2012 - Roundhouse, London, UK - 13 December: REPORTS/PICS/VIDS

[Kaito]

I'm even more worried about his voice now... That's crazy.. he should be resting..

 

There is a political thing between English and French and it's just stupid to sing it in London. Mika has to have some awareness of this or why did he record an English version in the first place? He is endlessly pandering to French audiences and now he is starting to pander to Italians as well with Italian lyrics. But he is a British artist with an entire repertoire of English songs that he could never squeeze into one set list and he goes out of his way to alienate English audiences by singing French songs in lieu of HIT songs and new English songs in London. It's crazy.

 

I'm a French speaker but I think that he should have skipped 'Comme Soleil Mal Luné in London' ... I love that song but what's the point of singing it in front of people who have NEVER heard it and DONT understand a word of it ? Not the best way to attract the British audience, I think... Even in Brussels, I wondered if he'd sing it as only the UK edition had been released in Vlaanderen. :'>

 

But still, I'm sure the gig was amazing... :> <3

 

There are still some songs I wish I had heard at some gigs like Tah Dah, Heroes, Step with me & Kids ... I hope I can hear them live someday

Edited December 14, 2012 by Kaito

[sharonkitten]

Well I had an absolutely awesome time despite being full of cold and having swollen tonsils - today I can hardly speak and have had to cancel a meeting I was meant to be at as I feel too ill. But it was fab just to see him live again (last time was Heaven in the summer and it feels too long!)

 

However despite me thinking it was an amazing gig and me loving every minute of it i do agree with much of what has been said above. Was v surprised he opened with a french song and didnt do Emily (not that I am keen on either english or french version of that). I really dont like celebrate and am over seeing WAG, and wanted to see kids and heroes live so was disappointed not to see them

 

I also (sorry) didnt like the polka dot choir - this was the first time I have seen them and I thought it didnt just not add anything but even made the performance worse as they werent dancing in synch etc. I also thought popular wasnt as good as I had hoped (and it is one of my favourite songs on the album) so was disappointed by that

 

This is not, however, a bad review as overall I still had a mindblowing evening - just that I would have liked a few things to be different

 

Sorry I didnt get to catch up with anyone - was in the queue just behind Sara and Jemma and Danika, with a friend. We couldnt get there early but when we saw the size of the queue we chose to have another drink in the pub opposite and go in at the end when the queue was going down. We stood at the back, near to the sound desk. Mainly a really good view

Edited December 14, 2012 by sharonkitten

[barty9]

I really enjoyed it last night but it wasn't as good as the last time I saw Mika at the Eden Project. I wanted him to sing Emily!

[IngievV]

Wasn't his best show, but I did really enjoy it. I thought the first song was a strange choice too, but it's up to him. Elle me dit was well-received over at my side where the girls next to me nearly had an orgasm when he started singing it. It was obvious to see he did the best he could and even though it wasn't at full power, it was still very good.

[macboll]

Wasn't his best show, but I did really enjoy it. I thought the first song was a strange choice too, but it's up to him. Elle me dit was well-received over at my side where the girls next to me nearly had an orgasm when he started singing it. It was obvious to see he did the best he could and even though it wasn't at full power, it was still very good.

 

so we'll need new lyrics then: Elle me dit you should behave in public

 

I'm sorry the gig didn't meet everyone's expectations last night. I really wanted it to be a mindblowing show that would win the UK back.

[dcdeb]

Evening Standard Review:

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/arts/music/mika-roundhouse-nw1--review-8414051.html

 

Mika, Roundhouse, NW1 - review

Big, loud and energetic, but Mika still remains a mystery

Critic Rating 3 stars

 

He's big in the Benelux region and a chart topper in France but Mika’s latest album stalled outside the UK top 20. Singing two songs in French at this homecoming suggested a change in career priorities; it also confirmed Mika’s ability to be a bit irritating in more than one language.

 

The new record does at least develop a grown-up pop sound though you’d hardly know it from this over-the-top performance, which felt like stumbling into a Christmas party with a compulsory Seventies-style disco theme. “You need a drink,” he told fans and that’s probably the best way to enjoy 90 minutes of Mika.

 

He unleashed his terrifying falsetto on 2007 number one Grace Kelly and the pumping disco of Relax, Take it Easy, while bouncing around, clambering onto a piano and demanding the audience sing along.

 

Origin of Love showed he can make smart, captivating tunes and Popular Song had some of Robbie Williams’s self-aware swagger.

 

Yet for all his effort and natural ability, there was a surprising lack of personality from a pop star whose debut album sold 5.6 million. Mika remains something of a mystery, which might explain his career setback on this side of the Channel.

 

----------------------

 

The Upcoming

http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2012/12/14/concert-review-mika-at-the-camden-roundhouse/

 

Concert review: Mika at the Camden Roundhouse

The Camden Roundhouse is packed to the rafters with a surprisingly eclectic mix of excited fans eagerly awaiting the high-pitched and bouncy musician that is Mika. From middle-aged men testing out a bit of awkward dad-dancing to adoring teenage girls, Mika has gathered a strong following despite being off the radar for so long.

 

Mika’s first studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, was released in 2007 and managed to secure him a number-one spot on the UK album charts and a Brit Award for best breakthrough act. If tonight is anything to go by, his new album, The Origin of Love, which focuses on a more simple pop format, looks set to go the same way.

 

Sticking to his old faithful tunes, Mika warms the crowd up with Grace Kelly and a confetti snowstorm. The track has such energy that it sets the audience up for the night and sees him springing across the stage with his trademark flamboyant vigour. Relax, Take It Easy is another easy winner that sees Mika don a glittering bowler hat. Its heavy poppy beats and synthesised vocals have even the dads in the audience wiggling their hips.

 

Tracks from his new album go down with only slightly less enthusiasm than his biggest hit singles. Make You Happy and Stardust are slow and soulful tracks that give the crowd a chance to catch their breath after the up-tempo madness. Only Love You When I’m Drunk and Celebrate are definite favourites from his new material, with Mika commanding the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

 

The real winner of the night has to be Love Today. Mika proves himself to be not only a decent artist of filthily poppy dance tracks but a showman as well. He directs the stage, his band and his audience with such effortless enthusiasm and flamboyant style that even the staunchest cynics in the audience have smiles on their faces. Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) is another crowd pleaser. Mika brings a choir onstage to help him with this number.

 

Though some of us may only remember him for Grace Kelly five years ago, Mika’s performance hails him as one of the most endearing pop performers of this generation. Despite the fact he seems to rely heavily on his old tracks, it only made the atmosphere of the night more colourful. For his showmanship, vibrant energy and happy music, Mika is definitely a must-see for both fans and lovers of pop alike.

 

Verdict: ●●●

Edited December 14, 2012 by dcdeb

[emmy333]

I do have to say though, one of the people I went with it was their first mika concert and they still said it was the best concert they'd been to. So maybe he just wasn't living up to the standards *we* all know hes capable of.

[dcdeb]

More photos:

 

 

http://thefourohfive.com/review/article/in-photos-mika-roundhouse-london-13-12-12

[Christine]

Singing two songs in French at this homecoming suggested a change in career priorities;

 

That is the message that is sent so loud and clear that even "strangers" can hear it. English audiences don't matter. I understand this a pragmatic reality but can't you at least pretend for one gig? We all know he can't really speak Russian or Swiss German either but at least he tries in order to ingratiate himself to the audience. Is it really so difficult to act like an English artist when you are an anglophone living in London with a full catalogue of English songs to draw from?

 

I just don't understand this self sabotage.

[Christine]

I do have to say though, one of the people I went with it was their first mika concert and they still said it was the best concert they'd been to. So maybe he just wasn't living up to the standards *we* all know hes capable of.

 

You may be right about that. Certainly for me the "worst" Mika gig I've been to is still one of the better ones I've seen in my life.

[Marilyn Mastin]

Well I'm gobsmacked really. Not by Mika, but by the negativity on this thread.

This is only my opinion of course, but I thought he did brilliantly and I loved the gig.

I had been expecting him to struggle with the songs due to his throat condition, but he did far better than many singers who's throats are okay. Under the circumstances, risking his voice to perform for us, he was wonderful. He could, and possibly should (for the sake of his voice) have cancelled all the gigs, but he didn't. He went out like a trooper and entertained the crowd.

The song at the start didn't bother me at all. I love hearing Mika sing in French, and I think he, maybe, started with that song to get his voice going, as it's easy to sing and not high. Of course, he could have sang a low English song, but I enjoyed the French song.

I enjoyed waving the candles during Uw. Thank you @Buttons for providing them for us. It was lovely meeting @Marina, and Marina, I'm sorry I can't remember if the lady with you was your sister or your daughter, but it was great to meet her too when you both came onto the balcony with us.

We had a great view of the stage and the crowd. Honestly, everyone below was clapping, waving and singing along. The MFCers near the stage wouldn't have seen the crowd, but I could and they loved Mika to bits! The atmosphere was great!

I agree that it was a shame he didn't sing Happy Ending, and it would have been nice to hear some more new songs, but he's never going to satisfy everyone. I think the gig was fantastic, but I didn't hang around for the m&g as I have limited stamina and wanted to save some for Manchester

 

I am now looking forward to tonight in Manchester.

[tiibet]

Thanks for linking, the second one is a very good review! It was a good show and average concert goers probably never realized it wasn't his best one, the audience enjoyed it and he was his entertaining self even not at his best at every level. Our expectations are very high you know

 

@marilyn: i can't easily quote with my mobile but totally agree with you in many points you made. The first song was a good way to start when having diffuculties with his voice. I was expecting some negative comments about the French songs after reading mfc discussion for a long time but the general feedback seemed to be positive.

[Menthe]

I agree with you Marilyn (even if I wasn't there ). He seems to sing very well and Make you happy is so beautiful, I adore that version with strings. He is even dancing with Max.

I don't mind the French songs, but I understand it might deceive some people from UK. But he sang only two songs in French anyway. Especially EMD is better known in French amongs his fans. That is of course a very personal point of view, because I like a lot all the latin languages and enjoy for exemple hearing Stardust with Italian verses.

[mamiam]

Well I'm gobsmacked really. Not by Mika, but by the negativity on this thread.

This is only my opinion of course, but I thought he did brilliantly and I loved the gig.

I had been expecting him to struggle with the songs due to his throat condition, but he did far better than many singers who's throats are okay. Under the circumstances, risking his voice to perform for us, he was wonderful. He could, and possibly should (for the sake of his voice) have cancelled all the gigs, but he didn't. He went out like a trooper and entertained the crowd.

The song at the start didn't bother me at all. I love hearing Mika sing in French, and I think he, maybe, started with that song to get his voice going, as it's easy to sing and not high. Of course, he could have sang a low English song, but I enjoyed the French song.

I enjoyed waving the candles during Uw. Thank you @Buttons for providing them for us. It was lovely meeting @Marina, and Marina, I'm sorry I can't remember if the lady with you was your sister or your daughter, but it was great to meet her too when you both came onto the balcony with us.

We had a great view of the stage and the crowd. Honestly, everyone below was clapping, waving and singing along. The MFCers near the stage wouldn't have seen the crowd, but I could and they loved Mika to bits! The atmosphere was great!

I agree that it was a shame he didn't sing Happy Ending, and it would have been nice to hear some more new songs, but he's never going to satisfy everyone. I think the gig was fantastic, but I didn't hang around for the m&g as I have limited stamina and wanted to save some for Manchester

 

I am now looking forward to tonight in Manchester.

 

Finally a really pos. and good report, which point at some essensial things about this gig - MIKA did his very best, even he's sick, and his voice needs rest and healing!! The last thing he wants is to let his fans down and cancell, that should be highly appreciated!!! Maybe he just wanted to tease UK a bit by his choice of EMD instead of Emily - as a reminder that he's huge in France! To me it sounds quite strange to be that aware of his songchoice - something he really should be able to do freely, without fans being upset about it !? I think MIKAs fans are sooo spoiled by his excellent liveshows for many years now, after all he's a normal person, who can't be on top of the world - non stop...

Even I was not there, I enjoy to read all these reports today - thanks to everyone for sharing !

 

Marily Mastin: Enjoy Manchester gig tonight! And MIKA: Take care of yourself, and rest well during the upcoming Christmas days!!

 

Love,love

MB

[sariflor]

Well, I had accumulated tons of posts to quote and comment on, but it will be way too long so will only quote a few now

 

There is a political thing between English and French and it's just stupid to sing it in London. Mika has to have some awareness of this or why did he record an English version in the first place? He is endlessly pandering to French audiences and now he is starting to pander to Italians as well with Italian lyrics. But he is a British artist with an entire repertoire of English songs that he could never squeeze into one set list and he goes out of his way to alienate English audiences by singing French songs in lieu of HIT songs and new English songs in London. It's crazy.

 

Exactly. It's really not about what some of us will enjoy (and I am the first to say that I actually like that song, have nothing against him singing in French and like many of his French songs, so I did enjoy it to a degree) but I don't like the fact that he is making such a blatant "I don't give a toss about what anyone thinks" statement. At the end of the day, the people going to the show last night were the ones who would support his UK career, so it seems like a poor marketing move to do that sort of thing which will only make them go wtf and that was confirmed by the randomers that I spoke to in the tube

 

 

Gosh. Reading these reviews, I can't help but think it would have been better if he had cancelled these gigs and rescheduled for next year (would've been able to go then myself but that's not why I'm saying this ).

 

Still, I guess as some of you say, to casual observers it was probably a good gig. However it is strange how he didn't do a TOOL-heavy set as one would expect. It's normal for an artist to focus on their most recent album at live gigs especially if they are trying to push it. Makes me wonder if he is p*ssed off at the poor sales of TOOL to date and couldn't give a flying fig any more

 

Well, yes, it was a very good gig in the great scheme of things, and of course I enjoyed it as I can't imagine NOT enjoying a Mika gig, that is not the point of course.

It's just about how different it was to other gigs of his which were fantastic, which is many others that I've been to, and without going any further the last two in London.

Heaven in the summer was absolutely fantastic, I loved it and it left me completely pumped and feeling that he was in fine form, and that he'd done an incredible performance. I felt the same after the BBC gig for the radio show, loved every second, and he was at his finest.

When he does an amazing show I am the first one to rave about it and say how much I loved it and how fantastic it was, so I think that it's as important to say it when the situation is different, in order to keep things balanced.

 

He will always be a great performer, and a great singer, that goes without saying, but sometimes you can just tell that his heart is not with it, and that doesn't feel right.

 

Very embarrasing vibe it is... never read these kind of reviews for 3 years of my MFC life Maybe he focused on old songs because TOOL is not hit there and thought most of the audience don't know the TOOL songs...

Actually his plan was, these polka dot tour (?) should be appetizer gig before Main dish gig.. (sorry donno how to express this in English) and because of various reasons nothing followed up after this appetizer...but going back to studio so...

I watched 3 vids on the front page and Stardust was good... as many of here agrees... but TOOL.... I felt he's just singing without feeling...not very into it but automatically singing without thinking anything..... that's not typical Mika so very weird... (I assume his lover might be there also... ? London, you know..)

I don't know, I think that many people who were there last night did know the new songs, like the random boys I spoke to in the tube, and they were disappointed that Mika had not done any more new songs

 

The singing without feeling behind it is exactly how things felt a lot of the time last night, and I don't think that it has anything to do with his voice, really, just a general mood kind of thing...

 

I'm even more worried about his voice now... That's crazy.. he should be resting..

 

I'm a French speaker but I think that he should have skipped 'Comme Soleil Mal Luné in London' ... I love that song but what's the point of singing it in front of people who have NEVER heard it and DONT understand a word of it ? Not the best way to attract the British audience, I think... Even in Brussels, I wondered if he'd sing it as only the UK edition had been released in Vlaanderen. :'>

 

There are still some songs I wish I had heard at some gigs like Tah Dah, Heroes, Step with me & Kids ... I hope I can hear them live someday

Well, that is exactly how I feel about this. I listen to the French songs on my mp3 player, when I feel like it and the mood is right, and love how his voice sounds on them, and enjoy that very much.

That doesn't mean that I think a gig in London is the place to sing them though, especially instead of new songs from his UK relased album. It just beggars belief

 

Well I had an absolutely awesome time despite being full of cold and having swollen tonsils - today I can hardly speak and have had to cancel a meeting I was meant to be at as I feel too ill. But it was fab just to see him live again (last time was Heaven in the summer and it feels too long!)

 

However despite me thinking it was an amazing gig and me loving every minute of it i do agree with much of what has been said above. Was v surprised he opened with a french song and didnt do Emily (not that I am keen on either english or french version of that). I really dont like celebrate and am over seeing WAG, and wanted to see kids and heroes live so was disappointed not to see them

 

I also (sorry) didnt like the polka dot choir - this was the first time I have seen them and I thought it didnt just not add anything but even made the performance worse as they werent dancing in synch etc. I also thought popular wasnt as good as I had hoped (and it is one of my favourite songs on the album) so was disappointed by that

 

This is not, however, a bad review as overall I still had a mindblowing evening - just that I would have liked a few things to be different

 

Sorry I didnt get to catch up with anyone - was in the queue just behind Sara and Jemma and Danika, with a friend. We couldnt get there early but when we saw the size of the queue we chose to have another drink in the pub opposite and go in at the end when the queue was going down. We stood at the back, near to the sound desk. Mainly a really good view

 

Oooh, I didn't realise you were right behind us going in!! You should have said hi! Although I was in such a dire need to go to the loo that I wasn't taking much in, really and made a beeline for it as we got in

 

I agree about the choir: they came on a few times and I really didn't think that it was adding anything of interest or quality, to be honest. I don't mean this in a nasty way, of course, but it just didn't do it for me. They came on for a few songs and I didn't really get why, as I couldn't hear their contribution (mostly) and it seemed a bit pointless, but maybe that is my impression. I thought one song would be ok, the novelty, something different, but I agree that the way in which the song works best is with a female counterpart, like he used to do in the old days with Ida or Imma, when he sang a duet.

 

Popular in general disappointed me even though I LOVE the album version, because it sounded a bit off.

 

 

 

Wasn't his best show, but I did really enjoy it. I thought the first song was a strange choice too, but it's up to him. Elle me dit was well-received over at my side where the girls next to me nearly had an orgasm when he started singing it. It was obvious to see he did the best he could and even though it wasn't at full power, it was still very good.

It is up to him alright, for sure. But then it will also be up to him if his career doesn't ever pick up in his home country

As long as he's ok with that...

 

 

so we'll need new lyrics then: Elle me dit you should behave in public

 

I'm sorry the gig didn't meet everyone's expectations last night. I really wanted it to be a mindblowing show that would win the UK back.

Aye, that is what I was thinking, how is he planning on doing that with this show and set? I really don't get anything

 

Oh and Marylin, I am not quoting you because I had already selected all these longs posts earlier, but I am a bit taken aback at your comment re the negativity in this thread.

Some of us, if you read back on posts, have actually raved about Mika incessantly for the longest time, posting really good and enthusiastic things on MFC and elsewhere for years, so I think that it's only natural to post the not so good feelings too. Why would anyone shut up and not say things how they see them? That is pointless and makes the good comments of no value, because if someone always thinks that something is great, then their sense of judgement must be somewhat clouded.

This sort of thing is what has driven plenty of good, rational, level headed people away from MFC, because the culture seems to have become the "the sun shines out of Mika's a$$" and not so positive comments are not welcome. Truth is truth, and sometimes a little negative feedback goes a far longer way than false positiveness, or even if it's genuine, constant praise. I believe (and apply this belief in actions) in praising when I feel it's deserved, and also criticising when the situation requires it.

 

As I said before the Heaven gig and the BBC show were incredible, fantastic, and I made that very clear at the time. And a show like last night's is not of the same standard, which leaves me with a slight bad feeling, so I just say it how it feels to me

[isabellarosie123]

i dont think it was his voice that was the problem yeah it was a bit tired but it wasn't bad ! I loved the fact that he did the french song at the start it was very beautiful and i think Mika was risking it a bit but it payed off. What wasnt there was his personality ive been to loads of gigs and normally he makes much more eye contact and interacts more with the audience! I was front row and I dont think the audience helped they overfilled the venue we were packed in like sardines and most of the people on the front row were near fainting point ! Good show but i think proper fans will agree that Heaven in July was far superior !

[krysady]

I know people are disappointed of the playlist,I would love too to hear more songs from his new album too,but from what I saw in Munich,Vienna and Zurich,every time he plays new songs,the crowd is puzzled and not very responsive,except us,mfcers,but when he starts an old song,everybody is jumping and singing along.

[krysady]

From Mika's FB page: The fan review of the Roundhouse show last night is here!! What do you think, were you there, do you agree? We hope you all enjoyed it....

[sariflor]

i dont think it was his voice that was the problem yeah it was a bit tired but it wasn't bad ! I loved the fact that he did the french song at the start it was very beautiful and i think Mika was risking it a bit but it payed off. What wasnt there was his personality ive been to loads of gigs and normally he makes much more eye contact and interacts more with the audience! I was front row and I dont think the audience helped they overfilled the venue we were packed in like sardines and most of the people on the front row were near fainting point ! Good show but i think proper fans will agree that Heaven in July was far superior !

Totally agree with you on the bolded points

[Christine]

I know people are disappointed of the playlist,I would love too to hear more songs from his new album too,but from what I saw in Munich,Vienna and Zurich,every time he plays new songs,the crowd is puzzled and not very responsive,except us,mfcers,but when he starts an old song,everybody is jumping and singing along.

 

Yes that's the thing. There are a few songs I would happily trade in for newer ones but most of the people in the audience came to hear the hits. But in light of that the French songs are also not a good choice.

 

I love them a lot and hope to hear them next time in Montreal but it sends a bad message in this situation. Maybe people don't get the politics here but the first time I was in London the locals were so annoyed with French fans "invading" their gig that they woke up at the crack of dawn to plant a St. George's cross flag at the head of the queue. Of course we can talk about how juvenile and silly that is but the point is this French/English adversarial relationship has roots deeper than petty fan rivalries. You don't become nationalistic just because another fan annoys you.

 

If Mika was just oblivious I wouldn't even comment on it because obviously it's not that big of a deal but when he goes out of his way to cater to local audiences I don't understand it. He had only been in Canada for 2 days the first time I saw him and he made a joke with the punchline of "Montréalers can go f*ck themselves". Mika loves Montréal as we all know now, but just in his short time in this country he picked up on the rivalry between Toronto and Montréal and used it to his advantage to win over the Toronto audience.

 

I will take Isabella's word that it paid off with the audience but reading someone in the media saying he is switching his priorities to France is not worth it IMO. There are 20 other songs he could have sung.

[krysady]

Yes that's the thing. There are a few songs I would happily trade in for newer ones but most of the people in the audience came to hear the hits. But in light of that the French songs are also not a good choice.

 

I love them a lot and hope to hear them next time in Montreal but it sends a bad message in this situation. Maybe people don't get the politics here but the first time I was in London the locals were so annoyed with French fans "invading" their gig that they woke up at the crack of dawn to plant a St. George's cross flag at the head of the queue. Of course we can talk about how juvenile and silly that is but the point is this French/English adversarial relationship has roots deeper than petty fan rivalries. You don't become nationalistic just because another fan annoys you.

 

If Mika was just oblivious I wouldn't even comment on it because obviously it's not that big of a deal but when he goes out of his way to cater to local audiences I don't understand it. He had only been in Canada for 2 days the first time I saw him and he made a joke with the punchline of "Montréalers can go f*ck themselves". Mika loves Montréal as we all know now, but just in his short time in this country he picked up on the rivalry between Toronto and Montréal and used it to his advantage to win over the Toronto audience.

 

I will take Isabella's word that it paid off with the audience but reading someone in the media saying he is switching his priorities to France is not worth it IMO. There are 20 other songs he could have sung.

Since I'm not French,nor English,and I like some of his french songs,I can't give a fair opinion about it,but somehow I'm glad he did that,I think he was brave(and maybe he had his reasons) What I don't get is why he's not trying to insert more of his new material.....but maybe this is also a strategy of his management

[suzie]

oh, finally a gig thread including real concert reviews and not about the m&g part.

 

I have only read the first page so far but a lot to comment already:teehee::

 

Well, my opinion...

…is similar to mine on the gig I attended in Austria on many points, especially on the level of excitement and on EMD. There he even mentioned before the song that he’ll sing this despite being told not to.. So who is he trying to prove what? It is either the case of him having been pressured to write an English version to that song and he is not happy to sing the English version (which puts a huge question mark over his ‘freedom’ in what he puts on his own records) or he forgot that he was actually in the UK and just kept the French setlist. Either scenario sounds pretty bad to me , so perhaps he really needs his well-deserved break now.

He seemed happy and energetic enough, but really hardly spoke for the first half of it, which I found very off. He seemed to be in a hurry to just get it over and done with and didn't seem very communicative with the audience.

Perhaps he was missing you from front row.

Seriously though, his mood often shows in his performances and I am not surprised he wasn’t the happiest in London. It wasn’t a triumphant return, not much to celebrate, really. I feel sorry for him on that, actually.

 

Despite what others have put on Twitter etc., this was NOT one of his best, primarily because of his voice problems, I think. It didn't look like he was enjoying the gig that much - maybe he was feeling really rubbish - but the sparkle wasn't there, and I think part of that is because there's no cohesion within the new band.

That is an interesting point and I also felt a kind of insecurity in Vienna . I put it down to the moderate level of success of the third album, not the band though. I think the band does sound better. It is more of them on stage (plus the ‘choir’ ) , so maybe that contributes to the (lack of) spirit, too. I guess it is easier to create the magical sparkle with fewer of them.

Lola, EMD and Celebrate can be dumped, never to be heard again, IMO! And actually I would add WAG to that list too - from where I was standing, it really didn't work as the final song.

I agree, except for Lola. To me Lola is perfect for live performances : I love the improvisation part. I don’t know if he did it like that in London but with a receptive audience it goes down really well.

 

Popular I like on the album, and it could work great live too if done with a girl vocalist (come back, Imma!) but it seriously doesn't work with a choir!.

The choir for me didn't add anything. They were all out of sync with each other and I thought it was awful. I've seen infant school choirs do a better job. No offense if you were in it but its just my opinion.

A few fans on stage do not make a choir. They are just fans on stage. How one perceives that idea depends on their expectation from a concert. To be a member must feel great for those who love to be near him or want to try the experience to be on stage at a concert. How the audience feels about may be debatable. It certainly does not build Mika’s credibility as a musician but it does not seem to be his priority. He is focusing more and more on some theatrical visuals and that is why I am getting removed from it all. It seems that I have seen all he can offer at the moment , which would probably get 5 stars from me at any occasion but I expect him to move to a next stage now and consider himself a musician and not a theatre director.

Edited December 14, 2012 by suzie

[guylainem123]

Yes that's the thing. There are a few songs I would happily trade in for newer ones but most of the people in the audience came to hear the hits. But in light of that the French songs are also not a good choice.

 

I love them a lot and hope to hear them next time in Montreal but it sends a bad message in this situation. Maybe people don't get the politics here but the first time I was in London the locals were so annoyed with French fans "invading" their gig that they woke up at the crack of dawn to plant a St. George's cross flag at the head of the queue. Of course we can talk about how juvenile and silly that is but the point is this French/English adversarial relationship has roots deeper than petty fan rivalries. You don't become nationalistic just because another fan annoys you.

 

If Mika was just oblivious I wouldn't even comment on it because obviously it's not that big of a deal but when he goes out of his way to cater to local audiences I don't understand it. He had only been in Canada for 2 days the first time I saw him and he made a joke with the punchline of "Montréalers can go f*ck themselves". Mika loves Montréal as we all know now, but just in his short time in this country he picked up on the rivalry between Toronto and Montréal and used it to his advantage to win over the Toronto audience.

 

I will take Isabella's word that it paid off with the audience but reading someone in the media saying he is switching his priorities to France is not worth it IMO. There are 20 other songs he could have sung.

 

yeah... that comment upset me quite a bit & was uncalled for... especially since he just had a successful concert in Montreal!

 

lucky i didn't say the same thing to him....

[silver]

I spoke to several non-MFCers after the show - most of them seeing Mika for the first time - and they all thought it was an incredible show, so maybe we are just being super critical because we can compare last night's performance with other performances

 

Overall I enjoyed it, though I would echo the comments about being squashed - there was a lot of pushing from the back.

 

Good points: he did Make You Happy and Stardust and Popular though the performance of Popular was so-so. And it was good to hear Toy Boy again, though an odd choice for an encore.

 

Bad points: you could hear how strained his voice was. And I am getting so bored now with Big Girl and Billy Brown and Lollipop - I wish he would drop them.

 

One thing I find odd is that Mika never plugs his own records - he never introduces a song with something like "this is from my new album" which you get with other artists He needs to remember that not everyone is familiar with his repertoire.

 

Absolutely no idea what possessed him to start the show with a French song. Maybe it's because he knew a lot of French fans were there? I am prepared to forgive him For Elle Me Dit as I much prefer that version to Emily.

 

I'm not sure what the point of the choir is - not just here but at the other gigs too - maybe it would have helped if we could have heard them properly.

 

Which brings me on to my main gripe since he has had the new band: the sound has generally been poorly mixed - far too loud so you can't hear Mika properly (which may have been the reason for him straining his voice in the first place). I think whoever is doing it should be sacked and replaced by someone who lets Mika's voice dominate.

[guylainem123]

I spoke to several non-MFCers after the show - most of them seeing Mika for the first time - and they all thought it was an incredible show, so maybe we are just being super critical because we can compare last night's performance with other performances

 

Overall I enjoyed it, though I would echo the comments about being squashed - there was a lot of pushing from the back.

 

Good points: he did Make You Happy and Stardust and Popular though the performance of Popular was so-so. And it was good to hear Toy Boy again, though an odd choice for an encore.

 

Bad points: you could hear how strained his voice was. And I am getting so bored now with Big Girl and Billy Brown and Lollipop - I wish he would drop them.

 

One thing I find odd is that Mika never plugs his own records - he never introduces a song with something like "this is from my new album" which you get with other artists He needs to remember that not everyone is familiar with his repertoire.

 

Absolutely no idea what possessed him to start the show with a French song. Maybe it's because he knew a lot of French fans were there? I am prepared to forgive him For Elle Me Dit as I much prefer that version to Emily.

 

I'm not sure what the point of the choir is - not just here but at the other gigs too - maybe it would have helped if we could have heard them properly.

 

Which brings me on to my main gripe since he has had the new band: the sound has generally been poorly mixed - far too loud so you can't hear Mika properly (which may have been the reason for him straining his voice in the first place). I think whoever is doing it should be sacked and replaced by someone who lets Mika's voice dominate.

 

actually, i love his new album very much ... but my only criticism would be that on OOL, we don't hear his voice enough... it should be more dominant. He has such a lovely voice