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Is Mika from Planet Earth? (review Lowlands)


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http://3voor12.vpro.nl/3voor12/festivals/news/full.jsp?portal=2534202&event=35167015&news=36244794&type=-1

 

The live recording of the performance is under the top button on the right.

(thanks to Wingyie for posting the link!)

 

I hope one of my fellow Dutchies will be so kind to provide a translation, I'm too tired now, sorry... :blush-anim-cl:

 

Komt Mika wel van Planeet Aarde?

Gospel, musical, ballet en Sesamstraat: Hier is Mika!

 

Mika live op Lowlands 2007

Perfecte mix van Elton John en Freddie Mercury in hedendaags jasje

 

Mika is een fenomeen. Zijn falsetstem is van Beieren tot Benidorm te horen, en hij staat binnenkort in een uitverkochte Heineken Music Hall. Daarom op Lowlands 2007 vast een voorproefje van dat circus. Het publiek stond tot ver buiten de tent mee te zingen met de hits Relax en Grace Kelly. En terwijl de show vorderde, doemt de vraag op: Komt deze krankzinnige elastieken heliumjunk wel van Planeet Aarde?

 

MUZIEK

Life in Cartoon Motion is het debuutalbum van deze Libanese Amerikaan die in Londen woont vanaf z'n negende... een Brit dus, zullen we maar zeggen. Tongen van critici beweren overeenkomsten met Freddy Mercury en Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), maar dat komt nog niet in de buurt. Zelfs Jimmy Somerville van Bronski Beat klinkt nog als een gruntende grafstem in vergelijking met deze vocale acrobaat. De sound is een clowneske potpourri waarin al het typische van 'classic' radio 2 popmuziek is vermengd. Beegees, Queen, Dolly Parton, Supertramp, Abba... Wie de hit Grace Kelly niet kan meefluiten, heeft vermoedelijk de afgelopen maanden in een kelderbox met gaffertape rond de oren gelegen. Wikipedia verklaart dat Mika vijf octaven kan halen, wat echt niet veel mensen hem na kunnen doen. Je kan veel vinden van Mika, maar niet dat hij geen talent heeft.

 

PLUS

Voor Mika geen pretenties, hoe magistraal en over-the-top de muziek soms kan zijn. Mika blijft de vrolijke Frans met loshangende bretels. Al vanaf de intro (van Dolly Parton) neemt Mika een loopje met de Ordedienst van de Goede Smaak. Geen cool a-symmetrisch kapsel, geen stonede blik en geen modieuze kleding. En Mika maakt het met een vierkoppige band volledig waar: wie deze stem aanhoort, zou zweren met een buitenaardse freak van doen te hebben. Maar een ding staat buiten kijf: hij kan popnummers schrijven. En wat zingt hij nou eigenlijk in die hit Grace Kelly?

 

'I could be brown

I could be blue

I could be violet sky

I could be hurtful

I could be purple

I could be anything you like

Gotta be green

Gotta be mean

Gotta be everything more

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you walk out the door!

 

En dat met een toonhoogte waar vliezen massaal van breken. Overigens is dit nummer een steek onder water naar de platenmaatschappijen die Mika in eerste instantie weigerden. Ondeugende Mika!

 

MIN

Het 'vlieg met me mee naar de regenboog'-gehalte wel wat te veel, vooral tijdens de ballads. Dan hebben we het niet eens over confetti, grote konijnen en beren en andere sprookjesfiguren op het podium: dat maakt het tot een bonte aflevering van Sesamstraat, en dat krijgt iets suggestiefs met die ballerina van een Mika die zingt: "Sucking too hard on your lollipop", ja toch.

 

CONCLUSIE

Mika is in vocaal opzicht alle Beegees in zijn eentje. Zijn imago is wat nondescript (het is niet zo geil en guitig als Scissor Sisters, maar die losse bretels zijn weer heel erg pantomime) maar de show blijft recht overeind staan.

 

CIJFER

8

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The audio is the full length show, in great quality might I add!

 

Ok translation of the article:

 

Is Mika from Planet Earth?

Gospel, musical, ballet and Sesame Street: Here's Mika!

 

Mika live at Lowlands 2007

A perfect mixture of Elton John and Freddie Mercury in a modernised fashion.

 

Mika is a phenomenon. His falsettovoice can be heard from London to Tokio (re: name a random city) and he'll be performing in a sold out Heineken Music Hall later this year. Lowlands 2007 is a little taste of the circus that is to come. The crowd was singing along to hit songs Relax, Take it Easy and Grace Kelly far past the boundaries of the tent. And as the show progressed, a question comes to mind: Does this insane elastic heliumjunkie come from Planet Earth?

 

MUSIC

Life in Cartoon Motion is the debut album of this Lebanese American who's been living in London since he was 9 years old.. let's just call him British. Critics claim there are similarities between Mika and Freddy Mercury and Justin Hawkinds (The Darkness), but that's not even close. Even Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat sounds like a grunting graveyard voice in comparison to this vocal acrobat. His sound is a clownesque potpourri in which all the typical 'classic' radio 2 popmusic has been merged. Beegees, Queen, Dolly Parton, Supertramp, Abba... Whoever can't hum along to hit song Grace Kelly must have spent the past few months in a basement with gaffertape around their ears. Wikipedia claims Mika has a vocal range of 5 octaves, something not a lot of people will be able to copy. Say what you want about Mika, but don't claim he doesn't have talent.

 

PLUS

Mika is not pretentious, however magnificent and over the top his music may be. Mika's still the cheery guy with his braces dangling loose. From the intro (Dolly Parton) on Mika takes a run with the Order Service of Good Taste. No cool a-symmetrical hairdo, no stoned look in his eyes and no trendy clothing. Mika and his 4 piece band live up to what's claimed: when you listen to this voice, you'd swear you're dealing with an extra terrestrial freak. But one thing goed without saying: the guy can write a mean popsong. And what the hell is it he sings in Grace Kelly?

 

'I could be brown

I could be blue

I could be violet sky

I could be hurtful

I could be purple

I could be anything you like

Gotta be green

Gotta be mean

Gotta be everything more

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you walk out the door!

 

And that in a pitch that spontaneously causes your water to break. By the way, this song is a "stick you" song to the record companies that initially turned Mika down. Naughty Mika!

 

DOWNSIDE

The 'fly with me over the rainbow' feel is a bit much, especially during the ballads. And then we haven't even started about the confetti, giant bunnies, bears and other fairytale figures on stage: this makes it seem like a multi coloured episode of Sesame Street, which gets a bit of a suggestive undertone with the ballerina that is Mika singing about "sucking too hard on your lollipop," doesn't it?

 

CONCLUSION

Vocally, Mika is a one man Beegees. His image is a bit nondescript (it's not as raunchy and malicious as the Scissor Sisters, but the dangling braces ARE very pantomime) but the show is solid like a rock.

 

GRADE

8

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The audio is the full length show, in great quality might I add!

 

Ok translation of the article:

 

Is Mika from Planet Earth?

Gospel, musical, ballet and Sesame Street: Here's Mika!

 

Mika live at Lowlands 2007

A perfect mixture of Elton John and Freddie Mercury in a modernised fashion.

 

Mika is a phenomenon. His falsettovoice can be heard from London to Tokio (re: name a random city) and he'll be performing in a sold out Heineken Music Hall later this year. Lowlands 2007 is a little taste of the circus that is to come. The crowd was singing along to hit songs Relax, Take it Easy and Grace Kelly far past the boundaries of the tent. And as the show progressed, a question comes to mind: Does this insane elastic heliumjunkie come from Planet Earth?

 

MUSIC

Life in Cartoon Motion is the debut album of this Lebanese American who's been living in London since he was 9 years old.. let's just call him British. Critics claim there are similarities between Mika and Freddy Mercury and Justin Hawkinds (The Darkness), but that's not even close. Even Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat sounds like a grunting graveyard voice in comparison to this vocal acrobat. His sound is a clownesque potpourri in which all the typical 'classic' radio 2 popmusic has been merged. Beegees, Queen, Dolly Parton, Supertramp, Abba... Whoever can't hum along to hit song Grace Kelly must have spent the past few months in a basement with gaffertape around their ears. Wikipedia claims Mika has a vocal range of 5 octaves, something not a lot of people will be able to copy. Say what you want about Mika, but don't claim he doesn't have talent.

 

PLUS

Mika is not pretentious, however magnificent and over the top his music may be. Mika's still the cheery guy with his braces dangling loose. From the intro (Dolly Parton) on Mika takes a run with the Order Service of Good Taste. No cool a-symmetrical hairdo, no stoned look in his eyes and no trendy clothing. Mika and his 4 piece band live up to what's claimed: when you listen to this voice, you'd swear you're dealing with an extra terrestrial freak. But one thing goed without saying: the guy can write a mean popsong. And what the hell is it he sings in Grace Kelly?

 

'I could be brown

I could be blue

I could be violet sky

I could be hurtful

I could be purple

I could be anything you like

Gotta be green

Gotta be mean

Gotta be everything more

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you like me?

Why don't you walk out the door!

 

And that in a pitch that spontaneously causes your water to break. By the way, this song is a "stick you" song to the record companies that initially turned Mika down. Naughty Mika!

 

DOWNSIDE

The 'fly with me over the rainbow' feel is a bit much, especially during the ballads. And then we haven't even started about the confetti, giant bunnies, bears and other fairytale figures on stage: this makes it seem like a multi coloured episode of Sesame Street, which gets a bit of a suggestive undertone with the ballerina that is Mika singing about "sucking too hard on your lollipop," doesn't it?

 

CONCLUSION

Vocally, Mika is a one man Beegees. His image is a bit nondescript (it's not as raunchy and malicious as the Scissor Sisters, but the dangling braces ARE very pantomime) but the show is solid like a rock.

 

GRADE

8

Thanks so much for translating!

 

 

Pretty good review I'd say! :thumb_yello:

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Does this insane elastic heliumjunkie come from Planet Earth?

 

when you listen to this voice, you'd swear you're dealing with an extra terrestrial freak.

 

And that in a pitch that spontaneously causes your water to break.

 

 

And these are meant to be compliments?? *giggles* :roftl:

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Hey, I can perfectly leave it up to you Diana, you are so fast and accurate with your translations! Thanks! :thumb_yello:

 

Haha you're just saying that cuz you know I'll never do it again if you tell me I suck! :naughty:

 

Ah it took so much effort though, this one. My brain isn't functioning properly this evening.

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Haha you're just saying that cuz you know I'll never do it again if you tell me I suck! :naughty:

 

Ah it took so much effort though, this one. My brain isn't functioning properly this evening.

Hehe, I mean it, don't you believe me? :naughty:

 

My brain is doing the same at the moment... :blink:

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Hey he didn't start with keyboards this time....but Martin on guitar and later the sweet sounds of Luke...I like that start!!

 

Thanks for posting the link...now someone pls tell me how to save it!! It is such good quality!!

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