of applause at the end, but I could sense a change in the vibe. And brilliantly, he then grabbed their attention right back with a snowstorm of white confetti and 'Big Girl'. It was all pretty lively and upbeat then with the LICM hits and Blame it on the Girls. Can't remember the order I'm afraid but we had a great SITM, LT and Lollipop (at the end I think). He danced quite a bit and ended on the piano like in Amsterdam. I dunno if anyone else would agree but I think there was a bit of a deliberately sexier edge to the dancing than before - maybe that's part of the move- from-childhood-to-adolescence theme?? Or maybe it's my imagination, but I don't recall it so much from Hammersmith or Brixton in 08... He'd never struck me as a particularly effective dancer before, but I thought he was good today. Ended with telling us the first new single was out on Monday. Other observations - he didn't seem as excited and happy at first as he was in Amsterdam (but then that was really special). To me I thought he looked a bit preoccupied at first. Then he got into it more. Either way he gave 100% and had the usual skill and charisma and professionalism we expect. I did enjoy it a lot, but it would have been nice to have had more of the new songs or 'Songs for Sorrow'. I assume he focussed on the upbeat items because of it being a festival environment which was really sensible actually. Oh yeah - and can anyone tell me - is there an age limit on appreciating good music? Or attending a festival?? I'd just like to say a personal f**k you to the drunk, red-faced idiot behind me who said 'you're even older than I am, what are you doing here?' I think its safe to say not a member of this club... Not going to end on that note though, I had a great time, loved the festival environment, the food, the sunshine, Paloma Faith - and most of all, our man who definitely made it worth going. Off to wash the festival dust off now....bye for now xx

You complete star, thanks so much. Maybe see y'all there...

If anyone else wants a day ticket for the Saturday to see Mika, I have a spare one. (Have posted in extra ticket thread but thought would try here too). Why are so few of us going!!

I have an extra day ticket for Latitude Saturday - please pm me if interested. May not be able to get back to you til tonight though.

Thank you!

Oh it was! I was 3 rows from front 2nd from the end on the left as you face the stage. Where were you? And was that Katy Perry at the end of that row on the far right??