Lunari

I'm pretty tired after returning from Padova, but the concert was great. Since I knew I wouldn't be able to arrive there early, I decided to buy a sitting ticket this time. My seat actually turned out to be terrible: it was in the front row, which was at the same level as the standing area, and you could see absolutely nothing (the part of the stage that wasn't blocked by the people standing was blocked by the loudspeakers). I really don't think the venue should be allowed to sell tickets for such a place (and nowhere did it say that the view was limited or anything like that). Anyway, if I wanted to actually see Mika, I had no choice but to join the people in the standing area, and I ended up really enjoying the gig after all. It was unusually long (almost two hours), maybe because Mika was very chatty. Other than Stardust (which I think he usually does in Italy anyway), there weren't any additions to the usual setlist. When it was time to sing Tomorrow, he started singing it in English, but then sang the second part in Italian. I'm sure most people have already seen the band members with "Mika masks" that he posted on Instagram. While Max was wearing the mask, Mika had to help him walk across the stage because he "couldn't see worth a s**t now" (Mika's words, slightly paraphrased because they were in Italian). There was another funny moment: before Lollipop, some people were throwing candies at Mika (at least I think that's what happened, as I wasn't close enough to really see it), and he joked that they were trying to kill him. He pretended to be an Italian news announcer: "Mika had a pretty short career that lasted about 10 years. He died in Padova because of a caramel in the head." He said that the news would show his old apartment in Milan and that his Italian friends would talk about his death. "Chiara would say: I thought Mika had stardust in his head, but it turned out that it was actually a caramel. Morgan would talk about the poetic death of Mika." He got really invested in the story of his death by caramel and just kept going on and on about it before he finally finished singing Lollipop. A less funny part was that he said he had lost his voice in the morning, but thanks to medication, he was able to sing now. I really hope he'll get better soon, considering how many gigs he has to do in the near future!

@Patty70, you've made some great points, especially about how Mika must be affected by his mother's illness. I sometimes think that we're lucky he's even touring at this difficult time in his life, but in a way, touring is probably what helps him cope with it. Like you said, he can express himself on stage in a way that he can't anywhere else. I'm sorry that you missed the M&G in Cernobbio. If it makes you feel any better, there are no guarantees that you could have talked to Mika even if you had been there. I was there, and while it was definitely an amazing experience (I loved seeing him up close and listening to him talk about his projects), it was also a bit chaotic and a lot of people, including me, didn't really get to talk to him. I also know what you mean about events in Italy in general, but still, you never know when a good opportunity will present itself, so don't give up hope!

I don't know about being wise, but thank you. I wish an amazing 2020 to you too and definitely hope to see you at a Mika gig soon!

My thoughts about this are also quite complicated. On the one hand, I don't think Mika owes us anything (well, except for the concert that we paid for -- and he definitely delivers that!), and I wouldn't say that meeting fans after gigs is a part of his job. It's a nice bonus, but not something that should be expected of him, especially after putting so much of his energy in performing on stage. On the other hand, I can definitely understand that fans are disappointed because he so rarely does M&Gs these days, especially those who were used to him doing them regularly in the past. I have only been following him since 2014, so I wasn't around in the "good old days" (and he didn't do that many M&Gs during the Heaven tour either). I'm sure having something and then having it taken away is more disappointing than never having experienced it in the first place. Also, I was lucky enough to be in Barcelona and experience the one really great M&G he has done so far during this tour, so I definitely can't complain. As for the reasons for the change, obviously we can't really know for sure, as he's the only person who could answer the question. My guess is that in the past he felt like he did "owe" his fans something more than just the concert (and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way: being famous was still sort of new for him and he was in awe that so many people loved him and were willing to follow him, so he wanted to get to know them and do something for them in return). But as he got older, he gradually realized that he actually isn't obligated to make everyone happy, especially if he's feeling tired or just not in the mood to talk to crowds of people. Perhaps his mother's illness has also made him reconsider his priorities and influenced his behaviour a little? This is all just speculation, of course. Anyway, like I said, I can definitely see the issue from both sides. I've decided to lower my expectations when I go to gigs and just look forward to a great show. If anything happens after it, it's a wonderful and unexpected bonus, and if it doesn't, I already had a great time anyway.

Thanks for letting me know how it all went down - I had no idea! I couldn't even understand what that guy was shouting, so I was really surprised when I realized which song Mika was going to sing. As annoying as standing in front of that drunk guy must have been, I guess he ended up doing us all a favor. 😉

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this gig, because at Mika's last concert in Zürich in 2015 the queuing and entering the venue was very disorganised and chaotic. It turned out that this time there weren't nearly as many people who arrived early (maybe because the weather was pretty cold), so it was much easier to get a good place. The concert itself was amazing. Mika was in a really good mood and he smiled a lot, even though you could hear that his voice wasn't at its best. He was very happy and touched when he saw our glowstick hearts during Tiny Love. As you can see from the videos that have already been posted, during a quiet moment before the last part of Happy Ending some guy shouted a request for I Only Love You When I'm Drunk, and Mika actually did it! He complained about not being able to remember the lyrics (before reading them from Nina's phone) and told that guy it was all his fault, but he also added that he was f***ing enjoying himself. 😉 Then he asked for other requests, but couldn't understand what people were saying. Finally some people successfully requested Grace Kelly (which was a total waste of a request if you ask me, since he was going to do that song anyway). Then someone reqested Good Guys, so we finally got to hear a song from NPIH during this tour! It took Mika a while to explain to his band how to play this song, and he couldn't remember the lyrics perfectly this time either, but the performance was still great. It felt really special to be a part of this gig. ❤️

I also thought about you and the great time we had together in Florence. I really hope you can see Mika again soon. I can assure you that he hasn't lost his touch and his concerts are as amazing as ever. And of course I hope we see each other again too!

I noticed the absence of songs from NPIH too, especially since he does at least one song from every other album. And sure, NPIH didn't have any big hits, but it's not like Origin of Love and Underwater were huge hits either, and he always sings those. I hope it's just because NPIH songs don't fit the show concept, not because he doesn't like them anymore - I would really love to hear some of them again in a future gig.

Great report, @Statue_of_Liberty! I don't have much to add. The setlist was almost the same as in Barcelona, there was just one small difference: he didn't do Blue in Madrid and he did Tomorrow, while in Barcelona it was the other way around. Anyway, I had a pretty good place at the very end of the front row (which wasn't that close to Mika, but at least no one tall was blocking my view) and I really enjoyed the gig. At the end I also always get the feeling that it was really short though. It lasts about an hour and a half and I'm not sure if that's an average length for a concert? I don't go to too many other performer's gigs, although I've definitely been to some that were longer. But I guess it's not the size that counts. Now it's back to real life for me too (but luckily not for too long!).

He must have come out a little earlier than 1:00, because I was already in my hotel by that time (although maybe not that much, as my hotel was very close to the venue).

The concert ended a little before 11pm and I think Mika came out about half past midnight. I think he stayed for at least 10 or 15 minutes, but it's hard to say for sure because I kind of lost track of time while he was there.

The concert was amazing and definitely one of my favorite Mika gigs I've been to so far. The queuing was very relaxed and I managed to make it to the front row. Mika was in good spirits and sounded wonderful. I loved hearing Live Your Life, which I'd never heard life before. I was surprised that he didn't do Tomorrow this time though (and no Sanremo either). He came out to meet the fans after the gig, stayed a while and really took the time to sign things and talk to people. All in all, an unforgettable experience. 😁

Yeah, Cry is definitely my least fave so far too. But I agree that it will be hard to make a list of faves, because right now my list of contenders is pretty long! I had the same thought, Platform Ballerinas lyrics seem like they could be about the fans (or at least they fit the bill better than the other songs).

Wow, this album was definitely worth the wait! Some songs really shocked me in a good way, especially I Went to Hell Last Night and Tiny Love Reprise. I also already love Paloma and Stay High. I need to listen to the other new songs a few more times, but I think I'll end up loving most, if not all of them.

I have to agree. While I love the new songs, there's something that's been bothering me about them from the start (except for Tiny Love), and I'm realizing that it's the production. The melodies and lyrics are great, but I don't think the songs shine the way they could. Edit: To make this on topic, Tomorrow is definitely my favorite new song after Tiny Love. Like many others, I could already tell this would be the case after hearing the live version.

I tried for Zurich and at first it gave me an option to buy a maximum of 2 tickets, but after a moment it said that no tickets were available. So, maybe the presale allocation was sold out there too. I also tried for London and it said that my postal code was wrong. My postal code is definitely correct, it's just not a UK one (and I did pick "other" when it asked for my country).

Yeah, I'm sure the interpretation is computer generated (and I seriously doubt an astrologer would keep referring to him as "Mika (singer)" ). The site has lots of other celebrity profiles too.

This site has Mika's natal chart: https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Mika_(singer) I don't know where they got his birth time and if it's accurate, but it does indeed say that his rising sign is Gemini.

LICM: Happy Ending TBWKTM and SFS: Toy Boy TOOL: Origin of Love NPIH: Good Wife LICM is the most difficult for me, because there are a few songs tied for first place.

I have the exact same problem! Well, he did have a gig in Prague during his last tour and it seemed to be very successful, so I think it's quite possible he'll do it again.

I love the song! I love the orchestra, the way Mika's voice changes ... I wouldn't associate it with the word "simple" either, it actually took me a few listens to be able to decide how I felt about it. Even if it may not be on the new album or representative of its sound, this song sounds very "Mika" to me. I'm sure I'll have it on repeat for a while!

If it's just a couple of tweets, then I agree that Pilot probably won't be that bothered. Like I said, I think asking politely is fine, as long as you keep in mind that they may have different plans or perhaps already support a different charity and aren't willing to add another one at the moment. Good luck!

I don't think anyone doubts your good intentions and I, for one, would love to see this initiative succeed. I don't even think there's anything wrong in politely asking Pilot if they would consider donating some of the profits. However, I think what some of us are concerned about is that in your previous post you said: "So far we haven't gotten a reaction from the company, despite tweeting a lot, but we will not give up, we hope for a reaction". This sounds like people are sending Pilot lots of tweets about this, which could annoy them and make them think twice about working with Mika in the future. When they made a deal with him, they were obviously hoping to make a profit (because that's how businesses operate), and they're not required to donate any of it if they don't want to. If they do, that's great, but being flooded with donation requests from his fans probably won't help the cause and might even hurt Mika's future business prospects.

Last time I was at a taping, a guy sitting next to me was wearing a t-shirt with lots of writing. A staff member came to check if there were any logos there, and when she saw that there weren't, she let him be. So, I'm sure your pineapple shirt will be fine as well.