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Interview in Dutch newspaper

Monie

By Monie
in Mika News and Press

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RAK1

RAK1

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MIKA KNOWS EXACTELY WHAT HE WANTS

 

Biggest Dutch popfestival Pinkpop starts this afternoon in the town of Landgraaf.

The 41st edition has a strong line-up with stars like Pink, John Mayer and king of kitsch Mika. Popjournalist Stefan Raatgever spoke with the latter about his life on tour. And he mentions five not-to-mis performances at PP.

 

Wearing a light english coat, windforce 8-resistant haircut and shoes which would be very suitable for a clownsact in a circus. Mika has arrived.

Somewhat dazed he stumbles into his Amsterdam dressingroom.

 

He is more then 1 and a half hour to late for his interviewappointement. But with an excuse: he got lost at the canals and wasn't able to catch a taxi because of his broken cellphone and only 10 euro's in cash.

 

 

Wondering through cities

It sounds hardly diva-like behaviour: wandering around a city by yourself and getting lost. That would not happen to, let's say, Madonna.

"I always do it, whereever I am." Mika says while eating a platefull of cocquilles. "Yes, always. That way you will get to meet people. My band travels per bus, I always go ahead by taxi. In a tourbus I loose my life to the cadans (rythme?) of poerforming and travelling. This way I get the time to get to know cities. I love to come to Amsterdam. Have my favourite restaurant Tempo Doeloe and stores where I buy all my closets and tables or exclusive tapisseries.

This is a regurlar day in Mika's, who made 'tight-pants-singing and 'blow-ip-rabbits' and dancers with huge postures hip again, tourlife .

Probably also on Sunday when he starts his Summerfestival-series at Pinkpop.

 

For the Limburg traders in kitschy barok furniture or blowing-up animals probably a nice forecast.

 

On request the singer of songs like Relax and We Are Golden, talks through his

other road-routines He reveals he always visits a local supermarket in every town. "There you can really see the 'cut-throug' (I made this word up, sorry if it doesn't excist...) of the population. Very educative. And yes: I always buy stuff. My manager is disgusted when I come back with knackebrod, baguette or haring!

In the old days I always adapted to the regurlar tourrythme. Made me sad. But now I go on the road alone. Is good for my welbeing and thus for my shows. And it is much healtier then drinking in the tourbus. "

 

But his sunny mood is not the only part of Mika's health-program while traveling. He brings, he tells us between some giggles, his own cooks. "I eat saltless, no butter and less as possible milk etc. And ofcourse not too much fat." Fanatic? "Not too much . I love restaurantsdinners! The only thing I spend a lot of money on while being on tour. On a day off I always eat at one of the best restaurant in town."

 

Panic attack

Doesn't he need to be sweating at fitness to be able to hold on for a gig of more then 2 hours? "No, one concert is enough practice. The month previous to my tour are rather heavy. I do a daily anaerobic training for an hour I learn not to use too much oxigen on stage. That practice is so hard that I have to through up.

 

His travelling company also houses his mother and 2 of his 3 sisters. But don't suspect nice chaperonnes with Mika (a charming, but blabla personality)They are not here just as company. "I don't have a regular mother-son relation with my ma. She creates the costumes for my show. I see her as a collegue, just as my sisters who are good a stage designing and coming up with requisiten.

It sound less warm then expected at the Brittish-Lebanese singer woth the teddybear image. But who will comfort him when he gets a panick attack just before showtime? Sure it is his family??

"Absolutely not! My bandmembers, we always support each other!"

 

How does such a nervous breakdown occur? Mika slides on the sofa uneasily. "Because something goes wrong, In such a situation I have to take the lead." But how does he behave before that succeeds?

Mika, famous for his abjection to talk about personal issues, relationships and his supposed homosexuality, thinks it's time for another subject. "I am not gonna tell you. My life should not become a reallife soap."

 

Preventing the latter is one of his few burdons from his popstardom. "Being recognized doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the urge of people to beoordeel (sorry) me for more than my music, my personnal life or my salesfigures. Look at the discussion about my second album. Almost 2 million copies sold, that is 1/3 of his predecessor. Disappointing, people say. But I think the salesfigure is gigantic. Certainly for a dark cd on which there is a song about two boy dolls who fall in love with each other. That is why I don't listen much to others. I know my way (road?) know where I want to go in my carreer and in my life."

And where is that? Mika giggles and is at ease again, behind a safe wall of mystery. "That is for you to find out!"

 

Mika, Sunday 18.15

3FM-Stage

 

 

I find this part interesting, in the light of us resurrecting the Secret Society, to get him promoted more, to get his sales up.

It would seem he's happy with the way the promotion has gone, otherwise he would have said otherwise, I would think. In a way, looking at the tweet Imogen Heap posted the other day, and looking at the way things are in the industry at the moment, especially reading a couple of very interesting articles on who's REALLY makes money at the moment (which certainly isn't the artists!), he's probably right to be happy with the way things are going.

I still think it's a good idea to help things along, I'm sure there are some borderline, on the fence folks out there. I don't think it can hurt to drum up some more fans for him.

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Monie

Monie

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Thank you AMP and Kaatje, for translating!

 

It is a reasonable interesting interview isn't it. I certainly wasn't expecting to find it in the supermarket this morning! There was a header on the front page about the interview. It immediately caught my eye :bleh:.

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Jojotje

Jojotje

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Ja, ik heb onderzocht de afgelopen vier maanden :biggrin2:

Het is niet perfect, maar ik begrijp :naughty:

 

 

Why do you study Dutch? And what is your language? Spanish?

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Jojotje

Jojotje

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I live in a small village and I bought all the newspapers I could find here? So, now I have like 6 or 7 papers! In case someone couldnt buy one themself!

 

Allready making fans happy with this action! :thumb_yello:

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Monie

Monie

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Ja, ik heb onderzocht de afgelopen vier maanden :biggrin2:

Het is niet perfect, maar ik begrijp :naughty:

 

Your Dutch is amazing!!! Much better then my Spanish :teehee:.

 

Jojotje: nice action :naughty:.

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Monie

Monie

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Thank you :huglove: You study Spanish?

 

No, I wish! I have a Spanish friend here on the MFC, here name is the Black Queen but we communicate in English so I'm afraid my Spanish will never get any better (non hablo Espagnol) :bleh:.

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Gracekelly85

Gracekelly85

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Thanks so much for posting and thanks to AnnaMariaPetra for tranlating! :wub2:

That's interesting!

 

"

 

How does such a nervous breakdown occur? Mika slides on the sofa uneasily. "Because something goes wrong, In such a situation I have to take the lead." But how does he behave before that succeeds?

Mika, famous for his abjection to talk about personal issues, relationships and his supposed homosexuality, thinks it's time for another subject. "I am not gonna tell you. My life should not become a reallife soap."

 

good, MIKA!!!! :thumb_yello:

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AnnaMariaPetra

AnnaMariaPetra

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Thanks Anneke. :thumb_yello: I was working on the translation myself, if you don't mind, I have some suggestions.

 

They're great suggestion Kaatje, thank you!:thumb_yello:

I already wanted to ask the other Dutchies to correct my translation, so: thanks!!

 

I've updated my translation with your corrections!

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mellody

mellody

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thanx for posting and translating! :flowers2: quite liked it, though that throw-up part, um - that turns up rather often recently. :blink: after he hurt his foot (ok, that's understandable), in wiesbaden because he thought the ex-arbitoire still smelt like blood (i bet it was in fact iron which he smelt! :fisch:) and now from exercising. so, he doesn't want his life to be a soap opera, but he tells us about throwing up? wtf. :aah: maybe he wants to try and persuade the mikagasmics that he's actually unsexy. :lmfao: mika, give it up, it won't work. :mf_rosetinted:

i don't really get the part bout the taxi though... does he travel by taxi just within the cities, or also from one city to the next? :blink: i understood the latter, but that would be a bit expensive, huh? :blink:

if that's true, then maybe i should get a job as a taxi driver... :naughty:

 

I find this part interesting, in the light of us resurrecting the Secret Society, to get him promoted more, to get his sales up.

It would seem he's happy with the way the promotion has gone, otherwise he would have said otherwise, I would think. In a way, looking at the tweet Imogen Heap posted the other day, and looking at the way things are in the industry at the moment, especially reading a couple of very interesting articles on who's REALLY makes money at the moment (which certainly isn't the artists!), he's probably right to be happy with the way things are going.

I still think it's a good idea to help things along, I'm sure there are some borderline, on the fence folks out there. I don't think it can hurt to drum up some more fans for him.

 

what did imogen tweet? think i've missed that...

i wouldn't imply that mika is happy with the way the promo has gone. of course he's happy that his album has sold 2 mio. copies, he's happy about the album itself and surely doesn't regret anything of it (i'd be surprised if he did), and 2 mio. are 2 mio., that's a nice amount. but maybe if the promo had been better it would've been 6 mio. like the first one, and he wouldn't have to face the criticism from journalists who keep repeating that the album hasn't done well, and very likely also from record company officials, who would've expected him to sell more. and that doesn't make it any better, that the record company doesn't promote him enough, and then blames him for not reaching the sales numbers they had expected. :aah:

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mari62

mari62

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Thank you Monie, AMP and Kaatje! :flowers2:

thanx for posting and translating! :flowers2: quite liked it, though that throw-up part, um - that turns up rather often recently. :blink: after he hurt his foot (ok, that's understandable), in wiesbaden because he thought the ex-arbitoire still smelt like blood (i bet it was in fact iron which he smelt! :fisch:) and now from exercising. so, he doesn't want his life to be a soap opera, but he tells us about throwing up? wtf. :aah: maybe he wants to try and persuade the mikagasmics that he's actually unsexy. :lmfao: mika, give it up, it won't work. :mf_rosetinted:

my thoughts exactly: Mika, I can understand you, but you tell too much about yourself :naughty:

btw pls keep on doing it, you like talking and we like listening, you're intelligent enough not to take seriously what's being said, nobody can judge anyone, it's just opinions :wink2:

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IngievV

IngievV

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No, I wish! I have a Spanish friend here on the MFC, here name is the Black Queen but we communicate in English so I'm afraid my Spanish will never get any better (non hablo Espagnol) :bleh:.

 

Hey, at least that sentence got those 50 Spanish people off your back:aah:

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RAK1

RAK1

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thanx for posting and translating! :flowers2: quite liked it, though that throw-up part, um - that turns up rather often recently. :blink: after he hurt his foot (ok, that's understandable), in wiesbaden because he thought the ex-arbitoire still smelt like blood (i bet it was in fact iron which he smelt! :fisch:) and now from exercising. so, he doesn't want his life to be a soap opera, but he tells us about throwing up? wtf. :aah: maybe he wants to try and persuade the mikagasmics that he's actually unsexy. :lmfao: mika, give it up, it won't work. :mf_rosetinted:

i don't really get the part bout the taxi though... does he travel by taxi just within the cities, or also from one city to the next? :blink: i understood the latter, but that would be a bit expensive, huh? :blink:

if that's true, then maybe i should get a job as a taxi driver... :naughty:

 

 

 

what did imogen tweet? think i've missed that...

i wouldn't imply that mika is happy with the way the promo has gone. of course he's happy that his album has sold 2 mio. copies, he's happy about the album itself and surely doesn't regret anything of it (i'd be surprised if he did), and 2 mio. are 2 mio., that's a nice amount. but maybe if the promo had been better it would've been 6 mio. like the first one, and he wouldn't have to face the criticism from journalists who keep repeating that the album hasn't done well, and very likely also from record company officials, who would've expected him to sell more. and that doesn't make it any better, that the record company doesn't promote him enough, and then blames him for not reaching the sales numbers they had expected. :aah:

 

Exactly!

If the record company don't put the time in on promotion, they can hardly blame him for poor record sales.

Mika himself has done his part, doing radio and tv, where he can, but there's not been much in the way of poster/tv advertising, which is what would get him a lot more attention.

For example, the Universal billboard on the M4 going into London, I can't say I saw any ads for his records on any of my jaunts into London when TBWKTM was released. When LICM was, it was there for ages!

Billboard ads are incredibly effective in getting sales up, and if you don't see ads for a record, people don't pay as much attention to it, so it won't get as many sales.

This is what Imogen tweeted on Tuesday,

So expensive to tour! Just had a rather depressing meeting with tour manager. Record sales low (across the industry) really impacting me.

 

This may be the last tour in a while. A bit emotional. Ugh. Not easy keeping afloat in this climate! Xx

 

Sad truth is touring US especially such a monopoly. Audience end up paying double ticket price to the venue @Seattle_D. Huge mark up. X

 

@Miki_Vanity it's here + everywhere else. With few album sales there's little to pay for the tour. I can't sustain it. Time to rethink! x

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