Out of tune?

[tiibet]

Do you really? I don't dispute he's intelligent, but he did have the benefit of a good education at one of the UK's top schools.

I don't think he's that different to many people once that is taken into account.

 

Yes I do. That's why I find him so interesting. I love his voice, it's very special, but his intelligence is the reason I find him so fascinating as a person. You know, it's not his curls or his pretty smile or his polite behavior (though he has them all). I think he is amazingly intelligent in a creative way.

[kath]

Music is almost always better live (for me).

 

I agree. I have always enjoyed live music. Imo you can't beat it, generally speaking.

 

The worst performance I have ever seen..............even going back through all the gigs I have ever been to, was Cee lo Green in Glasgow this year. I was so disappointed. He was dire and I had had such high expectations.

 

As far as Mika is concernced, I think that he generally does a good job. He is certainly a performer and he likes the theatricals................but on the whole he can deliver. He certainly has his moments - but overall he has a pretty good record of being a very good live singer.

[Christine]

The worst performance I have ever seen..............even going back through all the gigs I have ever been to, was Cee lo Green in Glasgow this year. I was so disappointed. He was dire and I had had such high expectations.

 

Oh no!!! I have such high expectations too, I've been dying for him to come here. I guess I shouldn't bother then.

 

As far as Mika is concernced, I think that he generally does a good job. He is certainly a performer and he likes the theatricals................but on the whole he can deliver. He certainly has his moments - but overall he has a pretty good record of being a very good live singer.

 

I totally agree. I have seen many fantastic Mika shows and I'm sure I will see more in the future.

[kath]

Oh no!!! I have such high expectations too, I've been dying for him to come here. I guess I shouldn't bother then.

 

 

 

I totally agree. I have seen many fantastic Mika shows and I'm sure I will see more in the future.

 

Yeah, I was totally gutted. I expected him to be brilliant. I do think that we were standing too close to the speakers but I can't put it all down to that. I am usually standing close to the speakers and it doesn't disort things to that extent.

 

[babspanky]

Yes I do. That's why I find him so interesting. I love his voice, it's very special, but his intelligence is the reason I find him so fascinating as a person. You know, it's not his curls or his pretty smile or his polite behavior (though he has them all). I think he is amazingly intelligent in a creative way.

 

Really? That goes a way to explain why you are captivated with whatever he does and I'm not then.

[tiibet]

Really? That goes a way to explain why you are captivated with whatever he does and I'm not then.

 

Um, I guess you are being sarcastic again? I wouldn't follow his career (or any artist) this closely if I didn't see him quite clever. I'm not actually captivated with everything he does (only most things ), but yes, that's why I have faith.

 

And I have to add that this summer felt almost as amazing as 2009 even I saw mostly festivals so it was definitely worth traveling and I'm quite excited about the new music and not worried a bit.

[suzie]

I was trying to find a post but I can't.. someone mention then he needs to practice more...

 

Maybe... but if allow me to do an analogy with sports, you can practice for HOURS and it would be perfect and then comes your big day and for some reason, it doesn't work. That doesn't mean the person is lazy, just that it was not his/her day. And yes, you should always learn from your mistakes/failures.

 

Let me answer this, too as I also mentioned it here, as well as on another thread.

Practicing is extremely important in music and this is a basic principle I grew up with. I am pretty sure it is obvious for those who have ever learned to sing or play an instrument from professionals (and not from tutors like Mika once may have been:teehee:)

 

I mentioned it because there are two aspects of the musical element of his performances where practicing plays a key role: him overcoming his nervousness (probably due lack of practice) and learning to handle certain situations when his voice is not perfect.

Basically, when an otherwise talented singer with good ears practices how to perform a certain song, it becomes instinctive and that person will have no problem with it even if it is full moon or a magnetic storm in the atmosphere. As I mentioned, technical problems may happen in live performances, of course, like someone not hearing themselves well due to ear infection or problem with the ear monitor..etc, but if a singer does not even remember the words to a song, the case is rather obvious. Although on a personal level I can think of several reasons why the singer is not the regular self, the performance is still likely disappoint me because I cannot listen with my mind that would tell me he is a good and clever person otherwise.

The other important reward that comes with regular practice is that you become confident in your voice and performance so you can apply creative musical solutions at ease not only when these are needed to overcome technical difficulties but also to add new elements to or change standard performances. If Mika were more confident with his voice, there is so much more we (I mean those, who like him for his music) could get from his live performances, given the creativity he has.

[tiibet]

If Mika were more confident with his voice, there is so much more we (I mean those, who like him for his music) could get from his live performances, given the creativity he has.

 

I'm sure you are right about what you say about practicing, it makes sense and I'm sure every artist must practice. But don't you think everyone who goes his concerts and buys his records likes him for his music? He is a singer.

[Christine]

 

Oh that is unfortunate

 

And I have to add that this summer felt almost as amazing as 2009 even I saw mostly festivals so it was definitely worth traveling

 

What you described about Madonna - thousands of people crammed into a flat space and not being able to see anything sounds like Compiegne to me. People ended up in the 20th row. He didn't have the A side songs ready to premiere because he's too far off from completing the album. This was very predictable at the outset which is why I didn't go.

 

I know you went to other shows as well but I don't have the luxury of flying to different cities in Europe every week. What's worth it to you and LeiRe is not necessarily going to be worth it to me and there's really no point in us disagreeing about whether the shows were worth it or not because the costs are different and the outcomes are more uncertain. Of course if I go to half a dozen shows it's unlikely I will feel disappointed but I can't do that. It's one, maybe two shows and it will cost thousands of dollars so it had better be f-ing worth it.

 

Of course I think Mika is an intelligent person but I can't say that's why I'm fascinated by his personality particularly. I think he has his strengths and weaknesses in that area just like everyone.

[nemobaermydog]

Yeah, I was totally gutted. I expected him to be brilliant. I do think that we were standing too close to the speakers but I can't put it all down to that. I am usually standing close to the speakers and it doesn't disort things to that extent.

 

OMG

 

About Mika, I don't quite understand why you react like that (But I understand you with that Brit Awards Performance ) I think that WAG and Elle Me Dit don't sound so good live, and that he doesn't always hit the tones perfectly, and maybe he could practise more but the good stuff (I'm talking of the singing not any performance or costumes) just overwhelms me and in the end, I remember the good things not the bad. Maybe you think different, or maybe I'm just too naive but I still think he's a great singer and I'm looking forward to the new songs and new shows.

[suzie]

But don't you think everyone who goes his concerts and buys his records likes him for his music?

 

It doesn't seem so

[tiibet]

What you described about Madonna - thousands of people crammed into a flat space and not being able to see anything sounds like Compiegne to me. People ended up in the 20th row. He didn't have the A side songs ready to premiere because he's too far off from completing the album. This was very predictable at the outset which is why I didn't go.

 

I know you went to other shows as well but I don't have the luxury of flying to different cities in Europe every week. What's worth it to you and LeiRe is not necessarily going to be worth it to me and there's really no point in us disagreeing about whether the shows were worth it or not because the costs are different and the outcomes are more uncertain. Of course if I go to half a dozen shows it's unlikely I will feel disappointed but I can't do that. It's one, maybe two shows and it will cost thousands of dollars so it had better be f-ing worth it.

 

Of course I think Mika is an intelligent person but I can't say that's why I'm fascinated by his personality particularly. I think he has his strengths and weaknesses in that area just like everyone.

 

I'm too tired to write properly but I just want to add a small comment so I don't forget it tomorrow. I really wouldn't compare the Madonna disaster I saw and the Compiegne gig at all. Putting 80 000 people on a flat field is a bit different than 10 000 people at an amazing venue... Compiegne was a great show, I was really proud of him when I saw it. He did well even he was nervous, I think only his core fans who see him often paid any attention to the technical problems etc. For me it was worth it even it was chaotic compared to his usual shows. I had really looked forward to seeing the new show/hearing the new songs.

 

But everyone has to make their own decisions. It's really expensive to travel from another side of the world, and I totally understand you didn't want to do it/think it was not worth it so I didn't try to disagree about it. I'm just trying to explain that after seeing the summer gigs and the reactions from different festival audiences I'm not slightly worried about the new album/new shows.

[Christine]

Sorry it's difficult to quote you Tiibet (ipad). If I had been at Compiegne it's unlikely I'd have been able to see anything, so 10,000 or 100,000, it makes no difference. But that's not Mika's fault of course so I am not criticizing, just saying that it would not be worth it at all for me.

 

I am not worried at all about the album particularly since I know nothing about it. History has shown that our interpretation of what Mika says about it and what the people who are working with him say about it usually has no resemblance to the final product so it's a mystery as far as I'm concerned. All I know is that he has made a lot of songs that I love in the past and I appreciate most genres of music so I welcome him taking a new direction.

 

As for the shows, we'll see. I am not interested in all this extraneous stuff but if he puts on some smallsh shows with a focus on the new music then I'm sure I'll be there cheering him on.

[tiibet]

It doesn't seem so

 

So you want to divide people into two groups: those who like him for his music and those who watch only show elements or his clothes? I don't think it's that black and white I really want to believe most people go to see his shows because of his music

 

I am not worried at all about the album particularly since I know nothing about it. History has shown that our interpretation of what Mika says about it and what the people who are working with him say about it usually has no resemblance to the final product so it's a mystery as far as I'm concerned. All I know is that he has made a lot of songs that I love in the past and I appreciate most genres of music so I welcome him taking a new direction.

 

Yes, we really don't know what to expect, it will be a total surprise! And all waiting and speculating will make us crazy

[sariflor]

On the other hand, preparing those bigger shows with theatrical elements means he has less time for rehearsing his songs.

 

I have a positive opinion about him. So if he is unprepared I rather think he didn't have enough time to rehearse/he was distracted than think him as a lazy bastard who has no respect for his audience (that's just an example, no one said that ). We know that he has a lot of respect for his audience. We can see he feels really bad if he is forced to cancel his shows and we can also see he does a lot for his fans (let them be on stage with him, meets them etc). And I think as an artist he needs to have time to do and see things that inspire him (whatever it is) and I seriously think it will pay off in the future. As I said earlier he is smart and ambitious, he can surely see when he is not well enough prepared and I don't think he is pleased with himself those times.

 

You're right, of course he's not doing it because he's a bastard who doesn't care for the audience, but the fact and bottom line is that he is doing it (going out unprepared at the music level sometimes, or putting the show aspect above the music aspect), and that I do have a problem with.

Musicians are people, yes, and human, and Mika is smart and receptive and ambitious, but I sometimes do think that he relies too much on other things to get him through, other than what he should be focusing on.

To me, the situation that he had in Compiegne where he had hardly prepared the new songs, but had clearly spent so much time and energy on the costumes, the visuals, etc, is pretty crazy for an artist who (should) pride himself in his actual art, not the gimmicks

He does have unbelievable charisma, and is beautiful, and has a fantastic voice and stage presence, and nobody is disputing that, but these things will not carry him if he stops putting the effort that the music side of things requires.

 

 

No, I'm saying his paying audience has got two options: keep on buying tickets and CDs to see/hear him if they think it's worth it, or

 

Erm, yes, and they are doing that, aren't they? I seem to recall that Compiegne didn't sell very well at all, ended up being much smaller than planned, AND that was after the fact that so many tickets were given out for free.

 

 

I wouldn't pay $10 to see Madonna because that is exactly what people can expect from her. She is 10% music and 90% show. And as you know I am not interested in the show. That's why it freaks me out to see Mika and his perfect shoes and his perfect clothes and his perfect hair and his perfect set, forgetting his lyrics and singing off pitch.

 

Exactly.

I would never go to see Madonna for that same reason. She's not a singer, not an artist. IMO, she's a joke. All she does is prance around the stage doing her routines, singing out of tune or not even singing live. What a great deal for the fans watching

 

Maybe that is the reason he likes touring so much? People give him schedules and tell him where to go and what to do. During recording seasons he has to make those routines himself. It must be more difficult now when he is working with many people and in so many different cities. And again, I truly think he is amazingly intelligent and his mind must work in a seriously complicated way. At the same time, he can have difficulties with focusing/working schedules etc.

 

I really don't know what is the truth, I'm purely guessing. I just rather think he might have difficulties with focusing/not getting distracted than that he doesn't appreciate his audience.

 

You know, I think that most working people could say that they often struggle with those things , yet they are expected to be adults and professional about it. That is exactly what I expect of Mika.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that compared to many 'regular' people, his schedule is not that challenging or demanding, for it to be something that gets in the way of the 'fundamental' parts of his work.

 

 

I agree. I have always enjoyed live music. Imo you can't beat it, generally speaking.

 

The worst performance I have ever seen..............even going back through all the gigs I have ever been to, was Cee lo Green in Glasgow this year. I was so disappointed. He was dire and I had had such high expectations.

 

Oh wow, I would have never guessed that! for some reason I had the idea that he'd be great. I guess because his voice sounds so powerful in his songs

But yes, of course generally speaking Mika does great live shows and doesn't disappoint, or none of us would go to them , but the question is, is he letting certain elements get in the way of a good performance on occasions where he could have focused on the music rather than the show, and the answer I think is that recently 'yes', he has done it.

 

Let me answer this, too as I also mentioned it here, as well as on another thread.

Practicing is extremely important in music and this is a basic principle I grew up with. I am pretty sure it is obvious for those who have ever learned to sing or play an instrument from professionals (and not from tutors like Mika once may have been:teehee:)

 

I mentioned it because there are two aspects of the musical element of his performances where practicing plays a key role: him overcoming his nervousness (probably due lack of practice) and learning to handle certain situations when his voice is not perfect.

Basically, when an otherwise talented singer with good ears practices how to perform a certain song, it becomes instinctive and that person will have no problem with it even if it is full moon or a magnetic storm in the atmosphere. As I mentioned, technical problems may happen in live performances, of course, like someone not hearing themselves well due to ear infection or problem with the ear monitor..etc, but if a singer does not even remember the words to a song, the case is rather obvious. Although on a personal level I can think of several reasons why the singer is not the regular self, the performance is still likely disappoint me because I cannot listen with my mind that would tell me he is a good and clever person otherwise.

The other important reward that comes with regular practice is that you become confident in your voice and performance so you can apply creative musical solutions at ease not only when these are needed to overcome technical difficulties but also to add new elements to or change standard performances. If Mika were more confident with his voice, there is so much more we (I mean those, who like him for his music) could get from his live performances, given the creativity he has.

 

Totally spot on. I know that opera is not pop, but we used to have a neighbour who was a very high level opera singer, and she spent hours every day doing her voice exercises and practising, and singing. She was super regimented about it.

In short, it was her job, and this is what I think Mika seems to be forgetting here now.

[suzie]

So you want to divide people into two groups: those who like him for his music and those who watch only show elements or his clothes?

I never said that, you have created a second group based on your perception. In my post people who liked Mika for his music were not opposed to anyone else.

[tiibet]

But yes, of course generally speaking Mika does great live shows and doesn't disappoint, or none of us would go to them , but the question is, is he letting certain elements get in the way of a good performance on occasions where he could have focused on the music rather than the show, and the answer I think is that recently 'yes', he has done it.

 

I guess there is no absolute truth, we all have our opinions. I saw several shows this summer and I was very happy after the tour. He did good performances, he was as amazing on stage as always and people (festival audiences) seemed to love both his singing and shows. I was actually almost nervous in advance, especially before Paleo (because it was a very difficult and unpredictable situation) but he did well and had/shared a lot, even an unusual amount of energy and got a very good response.

[tiibet]

I never said that, you have created a second group based on your perception. In my post people who liked Mika for his music were not opposed to anyone else.

 

Well, I asked that don't you think that everyone who goes to his concerts and buys his records likes him for his music and you answered "it doesn't seem so". So I assumed there are two groups: those who like him for his music and those who like him for something else. I took it for granted everyone going to his concerts likes him (they wouldn't go to see him otherwise).

 

And I tried to think why people would like to see him if not for his music and I gave "show elements" etc as an example. This discussion is mostly about Mika concentrating on his music vs show elements.

 

I'm sorry if my logic is not working well enough, I'm too tired already (better sleep now)

[sariflor]

I guess there is no absolute truth, we all have our opinions. I saw several shows this summer and I was very happy after the tour. He did good performances, he was as amazing on stage as always and people (festival audiences) seemed to love both his singing and shows. I was actually almost nervous in advance, especially before Paleo (because it was a very difficult and unpredictable situation) but he did well and had/shared a lot, even an unusual amount of energy and got a very good response.

Actually, there is .The absolute truth is that:

-He forgot the lyrics to French EMD the first time he performed it

-He had to have the English EMD lyrics taped to the floor because he didn't know them

-He was really off pitch in BIOTW

Now, to me that just screams of not being adequately prepared. And if he had had no time to spend on prepping the shows, and had just been pulled out off a crowd and thrown on stage for a last minute impro show, I would understand this.

But when he's (clearly) spent so much time and energy (and money?) on the stage and costumes, and the 'visual show', it's just very clear where he's chosen to spend his time and energy.

And that, my friend, is not a matter of personal taste or opinion, but just mere facts

[RAK1]

Actually, there is .The absolute truth is that:

 

-He forgot the lyrics to French EMD the first time he performed it

-He had to have the English EMD lyrics taped to the floor because he didn't know them

-He was really off pitch in BIOTW

 

Now, to me that just screams of not being adequately prepared. And if he had had no time to spend on prepping the shows, and had just been pulled out off a crowd and thrown on stage for a last minute impro show, I would understand this.

But when he's (clearly) spent so much time and energy (and money?) on the stage and costumes, and the 'visual show', it's just very clear where he's chosen to spend his time and energy.

 

And that, my friend, is not a matter of personal taste or opinion, but just mere facts

 

 

With BIOTW, in my recollection, it was just Compiegne he was off pitch. And I put that down to nerves, as it was the first time he had performed it live, because he seemed to nail it in Liege the night after.

[cathouzouf]

Yes I do. That's why I find him so interesting. I love his voice, it's very special, but his intelligence is the reason I find him so fascinating as a person. You know, it's not his curls or his pretty smile or his polite behavior (though he has them all). I think he is amazingly intelligent in a creative way.

 

Off topic (a bit)

I relly really enjoy reading everything you write and I truly hope one day we'll have the opportunity to meet face to face because I toally agree with you. The main reason I got so hooked on Mika is that I think he is a very fascinating person:wink2:

[sariflor]

With BIOTW, in my recollection, it was just Compiegne he was off pitch. And I put that down to nerves, as it was the first time he had performed it live, because he seemed to nail it in Liege the night after.

 

I can maybe understand him (or anyone else) being nervous, but if you read the long post by Suzie, she made a fantastic point explaining how rehearsing things properly and practising will minimise these situations. Also, how many new songs has he done live (and I have been witness to most of them so far), yet how many times has he been singing off pitch? I'm sure that he was more nervous on other ocasions (PDP, or for example at The Roxy when he was debuting the new songs) and yet he didn't sing badly in that respect.This was a technical failing (as in, his technique) and therefore could have been prevented by proper preparation.

Personally, I think that singing off pitch like that is justifiable by saying that he was nervous If he had been in an X factor audition, he would have been booted off!

[Christine]

Sorry but things did not improve at Les Ardentes IMO. 3:00

 

[YOUTUBE]N9PCwYGyMT4[/YOUTUBE]

 

This song is just unlistenable to me.

[RAK1]

I can maybe understand him (or anyone else) being nervous, but if you read the long post by Suzie, she made a fantastic point explaining how rehearsing things properly and practising will minimise these situations. Also, how many new songs has he done live (and I have been witness to most of them so far), yet how many times has he been singing off pitch? I'm sure that he was more nervous on other ocasions (PDP, or for example at The Roxy when he was debuting the new songs) and yet he didn't sing badly in that respect.This was a technical failing (as in, his technique) and therefore could have been prevented by proper preparation.

 

Personally, I think that singing off pitch like that is justifiable by saying that he was nervous If he had been in an X factor audition, he would have been booted off!

 

 

Practice is all well and good, but some people can still drop the ball, and be nervous performing on stage. And occasionally that may manifest itself in the odd bum note here and there. My friend who used to sing opera with an amateur group, who practiced pretty much every day, had the occasional lapse, and was the first to criticise himself for doing it, but it certainly wasn't down to how much practice he'd put in. It was more down to how he was feeling on the night.

We don't know how much practice Mika does before a gig, just because he doesn't broadcast it, doesn't mean to say he isn't practicing in some way shape or form.

[Christine]

We don't know how much practice Mika does before a gig, just because he doesn't broadcast it, doesn't mean to say he isn't practicing in some way shape or form.

 

He had to look at the lyrics before he started singing the song. That is not enough practice any way you look at it.