REPORTS/PICS/VIDEOS/ MIKA @ The Venue VANCOUVER, BC - March 22, 2013

[krysady]

Most North Americans have had to travel a long way to see him at all in the past 4 years. I understand these are special gigs and anyone would want to see them but maybe a little perspective is in order here. Anyone who's been around since earlyish days has had plenty of chances to see Mika at small showcases. I also understand it's disheartening for people in the UK to see his popularity slipping there but he hasn't even performed a full week of gigs elsewhere since the UK dates so I'm not so sure anyone in Europe wants to trade their circumstances for 3 weeks of gigs every 4 years no matter how great those gigs are. Especially when you consider if you were actually living here you'd be lucky to get to even 2 or 3 of those gigs because this isn't Europe. The gigs are all crammed into a very short period of time and you have to travel thousands of miles between them.

 

Maybe, just maybe, everyone in Europe could live without Mika for 17 days just this once?

 

Oh,no,don't get me wrong,I'm really happy for all of you who can attend to those gigs,you really deserve it,it must be awful to wait for so long to see him,and I'm also thinking here at the Asian,Australian and South-American fans.I'm sure we can survive without him more than 17 days (btw it's 23 days,but who's counting ),I'm sorry if I was misunderstood,all I'm saying is that it would be great to see some videos from those gigs,being something so different from what we got until now.

Edited March 24, 2013 by krysady

[mellody]

from what i can see, it's not really sheet music but just the chords. only that they're not just written on a piece of paper like he used to do it, but they're within a sheet music system, so he can see easily when to play which chord. would make perfect sense, and you don't have to be able to play notes from a paper fluently. he might not be able to do that, but i'm sure he knows what to play if he reads "C#".

[basicamenteyo]

I thought he couldn't read sheet music?

 

I think we might need to add that one to the list of Mika statements that need a bit of nuance:

 

I'm afraid of the water (if I swim 2 km in open sea)

I'm a bad driver (although I have driven through half of Europe, where they drive on the different side of the road as compared to the way I learnt to drive, and lived to tell about it)

I'm a bad cook (compared to a chef with a Michelin star, I'm an expert on sauces though)

I can't read music (as well as you expect from a clasically trained musician)

...

 

Oh and let's not forget:

I don't limit myself in who I sleep with (but I am very faithful and I've been in a stable relationship for the past three years)

 

Five

 

And you forgot about "I have a dog called Gertrude"

[maggie112]

Let's add "I can't swim"

 

ok, you alreay wrote "I'm afraid of water" , I just read

Edited March 24, 2013 by maggie112

[guylainem123]

and "i'm a vegetarian, while chewing on a hotdog at the airport"

[smokesignal]

Five

 

And you forgot about "I have a dog called Gertrude"

 

Not at the time, I think... He mostly went around saying that when he just started promoting TBWKTM, didn't he? I was guessing it must have been around three then. And I don't think I can fit Gertrude in a nuance

 

Edit: or the hotdog... Shall we call those two the difference between dream and reality, and say it's lovely for an artist to have such a rich fantasy life that the two fade into each other on occasion?

Edited March 24, 2013 by smokesignal

[RAK1]

and "i'm a vegetarian, while chewing on a hotdog at the airport"

 

Wasn't it a vegeburger?

[smokesignal]

Wasn't it a vegeburger?

 

He clearly said hotdog, then 'fancy food for a vegetarian' and that it didn't even taste like meat.

 

And the fact that I remember this so clearly without having a link for you is slightly worrying

[JohannaÄlskarMika]

Ooooooh, never seen anyone do that before. Clever That must have been for a new song? non?

 

Haha that's a great way of using your iPad. I do it all the time with his songs when I'm at the piano!

[guylainem123]

Wasn't it a vegeburger?

 

it was hotdogs .... vegeburger were in California & if my memory serves me right, he said they were horrible (but i could be wrong... i tend to delete info in my brain from time to time )

[Kumazzz]

and "i'm a vegetarian, while chewing on a hotdog at the airport"

 

it's one of funniest interviews.

 

[YOUTUBE]xg2V28pQBLM[/YOUTUBE]

[Christine]

about what christine said, you're right, but atm it's more about the new songs for me than about the intimate gigs. if he just did new arrangements of the old songs in intimate venues, i'm sad enough to miss that, but i feel like i'm double punished since he's doing new songs AND i can't hear them! so far, every fan with an internet connection always was able to hear mika's new songs a few hours after he first performed them, except for that one time with century man. if he released those songs as an ep next week, i'd be fine... but the last time he played century man was in 2007 - this knowledge doesn't give me much hope that i will *ever* get to hear them.

 

Century Man could possibly be a special case but you're going to get to hear any other new songs. And since he's already done Century Man the second night it seems like it's not a one-off.

 

I think it's only a matter of a very short period of time before the songs get out anyway. It's frustrating but I don't know, I just don't think it's worth seriously regretting not going to the gigs over. I would have loved to have been in Vancouver too but none of us is able to go to every gig. If he does a residency in France I would love to go to that too but if he does it in June or probably even at any point in 2013 it's not likely I will go. I don't have a million dollars to catch every special moment at every gig and neither do you or just about every other MFCer. Sometimes you just have to let it go. (Speaking for myself here )

 

I think we might need to add that one to the list of Mika statements that need a bit of nuance:

 

I'm afraid of the water (if I swim 2 km in open sea)

I'm a bad driver (although I have driven through half of Europe, where they drive on the different side of the road as compared to the way I learnt to drive, and lived to tell about it)

I'm a bad cook (compared to a chef with a Michelin star, I'm an expert on sauces though)

I can't read music (as well as you expect from a clasically trained musician)

...

 

Oh and let's not forget:

I don't limit myself in who I sleep with (but I am very faithful and I've been in a stable relationship for the past three years)

 

But it was never a nuanced statement about the sheet music. He has been unequivocal about it and has repeated it ad nauseam for 6-7 years. Although a friend of mine who went to a music school in London always told me there is no way Mika could get into the RCM without reading music. But you never know, he's a charmer when he wants to be.

 

I'm sorry if I was misunderstood,all I'm saying is that it would be great to see some videos from those gigs,being something so different from what we got until now.

 

I wasn't speaking directly to your posts. Sorry that English doesn't make a clear distinction with the general you (unless you are from the Southern US in which case you can say "all y'all" and be clear ) And it's not even just from the comments in this thread but other conversations on MFC and tweets, etc.

 

I don't get the sense that anyone is begrudging North Americans but I do get the sense that people feel deprived somehow. Europeans have been eating 90% of the Mika pie for the past 4 years and yet when a few crumbs are dropped in someone else's direction people still seem to want the crumbs too. People are acting like it's half the pie and not just some crumbs.

 

We are getting 17 dates but you get hundreds. You live in Romania is that right? Vancouver is more than twice the distance from me as you are from London. I don't think there is any gig he could perform in Europe that would be even half as far away from you as I am from Vancouver. San Francisco, Portland, Utah, Los Angeles, Las Vegas...all these dates are even farther away than Vancouver. So you have the same chance to go to every single gig he ever performs in Europe as I have to go to these gigs. The difference is you've got 10 times as many gigs to choose from. They are spread out over long periods of time so you can go to them without taking a month off of work. They are spread out over long periods of time so you can go to them without putting €10,000 on your credit card. You can take cheap trains and cheap flights where it would cost me €1,000 just to go to a gig in my own country. (Sorry I'm just using you as an example here but this is probably the case for everyone in Europe who is not a youngling or impoverished by western European standards.)

 

I probably would never comment on this but I have lamented the fact that Mika hasn't come to North America for years and have been told repeatedly by other fans to suck it up and Mika can do whatever he wants, etc. Now he performs 17 dates outside of Europe and people are moaning and begging for him to do the same in Europe. As I said if people are seriously feeling deprived I just think a little perspective is in order. Europeans are the chosen people in Mikaland and you get everything 90% of the time.

 

If he starts doing 17 dates in North America every 6 months instead of every 4 years then I will be more empathetic.

[Zimwana]

Thank you for the lovely report Mana!

 

I'm even more excited to see this gig!!

[mellody]

of course you're right christine, but still, hearing about those special intimate gigs and the new songs is just very hard if you know you can't be there and think you might be missing a once-in-a-lifetime-chance. *sigh* of course i understand everyone else just as well who moaned about not being able to go to any special gigs in europe, or about mika not touring enough in north and south america, australia or wherever else, while being in france nearly every week. but it wouldn't hurt anyone if mika did a few of those intimate gigs in europe as well. he seems to turn his back on countries like germany and the uk, because he isn't as popular anymore here as he used to be - but he could very well sell out venues with a capacity of a few hundred, like the ones he's playing in NA now. even in germany. but no, we got to hear from him in several countries last year that "this is the last gig here for a very long time". i just wonder why, and it makes me sad to think of that. if he had a full tour schedule in all those countries he had neglected the last years, i would moan much less but rather save up for a trip to sydney in december.

Edited March 24, 2013 by mellody

[Christine]

of course you're right christine, but still, hearing about those special intimate gigs and the new songs is just very hard if you know you can't be there and think you might be missing a once-in-a-lifetime-chance. *sigh* of course i understand everyone else just as well who moaned about not being able to go to any special gigs in europe, or about mika not touring enough in north and south america, australia or wherever else, while being in france nearly every week. but it wouldn't hurt anyone if mika did a few of those intimate gigs in europe as well. he seems to turn his back on countries like germany and the uk, because he isn't as popular anymore here as he used to be - but he could very well sell out venues with a capacity of a few hundred, like the ones he's playing in NA now. even in germany. but no, we got to hear from him in several countries last year that "this is the last gig here for a very long time". i just wonder why, and it makes me sad to think of that. if he had a full tour schedule in all those countries he had neglected the last years, i would moan much less but rather save up for a trip to sydney in december.

 

Yes I totally agree with you about doing intimate gigs in Europe. I assume he doesn't regularly do small gigs in Germany and the UK because it doesn't make as much economic sense for him as it does playing festivals France. Not because he CAN'T. It probably doesn't make economic sense to do them in North America either - at least not in immediate terms. I guess the difference here is that it's a gamble with huge potential payoff. If he were to have even moderate success in the US it will mean not only a huge audience here but probably all over Europe as well. The same doesn't hold true for Germany and maybe he feels like he's hit a wall in the UK at the moment and may as well come here as do small dates there.

 

But the once in a lifetime opportunity thing - there are ALWAYS other opportunities and they are offered to Europeans 90% of the time. He has been promising this kind of thing for a couple of years now and it's only a matter of time before it happens. It will probably be a bit different - more costumes and props and that kind of thing. But from the conversations I've had with other fans that seems to appeal to Europeans more than a bare set. I'm sure the music will be very similar. And yes if you're in Germany or the UK it is a bummer to have to go to France for most of your gigs. But at least you don't have to travel 5000 kms which is impossible for the vast majority of fans.

[krysady]

@Christine: I totally agree with you But I still wish I could see some videos,even I know it's not like I'd be there,just to make an idea about the atmosphere,that's all.

[Christine]

@Christine: I totally agree with you But I still wish I could see some videos,even I know it's not like I'd be there,just to make an idea about the atmosphere,that's all.

 

Hopefully something surfaces soon.

[smokesignal]

But it was never a nuanced statement about the sheet music. He has been unequivocal about it and has repeated it ad nauseam for 6-7 years. Although a friend of mine who went to a music school in London always told me there is no way Mika could get into the RCM without reading music. But you never know, he's a charmer when he wants to be.

 

I will believe that he charmed his way into the RMC while his music reading skills were not as good as they should be, but not that they were non-existent as he likes to suggest. No way!

 

And, not to you in particular, but could we please all stop moaning about Mika performing in locations that are not in our own back yard? Let's be happy that he's performing somewhere (yes, even France!). At least he's not hiding from the world with a broken heart or lack of inspiration

[krysady]

Hopefully something surfaces soon.

 

Do you know something?

[cathouzouf]

I will believe that he charmed his way into the RMC while his music reading skills were not as good as they should be, but not that they were non-existent as he likes to suggest. No way!

 

And, not to you in particular, but could we please all stop moaning about Mika performing in locations that are not in our own back yard? Let's be happy that he's performing somewhere (yes, even France!). At least he's not hiding from the world with a broken heart or lack of inspiration

 

Amen for the second part...

 

For the first part, I remember he said in an interview that he had help to get through music school... So he can probably read a bit but not properly/fully.

[Christine]

At least he's not hiding from the world with a broken heart or lack of inspiration

 

We'll have to chalk that up to one of his lie...I mean "nuances" because that is not why Mika went into hiding last time. But yes I am happy that he is out and more importantly that he is not just doing these same old festivals. Even an acoustic tour in France is better than that IMO. At least it's something to get excited about even from far away.

[suzie]

But it was never a nuanced statement about the sheet music. He has been unequivocal about it and has repeated it ad nauseam for 6-7 years. Although a friend of mine who went to a music school in London always told me there is no way Mika could get into the RCM without reading music. But you never know, he's a charmer when he wants to be.

 

I think for a singer it is not an absolute necessity to read music as it is easier to memorize songs / choral works / arias..etc. I know that several or maybe all orera singers use instructors when they are learning their part. For the Royal College of Music it must be compulsory to read music though. Still, given we are talking about the UK, you can probably show them a piece of paper on whatever condition/ learning disability you have and you can take teh course - epecially if you also pay the tuition fee

Edited March 24, 2013 by suzie

[crazyaboutmika]

That was such an awesome show. I've seen Mika 25+ times now, and there was nothing quite like that. I think the closest experience that I've had was the April 2009 secret gig at the Roxy. Or if you've seen footage from that Salt Lake City gig where his gear didn't arrive and he decided to just kinda wing it - it was like that.

 

The opening act was...interesting! It consisted of an ironing board set up at the front of the stage, adorned with old books, french anatomy posters and what appeared to be a taxidermy duck (lolwut?). Max and Curtis came out and did a random DJ set at the ironing board table. *blink*

 

The Gig

 

As we were getting ready to go in, the venue security came out and told us that My-ka (facepalm) said photos were okay, but that he didn't want anyone filming. I didn't think much of it until we got in the venue and the same announcement was repeated over the PA - twice. They said something along the lines of "The performer is excited to share these songs with you, but not with all of YouTube." At first I wasn't a hundred per cent sure that the request had come from Mika - but when he played Century Man, I figured that the request did indeed come from him. As others have said, in 2007 in NYC - which I believe is the only other time he's done Century Man - there was also a request for no filming. Hmm.

 

It was way more stripped down than the June 2009 acoustic tour; just him, Curtis and Max. The arrangements were so vastly different from what I've heard before that there were times when I didn't even realize what song he was playing for the first few bars.

 

The setlist:

Grace Kelly

Toy Boy

Lollipop

Blue Eyes

Billy Brown

Popular

Love You When I'm Drunk

Only Lonely One

Underwater

Stuck In The Middle

Elle Me Dit

New Song (Laya? Leia? Layla?)

Origin

Big Girl

Century Man

Celebrate

Love Today

Over My Shoulder

 

It was so vastly different from the little fall North American tour. That was a proper album promo tour; this was something different. Super intimate, and very much about the music. After the DJ ironing board table was removed, there was no set to speak of other than a bunch of ginormous light bulbs hanging over the stage. Mika's voice was amazing, in perfect form.

 

He completely re-jigged Popular, doing it at the piano. Back in NYC in October I felt that Popular was a little all over the place, because it sounded like he was replicating the CD version - this was just him at the piano. For Lollipop they started it and did the first half a capella. For Stuck In The Middle he told a story about how he studied tap dancing when he was a child, and that those tap rhythms had always stuck with him - and that was what he had in mind when he wrote SITM. He had Max and Curtis tapping out a tap rhythm with drumsticks on the piano - very cool.

 

The New Songs

 

He did Only Lonely One first, saying that he'd never done anything with it since he recorded the demo in Chiswick. It was very much like the version he did at the points gig in London.

 

I think he said the second new song was called Leia, Laya, maybe Layla...something like that? I'm not actually sure, as the sound was quite crap when he was speaking as the front row was actually ahead of the speaker stacks. He had a mic stand at centre stage and he jumped up and sat on the piano, pulling the mic stand close to him.

 

It's a very jazz-influenced number - imagine Pick Up Off The Floor meets Elton John's They Call It The Blues or something to that effect. Ooh! or like that Christmas song Santa Baby. Bum, ba-bum, bum, ba-bum!

 

I really wish we'd been able to record this one as it's very lyrically complex, and I'd love to sit down and work out the lyrics. The one part that repeated over and over that I remember was "I need you, that's all", repeated to fade out. It was like we were in some kind of smoky jazz club.

 

Century Man is classic early Mika, piano based and plinky plonky with a vaguely military beat. The chorus goes "I'm a Century Maaaaaan" with Mika going full voice for the first three words and then up into falsetto on "Man."

 

When I packed for this trip I made a point of leaving my passport at home, knowing full well that the Mika Magic tends to inspire feats of crazy - and I'm glad I did, or I'd be going to Portland. If last night was any indication, this tour is going to be very, very special indeed.

 

The venue was a nightclub, with a strict curfew so they could turn into their club night. Mika did indeed receive a piece of paper at 9:45 telling him that he had to be off stage in 15 minutes. He was all "At 15 minutes out they say 'Dear Mika, please wrap up in 15 minutes". By 10:00 it's all "dammit Mika, get off the f*@! stage!" Hehe. There was no encore, which is really unfortunate because people were going mental.

 

He closed the show with Over My Shoulder, which was such a treat. I was surrounded by Mika virgins, all of whom were spellbound when he hit the money notes. There were some people chatting at the back though, which is something I will never for the life of me comprehend.

 

He disappeared right after the gig, which is unfortunate as there were only about 15 people waiting for him.

 

I'll be back later with pics - my friends want breakfast and they're starting to look at me and lick their lips...

Thank you so much Mana for this fantastic report

I'm so sad we can't hear Leia nor see any of the show this time

I hope it leaks somehow This is so frustrating :

But your report is wonderful and the pics too

That seems to have been the perfect intimate gig we all hope for

[crazyaboutmika]

I think for a singer it is not an absolute necessity to read music as it is easier to memorize songs / choral works / arias..etc. I know that several or maybe all orera singers use instructors when they are learning their part. For the Royal College of Music it must be compulsory to read music though. Still, given we are talking about the UK, you can probably show them a piece of paper on whatever condition/ learning disability you have and you can take teh course - epecially if you also pay the tuition fee

Many people play music by ear and sing by ear too

[crazyaboutmika]

Hopefully something surfaces soon.

Keeping everything crossed