Aki Celeste

You totally should! Towards the end of last year I was thinking of opening a thread with writing prompts, using Mika's songs initially (although of course we could go broader than that). I did start a "Poetic resistance" thread recently, which might be another way to put something out there. Whatever you feel like doing, couldn't hurt to give it a try!

You read my mind - that was literally my first thought, as I definitely belong to the Frequent Pee-ers Club if I'm not careful! Regarding your Port-loving friend, it's so interesting how people's bodies react differently to alcohol. My S.O. has Asian heritage but the worst he experiences (and not with whiskey/Scotch) is red eyes and a bit of flushing. Or headaches if he doesn't drink enough water. I like the approach of only drinking on special occasions with friends, although the definition of "special occasion" can be broad. To each their own, as long as it's not life-threatening.

Now there's a substance I have less aversion to. Don't always like the smell/taste, but the benefits are pretty awesome. I wonder if they use a different oil for a base, like coconut? Judging from the price tag, I'm guessing no.

This is more or less my life now, with the occasional whiskey or Scotch thrown in, as my significant other is an amateur connoisseur . Definitely not wanting to go back to the habits of my 20s/early 30s, although I did get some good stories out of that period of my life. I haven't decided yet if I want to drink at my first Mika concert, but I'm leaning towards no because I don't want to miss a single moment!

Sorry to belabor the topic, but what has been your experience with waiting in line with friends? I'm bringing someone along who's not nearly as avid of a fan as I am, and I'm wondering if it's good etiquette to hold his place in line if I decide to arrive earlier in the afternoon. He's my seeing eye guide, sort of, as I can have considerable trouble navigating in unfamiliar darkened spaces, so maybe I can justify it if anyone looks at me sideways.

Agreed! At the moment, however, it seems that both PCR and antigen tests are OK. PCR tests can take a little longer to process, so maybe that's why? @Prisca Here's the website I found that mentioned both: https://www.afar.com/magazine/cdc-approves-at-home-covid-tests-for-international-travel

Good to know, thanks! I'll be happy if I can even make it there, with COVID restrictions and such, but if I'm feeling up to it I may very well start waiting in line earlier. I hear that bringing snacks and water is not a bad idea, at least until I get inside.

When I bought my tickets, it was general admission only, with no assigned seats. I think they might have seating though? Not able to find much information online in that regard. It also might depend on how many people buy tickets, as the venue can hold up to 3,500.

Seems like MFC folk like to band together, lol. I checked the Roadrunner website again, and the only information I could find was that doors open at 7pm. I'm thinking I'll probably show up at least as early as 5pm... I noticed something else weird on the venue website (which has been glitchy from start to finish with me). The Artist Info section on the page about Mika's concert only mentions his musical career up through NPIH. Did whoever posted it even realize that he's released a new album and singles since then? * huffs *

Looking at Prisca's response, i may have gotten my events mixed up. I could've sworn the Boston location offered early admission to presale ticket holders, but hopefully I'm wrong and have a chance of getting in well before 8. How long in advance do people tend to start queuing? The longest I've ever waited in line for an event is prob 2 hours, but maybe I should arrive earlier in this case...

I love this image, of Mika seeing a sea of flowers in the crowd! Of course, some might be reminded of the flower crowns in the film Midsommar, but we'd be going for quite a different vibe. Which is why the light-up feature might be a nice idea, give it more of a festival feel. I've gotten myself a crown already, but I need to figure out how to light it up (Etsy seems to have a few). Or maybe I'll just go with waving something around instead.

My introduction to smoking was the same almost word for word, if you plug in the words "My mom," "a cigarette," and "10 years old." I didn't have quite as visceral a reaction, but I remember thinking, "I don't get what the big deal is about smoking at all." Haven't smoked since, unless you count the occasional puff and pass. Although I came close to wanting to, when I lived in France and everybody around me was smoking (and drinking wine).

Thanks for looking into this! I unfortunately did not manage to buy presale tickets, so I won't be getting into the Roadrunner venue as early as some. But I can still wave my glowsticks/what-have-you from afar! Or meet up with folks beforehand outside the venue so we can make a plan to group ourselves together enough to be noticeable.

I love this idea! Maybe we can borrow it for the North American tour, if there's enough of us going? The concerts in Boston and Montreal are at 8PM and indoors as far as I'm aware... Seems like a nice way to kick off The Rite of Spring. Of course, if I'm breaking any rules of fan action etiquette by suggesting this, please let me know!

Seems like there's a lot of chatter on some other threads about fan actions - i.e. what to wear or carry (hats, lights, etc), not to throw on the stage or in the air - but I'm wondering if any folks going to the Boston show are interested in doing something similar, since it is the inaugural show of the tour. I'm planning on at least wearing a flower crown, possibly one that lights up. Perhaps we could come up with some ideas on the theme of flowers? At least one of the European concert threads is talking about flower-shaped glow sticks. Or we could always do a variation on the heart papers with flashlights shining through them...unless it's unlikely that security will let them through. Thoughts from anyone who's been to his larger concerts before (this'll be my first)?

So I’ve been thinking about what Mika has said – or what I’ve heard he’s said – regarding his experience of the music industry, and how he’s learned to carve out a place for himself, his style, and his sound. I then came across an article in The Atlantic (available here – sorry about the paywall!) that discusses how “old music” (e.g. Bowie, Springsteen, and other mega-stars from the mid- to late 20th century) has overtaken music from newer artists in terms of revenue from catalogs, LPs, and downloads from the internet. The gist of the article seems to be that it’s partly due to a risk-averse climate in which record labels are deathly afraid of being slapped with copyright lawsuits, as well as being locked into older business models. Yet it was through taking risks and circumventing older business models that bands like The Beatles burst into popularity in the first place, so it’s not exactly a winning strategy in some cases. I was surprised and a bit sad to read this, although I believe that new music and art is bubbling to the surface in other ways, through platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and I was wondering what thoughts others might have. Particularly in light of Mika’s allusions to “poetic resistance” and the death of the traditional music album. What does poetic resistance mean to you, and how might it shape and transform the music industry (or not) in the years to come? Are the younger generations becoming truly less creative and producing music that is not as good as that from older generations, or is today’s creativity just in need of a better mouthpiece? Or is it doing just fine as it is, without the help of the industry? I personally am not a creator of music or video content, although I have dabbled in music and theatre performance. Frankly, the idea of putting myself out there in that way feels like a step I’m not ready for, although I am working toward reaching it. I believe that so much of the creative act has more to do with confidence and reassurance that you don’t have to get it “right” every time, even if it’s just in the form of your inner voice or that one good friend who tells you to keep going through your hesitations and mistakes. I'm curious to know how others, who are more active in the semi-public sphere of the internet, experience poetic resistance, particularly when others are resistant to your resistance! Poetic resistance for me can be as simple as letting my mind roam free, even if it’s just for a few minutes during a busy day, and attempting to capture some of the resulting visions on paper (or on screen, or microphone, or whatever the preferred method of recording might be). It almost feels more like opening myself up to a universally shared force, rather than trying to cook up something within myself, although it does require my participation to manifest. It’s taken me several years to feel even remotely comfortable with sharing the results, so I guess for me, the idea of poetic resistance is also about creating anyway, whether my creations are “seen” or not – creativity for creativity’s sake. Maybe with a little "f***-you" attitude thrown in, as Mika mentioned in one of his IG Lives with MFC. Clearly there are many more thoughts/discussions to be had around this topic, and if there’s a better home for this thread, point me in that direction. I’d also be curious to hear from people who have a better sense of what Mika has said on this topic, as I still have a lot to catch up on!

That's awesome if it's true! I've not yet been my first concert with him, so it was based entirely on imagining what it would be like with lights shining in his eyes on the stage, as well as the size of the venue. If he has really good vision and can see all the way into the crowd, let there be mustaches galore. Or even if just the first few rows do it, I'm sure he'd appreciate it!

Depends on how close people are to him, right? I have a hard time imagining him seeing mustaches or masks any further than the people right up next to the stage, but it could still be funny. Or what about something like this? https://www.mardigrasoutlet.com/plush-camel-hat

The whole latest page of this thread has me in stitches, as I am not nearly as attuned to the possibilities of where Mika might be. I am most intrigued by the idea of him being in a cold place based on what he's wearing while he's recording ( @mellody I believe the piece covering the microphone is called a pop filter, btw). I've definitely had the experience of visiting family in the South during the winter and the AC is going, which drives me nuts.

Hmm, maybe you were having a premonition of his tweets/insta posts today? I like that you were singing Grace Kelly in French, although I don't know how well the chorus translates (although I have tried, lol). Does Mika even sing it in French anymore? Anywho, that's my random thought for a Friday... g'night y'all, and sweet Mika dreams to you!

And... here's another one! My first Mika dream ever, that I can recall anyhow. It wasn't much, just a simple performance that he was putting on at a small local venue with wooden floorboards and a baby grand on a thrust stage surrounded by velvet folding seats on three sides. I think it was literally just him and a pianist on the stage, and the audience wasn't that full yet, which leads me to think that I was there super early (or maybe it was a rehearsal?). My vantage point kept changing, but toward the end of the dream, he hopped off the stage into the front row where I was (I think he'd stashed a green jacket or some such personal item away in one of the seats down the row from me). We exchanged a few words, but the main thing I remember was how warm and unassuming he was. I was determined not to fangirl all over him, and in the end, it was easy to just say hi and listen. I have celebrity dreams every now and then, and most of the time, they end up in the same place - the recollection of "Oh, they're just people after all." Even if they're really good at playing up their strengths and talents for the whole world, with the help of many unseen people. Including us!

Hmm, maybe this would go well on the "Mika's Hair Fan Club" thread under Attributes? https://www.mikafanclub.com/topic/20305-mikas-hair-fan-club/#comments

Hi Mika's Hair fans! So I'm new to the MFC and not an "official" member of this group yet (although I might as well be, lol), but in skimming over several pages of this thread, I can't help wondering if there's been any discussion of who makes the hair magic happen. Does he tend to use the same stylist (who??), or has he been changing it up frequently over the years? Has he ever endorsed specific products or is he mostly a "woke up like this" kinda guy? Does he even do his OWN hair sometimes? It seems like he's been going for more of a neatly coiffed look than wild curls lately, but I am "hair" for all of it.

Awesome, thanks for pointing this out! She seems to be involved with a number of my favorite songs - it'd be lovely to hear them both live someday.

Man, there are a lot of great duets on this thread! I'm still catching up to them, as a relatively new consumer of Mika's music post-LICM, but so far I still think Ready To Call This Love is my favorite duet from a studio recording. The way his voice and Jack's complement each other is just... * chef's kiss * Not to mention the lovely references Mika has made to singing with him in at least one interview. I'm not quite as taken with his duets with female singers yet, not even the one he did with Imogen Heap, who is one of my favorite musicians ever. But like I said, I'm still catching up! Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are recordings of him singing with Ida before the orchestral renditions of his songs were performed? Or is that pretty much the extent of their professional collaboration? This probably belongs on a different thread, but I'd be really curious to see what he'd sound like in collaboration with someone like Laura Mvula. They have very different voices, but a similar exuberance and soulful quality. Thinking of She or I Don't Know What The Weather Will Be in particular - what if Mika covered one of those songs in a different key? Or, thinking even further afield, what would a Mika song covered by Jacob Collier sound like?