Reviews dvd Parc Des Princes

[RAK1]

Well I finally got it today, and watching the concert brought back the memories of the night, only with a better view.

I have said this before, this show was visually faultless, it was stunning in that department. But compared to Amsterdam, it wasn't strong for me in the syncronicity with the audience, because the crowd and venue was so huge. You could see it with In Any Other World, he was struggling to get eveyone going. With the real big numbers like Billy Brown GK, etc it wasn't as hard, I guess because people don't really think of IAOW as a big singalong song.

The documentary was excellent, Starting from the beginning of the process, following it to the conclusion, the concert itself, was great.

My highlights, how sweet Es Devlin is (she knows how persuasive he can be), MIKA COOKING! surprised the heck out of me! Mikas excitement about the stage, just want to hug him. the love handles conversation with CB, so funny, seeing Yasmines input, especially watching the poor girl putting on that headdress! And his mums unimpressed look at it, priceless! Saranayde in the harness, bless her! Martins remarks, had me laughing. And last but not least Mika writing at the RAK studios in London. Come on you know I had to mention that!

[Sabine64]

O.K. for me today was christmas. I got the dvd in the afternoon and watched it. I really really really really really love it. All of it, and now I have a very special " highfeeling " in my head.

[cheshire cat]

I like how some of you have different points of view of the DVD... though most like it... some find certain parts more interesting than other....

 

and since I am not going to see it anytime soon.. this thread is a great preview of the DVD...

 

I guess it is fair to say that PDP gig has almost the same line of songs as LICM - so there were no surprises there... maybe that's why the magic was a little less ... especially knowing that some of the best shots were edited (I remember seeing lollipop on youtube... and it was a little naughty).. too bad they felt the need to edit the fun part...

 

the artistic side of it is completely different... it is safe to assume that Olympia was a pure music gig... PdP was more of his artistic vision of a theatrical as well as a musical gig... so it was not just about the music...

 

that being said, the effort done behind this show from an audio visual perpective is great to see on DVD... am glad I attended the Amsterdam and Beirut gig as both were relatively smaller than PdP... so it is great to see PdP on DVD with the right angels and without missing out on the details - though I have to admit even in Amsterdam I was sooo far back that I almost saw most of the gig from the giant screens on the side

 

Documentary part seems to have been a winner with all of you... I can't wait to see that!

 

keep your reviews coming... that's our only info for the time being... which brings me to the next topic...

 

How come none of the music/entertainment magazines (online or real) have reviewed the DVD yet

[identicaltwin3]

I sometimes I think he's more of a visual artist, well that side of him comes through in the documentary anyway.

.../...

This negative feeling is so unlike my usual Mika feeling...HELP:tears:

 

I suppose having too many talents can be a curse in disguise ...

 

What I admire in him is that, as an artist, and even though he enjoys getting a positive feedback, he does what he effing wants to do, regardless of what people think. It may make me grind my teeth when I feel he is straggling from the real thing, but he is a free man and that I to.

He is not the only one : Gary Moore, for instance, jumped happily from Heavy metal to the Blues to... whatever he felt like doing at the time, losing quite a few fans in the process because the former fans were disappointed and the ones who might connect to his new style didn't do it right away.

It would be unfair to grumble too much : if Mika hadn't been his own master he would have become the new... and that would have been the of him musically speaking.

 

Don't worry, it is quite all right to have negative feelings about what the Big Man gives us : he deserves better than unconditional appreciation.

[identicaltwin3]

My mom asked the guy how expensive the deluxe version was, and he said it was 28 euros:shocked:

 

18 and 20 euros at Virgin in France.

[babspanky]

I suppose having too many talents can be a curse in disguise ...

 

What I admire in him is that, as an artist, and even though he enjoys getting a positive feedback, he does what he effing wants to do, regardless of what people think. It may make me grind my teeth when I feel he is straggling from the real thing, but he is a free man and that I to.

He is not the only one : Gary Moore, for instance, jumped happily from Heavy metal to the Blues to... whatever he felt like doing at the time, losing quite a few fans in the process because the former fans were disappointed and the ones who might connect to his new style didn't do it right away.

It would be unfair to grumble too much : if Mika hadn't been his own master he would have become the new... and that would have been the of him musically speaking.

 

Don't worry, it is quite all right to have negative feelings about what the Big Man gives us : he deserves better than unconditional appreciation.

 

Yeah, IT, some of us have to step up to the mark!

I know some people think we (I) whine just for the sake of it, but if I like something I say so and if I don't I say so. There have been at least a couple of major things here where I haven't agreed with the crowd and sometimes it's a most uncomfortable feeling, hence the custom user title, which is actually what someone on here once told me.

For TL though, I loved Mika the moment I heard the first track, there have been moments of sheer magic and moments of disappointment and realisation, but I've stuck with it and he still manages to surprise and delight me.

This isn't like the adulation that I had for pop stars in my teenage years, I am too cynical for that, but he is talented and charismatic and when something that he does doesn't float my boat, I am happy to hang around for the next chapter. It's a journey, for Mika and for us.

[Marianne84]

Well I finally got it today, and watching the concert brought back the memories of the night, only with a better view.

I have said this before, this show was visually faultless, it was stunning in that department. But compared to Amsterdam, it wasn't strong for me in the syncronicity with the audience, because the crowd and venue was so huge. You could see it with In Any Other World, he was struggling to get eveyone going. With the real big numbers like Billy Brown GK, etc it wasn't as hard, I guess because people don't really think of IAOW as a big singalong song.

The documentary was excellent, Starting from the beginning of the process, following it to the conclusion, the concert itself, was great.

My highlights, how sweet Es Devlin is (she knows how persuasive he can be), MIKA COOKING! surprised the heck out of me! Mikas excitement about the stage, just want to hug him. the love handles conversation with CB, so funny, seeing Yasmines input, especially watching the poor girl putting on that headdress! And his mums unimpressed look at it, priceless! Saranayde in the harness, bless her! Martins remarks, had me laughing. And last but not least Mika writing at the RAK studios in London. Come on you know I had to mention that!

 

I was thinking of you when he was in that studio!

 

Yeah he had to struggle in most parts of the show, but I loved watching Stuck In The Middle especially because when Mika had stopped singing, the audience still kept going. The expression on his face was priceless.

 

I'm glad I watched the documentary first as it ends when Mika goes on stage. Also loved the bit when Mika was in the van going to the venue and he was like: "That is my truck! And that one too! And that one!"

Edited November 16, 2008 by Marianne84

[Soaring Simpson]

 

I'm glad I watched the documentary first as it ends when Mika goes on stage. Also loved the bit when Mika was in the van going to the venue and he was like: "That is my truck! And that one too! And that one!"

 

That was so cute!

 

I suppose having too many talents can be a curse in disguise ...

 

***

Don't worry, it is quite all right to have negative feelings about what the Big Man gives us : he deserves better than unconditional appreciation.

 

Yes, I'm picking up a sense that Mika loves more stuff than I can process. His enthusiasms inspire and challenge me to fit more of my own enthusiasms into my life.

 

However, I think maybe MFC is rare among fanclubs in that I don't see much need to reassure people who are criticising Mika- they get plenty of support. As someone who loved PDP I need reassuring that you've grasped the fact that I genuinely liked it (and that I know what I like without having been to a million Mika concerts) and am NOT giving in to blind, fangurly lack of discrimination.

 

Though I did sit through the documentary thinking awww- he's adorable! But if I hadn't liked PDP it would have made me rather uneasy, I think

[RAK1]

I was thinking of you when he was in that studio!

 

Yeah he had to struggle in most parts of the show, but I loved watching Stuck In The Middle especially because when Mika had stopped singing, the audience still kept going. The expression on his face was priceless.

 

I'm glad I watched the documentary first as it ends when Mika goes on stage. Also loved the bit when Mika was in the van going to the venue and he was like: "That is my truck! And that one too! And that one!"

 

Yes that part with the trucks was really cute, the look of happiness on his face, just want to hug him, ha ha!

[babspanky]

That was so cute!

 

 

 

Yes, I'm picking up a sense that Mika loves more stuff than I can process. His enthusiasms inspire and challenge me to fit more of my own enthusiasms into my life.

 

However, I think maybe MFC is rare among fanclubs in that I don't see much need to reassure people who are criticising Mika- they get plenty of support. As someone who loved PDP I need reassuring that you've grasped the fact that I genuinely liked it (and that I know what I like without having been to a million Mika concerts) and am NOT giving in to blind, fangurly lack of discrimination.

 

Though I did sit through the documentary thinking awww- he's adorable! But if I hadn't liked PDP it would have made me rather uneasy, I think

 

Not that I want support when I have a criticism, but this is not always so. For the DVD, I have been surprised at some of the comments, but for the original concert it was predominantly gushing praise and I was more or less ignored when I said I didn't enjoy it. There have been other times/issues where I have been more or less told to shut up, so I wouldn't agree that dissenters receive plenty of support.

I'd like to reassure you though, that I understand that you genuinely liked it, regardless of how many Mika gigs you've been to. There are those that have been to a lot of gigs who loved it too, and those that have been to a lot of gigs and hated it. I honestly think that if I hadn't been to other M gigs, I would have been overawed.

It's horses for courses and down to personal tastes and experiences isn't it?

Although there are also those who do give into a fangurly lack of discrimination, I suspect.

[Soaring Simpson]

Well a bit of fangurly enthusiasm can be a good thing. Sometimes I've caught myself (with other artists) liking something or accepting an opinion that normally I wouldn't, out of total fandom, and it's gone on to bring a change in my life. Other times I've just laughed at myself and reverted to type.

[sienna]

 

Don't worry, it is quite all right to have negative feelings about what the Big Man gives us : he deserves better than unconditional appreciation.

 

 

Yes he does!

I would love to elaborate on my experiences with his music, his gigs and the influence this fan club has had on me and to were I am today.

But I don’t think this is the right place, I mean this thread!

[identicaltwin3]

Babspanky There have been other times/issues where I have been more or less told to shut up,

 

And you told the b...s (sorry, very chauvinistic : or the the a...holes) to shove their suggestion ... where exactly ? You are an older 'not real fan' than I am so you must know the accepted spot for a MFCer.

 

Babspanky So I wouldn't agree that dissenters receive plenty of support.

 

They shouldn't need it ; airing your opinion even when you know it's going to be widely -and wildly- unpopular shows you have guts. And a spine. Good for you !

 

Starry-eyed is all right , so is critical . We all have different ways of loving, thinking yours is inferior or guilty is rather unhealthy.

At the beginning of the after PdesP interview, Mika says, ‘Et il n’y a plus d’excuses, c’est ça qui est le plus important, il n’y a plus d’excuses : on ne dit jamais pardon parce qu’il n’y a pas besoin.’ (‘And there are no more apologies, that’s what is the most important : you never apologize because you don’t need to’) ; when he says that he looks at the same time sombre, petulant and mutinous, as in the before Olympia gig ‘7 à 8’ interview on French television when he talks about having a career ‘or it’s not worth it’.

 

Incidentally, even when we don’t enjoy something Mika has done on stage or recorded, we get a kind of vicarious pleasure from realizing other people loved it ; at the PdesP I got my -modest- high from feeling the audience’s happiness, if not for that I would have been down and flat on the floor. And the mainly positive reviews of the PdesP DVD I have been reading on the forum has made me very happy for the guys who wrote them .

[identicaltwin3]

It's a journey, for Mika and for us.

 

And so many unknown territories to discover and explore... we are very lucky !

Id3

[Soaring Simpson]

Yes he does!

I would love to elaborate on my experiences with his music, his gigs and the influence this fan club has had on me and to were I am today.

But I don’t think this is the right place, I mean this thread!

 

I'd like to hear that! There must be a place for it on MFC somewhere

[robertina]

i love this thread....keep on going!

i'm reading everything with great interest, trying to make up my mind about the dvd and the actual gig, cause i percieve they are totally different experiences.

i'm having only the dvd one, and i'm famous to be lacking of criticism about mika...i like almost everything he does.

that's why i like reading about different opinions, and i like total freedom and respect for anyone, thanks for keeping things nice.

[Christine]

... so it is great to see PdP on DVD with the right angels and without missing out on the details

 

This is my chief complaint about the DVD. It doesn't achieve the right angles and show the detail the way it should.

 

I have always argued that Mika needs to play bigger stages and this will necessitate bigger visual shows to fill the space. He can't just stand in a t-shirt and jeans singing Holy Johnny to Martin on acoustic guitar in front of 55,000 people the way he did the first night in front of 600 people. It's just not realistic and I applaud Mika for stepping up to the challenge rather than criticize him for something that is more or less out of his control at this stage.

 

But pointless camera angles, confusing cuts, etc. have dropped a lot of the detail on the DVD and if I hadn't watched dozens of Mika's performances already and hadn't known all about this show from the documentary and other info we'd gathered in July, I wouldn't catch half of what is taking place on stage.

 

My mind is just filling in the blanks because I know what Mika is doing even though I can't actually see it on the screen. I know he's holding a competition between various sections of the audience during the scatting bits in SITM only because I've participated in them myself. Instead of showing his "judging" mimes, we're looking at random shots of his shoes and some flowers at the back of the stage.

 

Mika and Es discuss the budget and design of a bird that flies above the stage but what you see during the concert just looks like CGI graphics. And a lot of the graphics that were used, probably to great effect for the audience, are lost here because the cameras don't get a long shot of the stage head-on at the right moments (as you could see in a lot of the photographs and fan videos that surfaced in July). Instead there are a bunch of long, offside shots that often don't show anything. It's too dark to see the audience, it's the wrong angle to see the graphics and Mika is too far away to see what he's doing.

 

Really I don't understand what is going on with the editing on this DVD. A great opportunity was lost because it could have been sooooo much better than it is.

 

However, I think maybe MFC is rare among fanclubs in that I don't see much need to reassure people who are criticising Mika- they get plenty of support.

 

That may be the case at times today but that was a battle very hard fought. There have been times in the past when any "negative" talk about Mika was treated as blasphemy and as Bab mentions, you'd be told that you were a bad fan and that you have no business being on MFC. This happened not just when his work was critiqued but anything that was deemed "negative".

[Neiobi]

 

That may be the case at times today but that was a battle very hard fought. There have been times in the past when any "negative" talk about Mika was treated as blasphemy and as Bab mentions, you'd be told that you were a bad fan and that you have no business being on MFC. This happened not just when his work was critiqued but anything that was deemed "negative".

 

It's good that now other fans are more understandable towards criticism. I mean, Mika is not perfect, and like everything and everyone, has flaws.

And some of the "negative" talk about the DVD and Mika himself is often constructive criticism, and it is good to point it out, because probably it'll be corrected in the future. Though we can't correct Mika of course:roftl:

[Naectegale]

It's good that now other fans are more understandable towards criticism. I mean, Mika is not perfect, and like everything and everyone, has flaws.

And some of the "negative" talk about the DVD and Mika himself is often constructive criticism, and it is good to point it out, because probably it'll be corrected in the future. Though we can't correct Mika of course:roftl:

 

You are very wise, Neiobi

 

I think Mika himself may well have criticisms about the show & the DVD - probably more than us. He won't blog about them in detail, and he laughs off some of the failures in the documentary - these are, in part, marketing tools so he doesn't need to dwell on what went wrong. But I expect he will learn a great deal from the experience and will be even better next time

[Niki27]

I do agree with Christine to some extent.

I think it was not filmed in the best possible way. But in a way I do blame it on the position of the cameras during the gig. I seriously didn't notice them at all...

 

If I had to make a comparison, @ V festival, the cameras were very visible and it was very irritating because they were partly hiding what was going on on stage. They were more cameramen than musicians on stage at times

As a result, of course, the footage and editing was brilliant and I really enjoyed the bits I've seen on TV.

 

In the PDP, I didn't notice the cameras (except the one camgirl who was standing on our side). It was definitely better for the audience, I guess people running everywhere on stage with cams would have ruined the visuals Mika worked so hard on. But as a result, of course, they had crappy angles, and the footage is not that great. But again, it's a choice you have to make... your priority is either the show itself, or of the dvd u'll make of it. I'm glad they went for the first option.

[Marilyn Mastin]

This is my chief complaint about the DVD. It doesn't achieve the right angles and show the detail the way it should.

 

I have always argued that Mika needs to play bigger stages and this will necessitate bigger visual shows to fill the space. He can't just stand in a t-shirt and jeans singing Holy Johnny to Martin on acoustic guitar in front of 55,000 people the way he did the first night in front of 600 people. It's just not realistic and I applaud Mika for stepping up to the challenge rather than criticize him for something that is more or less out of his control at this stage.

 

But pointless camera angles, confusing cuts, etc. have dropped a lot of the detail on the DVD and if I hadn't watched dozens of Mika's performances already and hadn't known all about this show from the documentary and other info we'd gathered in July, I wouldn't catch half of what is taking place on stage.

 

My mind is just filling in the blanks because I know what Mika is doing even though I can't actually see it on the screen. I know he's holding a competition between various sections of the audience during the scatting bits in SITM only because I've participated in them myself. Instead of showing his "judging" mimes, we're looking at random shots of his shoes and some flowers at the back of the stage.

 

Mika and Es discuss the budget and design of a bird that flies above the stage but what you see during the concert just looks like CGI graphics. And a lot of the graphics that were used, probably to great effect for the audience, are lost here because the cameras don't get a long shot of the stage head-on at the right moments (as you could see in a lot of the photographs and fan videos that surfaced in July). Instead there are a bunch of long, offside shots that often don't show anything. It's too dark to see the audience, it's the wrong angle to see the graphics and Mika is too far away to see what he's doing.

 

Really I don't understand what is going on with the editing on this DVD. A great opportunity was lost because it could have been sooooo much better than it is.

 

 

 

That may be the case at times today but that was a battle very hard fought. There have been times in the past when any "negative" talk about Mika was treated as blasphemy and as Bab mentions, you'd be told that you were a bad fan and that you have no business being on MFC. This happened not just when his work was critiqued but anything that was deemed "negative".

Constructive critisism is always a good thing. I'm sure Mika appreciates our opinions. I actually think that a "bad fan" is one who puts their favourite star of too much of a pedestal. Mika is only human. A lot of what he does, we like, some things polorize opinions, and some things we may not like. But we know that Mika will always try his best and will go the extra mile in his career.

He will also learn from any shortcomeings or mistakes, and grow and evolve as he does so.

[Neiobi]

You are very wise, Neiobi

 

I think Mika himself may well have criticisms about the show & the DVD - probably more than us. He won't blog about them in detail, and he laughs off some of the failures in the documentary - these are, in part, marketing tools so he doesn't need to dwell on what went wrong. But I expect he will learn a great deal from the experience and will be even better next time

Thanks:wink2:

 

Well, he said himself he is a perfeccionist, so as you say he might point out flaws in almost everything... When I do something, I always see what's bad in it, and other people don't get half of the flaws I'm pointing out.

Exactly... I knew when I pre-ordered the DVD, I wold see all the details, etc, and wold be saying what's bad and what's good, but that didn't keep me away from buying it. I think it's good to have something to point out, 'cause if there weren't any flaws, it'd be far too perfect, and Mika himself along with his shows aren't perfect.

[Christine]

... your priority is either the show itself, or of the dvd u'll make of it. I'm glad they went for the first option.

 

I agree. The priority should always be the people in the audience. (Which is why I don't understand the need for bespoke designer jackets and shoes, but that's another story.)

 

This is why I want to see Andy's footage. He is unobtrusive but over the course of dozens of concerts he can capture many different moments and angles and it can be edited together to better convey what it's really like to be at a Mika gig.

[Niki27]

I agree. The priority should always be the people in the audience. (Which is why I don't understand the need for bespoke designer jackets and shoes, but that's another story.)

 

This is why I want to see Andy's footage. He is unobtrusive but over the course of dozens of concerts he can capture many different moments and angles and it can be edited together to better convey what it's really like to be at a Mika gig.

 

I do agree with you there , altho I'm terrified at the idea of what we would actually see in terms of audience footage

[Naectegale]

Thanks:wink2:

 

Well, he said himself he is a perfeccionist, so as you say he might point out flaws in almost everything... When I do something, I always see what's bad in it, and other people don't get half of the flaws I'm pointing out.

 

I'm like that too - its a fine balance between recognising faults and correcting them and beating yourself up about things that you can't change. I think Mika gets the balance right - he so obviously enjoys the moment and the attention and success, but has shown that he isn't complacent and can improve.