2013 -- Swatch signing session in London, UK, 26 November

[laymay kang]

All this pictures and video, reports remind "mika fans is nice people in the world."

These days little bit sad, korea can't buy swatch LE. we waiting for lottery swatch korea of 2LE... so.. ignored some news from my eyes. but this news was really make me happy. I can feel love from mika about fans, and converse. haha

one korean fan realy enjoyed london. excellent moment.

hope someday going to there.

Thank you everyone.

[Elwendin]

The party with MFCers (and organized by Mika ) was the reason why I decided to go to London.

And as someone said, we really could feel the nice feeling among MFC, everybody helping everybody, enjoying each other compagny, and accepting others with their differences without jalousy feeling. That's what I like at MFC and I'm proud to be part of it

I didn't manage to get to London, and I'm so newbie that I maybe shouldn't even have the right to have my own opinion on that subject, but that's exactly what I think.

Melanie, you always tells things the way I feel.

[allegra]

I didn't manage to get to London, and I'm so newbie that I maybe shouldn't even have the right to have my own opinion on that subject, but that's exactly what I think.

Melanie, you always tells things the way I feel.

Everybody have the right to have an opinion here, especially the newbies!

[Louiza]

It really was a perfect day! Would like to say a huge thank you to Mika for the party and for always being so incredibly kind towards the fans!!

It was amazingly sweet and generous of him to organize something like this party:wub2:

 

It was also lovely to meet many MFCers, some for the first time. Hope to see you all very soon!

[krysady]

From Mika FB : " Here is the report from our London Bloggers, Heather & Sam - enjoy!"

 

[sariflor]

Ok, I picked my quotes in the wrong order so I will reply to these in reverse chronological order

 

Have to say that I don't agree that it's "inevitable" that people get overexcited and chase him all over the room. Especially when they just saw him 15 minutes prior at the shop. I have seen Mika a number of times when he was not being mobbed and he spends exponentially more time with fans than he does when it's chaotic. It is the difference between hanging out for half an hour or more and barely stopping on the way to his car. I wish everyone could see this for themselves and that even the most self-interested person would get it through their heads that they are only screwing themselves over by chasing him off.

That's exactly it, Christine. I feel very lucky that I have had some pretty incredible moments with him, where it has been for a long time of relaxed chat or even hours at a time once, so I guess that in a way one could say that I am spoilt, but still it also makes these situations harder to be in because you know exactly how different it could be, and how the experience would be so much nicer for everyone if it wasn't for those few people who crowd and mob him I just don't get how people can't see that for themselves.

 

 

 

 

When Mika arrived, I also saw the "little crowd" moving with him. I have to confess I filmed his speech, but don't blame me I was far from him. I stayed quite far from him, even if I didn't stay at my table. (under the stairs, like Harry Potter ahah) I really reacted normally, but I think people are more "extrovert" and can react differently. (or maybe it is a cultural difference?)

If you would like to hear his speech, I uploaded it on Youtube (don't know if I have the right? I've put it in unlisted. I'm a newbie, so if no, please tell me and I remove it immediatly ):

 

[YOUTUBE]dp7YIzhFVx0[/YOUTUBE]

EDIT : Oups I don't know how to integrate the video ? can someone help me ?

EDIT BIS : THANK YOU mellody

I enjoyed reading your report Mami, you sound very happy and positive. And also thanks for the video! I could barely hear him from where we were, so thank you very much for taking and posting it

 

I think that the video says it all, really, regarding the situation: there were a few people standing around him who, before his arrival, were either sitting down or elsewhere in the room. As he came in, they went over to stand around him and then proceeded to follow him around the room some of them blocking his path when he made a seeming attempt to go to the bar to get a beer (which he then forgot about and just downed his champagne instead) and others just hanging onto him like flies around sh!t (excuse the graphic comparison )

 

 

Then after party, I enjoyed it so much!! A huge thank you to Mika for organizing that! Knowing that made the party even more enjoyable As people said, he stayed only 10 minutes, and I also had this feeling that he was mobbed and couldn't find his way to escape to go to meet other people in the corners of the room. I think he then left because he was fed up to be surrounded by so many people. I think he would have hoped something like Colmar where everybody was quietly seated at table and he was the one moving around. But I also understand that some people were trying to get all what they could from him, as they didn't get to meet him often.

I loved when he decided to go to the quiet Odlings table (especially that I was in that corner at that moment )

Unfortunately I was sooo tired that I couldn't understand any word of what he was saying at the party. Please, could someone try to report in details what he said?

Then he left and most of the crowd left, we continued chatting, it was really nice.

 

Completely agree! What I don't agree with though, as I said before, is that people behave like that. Even if you don't see him often -or ever!- it makes no sense to behave like an animal who has lost all their common sense, it's just not socially accepted in adults. I would understand a child doing that, but when it's adults taking advantage of the fact that everyone else behaves well, that is just sad and wrong

 

 

I will write a blog later, but I'm just going to say I completely agree with you on the mobbing thing. He obviously didn't like it as he wanted to make his way to some tables/people but the mob wouldn't let him. I even heard some girls nearly forced him to take a picture with him, like blocking his way when he went out even though he said he wouldn't take pictures. I'm happy he turned up as that was sweet, but the party didn't get started until he was gone and all the randommers either left or chilled the f*ck out.

 

During my chat with him at the signing we spoke about Milan as well and when I said this was a little less hectic he said: "Yes...THANK GOD."

Hehehe, I wonder why he would say that:fisch:, he doesn't like to get mobbed? Well that is a novel idea there

 

The party was good, and Mika's arrival was the icing on the cake. It's inevitable that there are going to be people who will crowd around him, people get caught up in the moment and get excited but I wouldn't have called it 'mobbing'. I was one of those people taking photos, I don't remember us being asked not to.

The thing is Treasa, I am guessing that if you had been in our shoes -in the opposite corner of the room to which he had no chance of getting- you would most likely not be feeling so generous in explaining the situation... From where I see it, anything that makes him -clearly- not able to move freely is mobbing. You could see in his body language that he was uncomfortable and trying to move away, even slowly walking off and trying to ditch the hanger ons

 

 

There is a difference between taking pictures and shoving a camera in his face and making sure he can't go wherever he wants to go.

 

Exactly At one point, one of the 'followers' was standing behind him after following him around the table and started sort of waving her arms in the air as if she was going to try and stroke his head and back or something. She didn't touch him I don't think but boy did that look bizarre and "slightly" worrying

 

I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

First off thanks so much for Mika, team Mika and the mods here. It really was a lovely gesture.

Due to work commitments I couldn't queue as early as others and therefore had major issues in the queue. We queued for about 1 1/2hr and as Sara said they announced that Mika would be leaving in 10 minutes and at this point I really thought that we wouldn't get to see him. The pushing and shoving was horrendous and the door staff really had no clue. It really reminded me of the Brighton centre (if you've been there). When we were squashed like sardines the girl in front of me sparked up a cigarette (really not the done thing whilst queuing).

Luckily we did eventually get in. I had a little chat with Mika and he signed my swatch card. My voice always goes high and I sound like a drooling idiot when I speak to him but we chatted about how it's been such a long time since we've seen each other etc. really lovely

So we went to party and spoke to ingie and Luke and got a drink- thanks Mika

As Sara said there was no where to sit as we arrived at about 7pm so we stood in the corner out of the way.

Mika arrived and said hello to everyone. He was given a glass if champagne and said he wanted to get a beer, it looked like he wanted to go to the bar but then the mob started. He still had his coat on. He said a little speech about how he was making up it to the uk fans- hopefully someone will have this on video. He tried to walk around the room and speak to everyone but the mob followed.

We didn't get to speak to him to say thank you as he left after about 5 mins.

I felt quite upset that I didn't get the chance to say thank you to him on my home turf. It really was a lovely thing to do.

We left early as it's a school night and had a long journey home. It was nice to catch up with Silver and Kath and for Rose pointing at me and saying she was still on a look out for a pineapple hat:naughty:

Attached is a pic of the party. Mika is in there somewhere. I think it would be perfect for Bab's album.

 

I do think that this one belongs to Bab's album

 

I hope I didn't forget to quote anyone that I was planning on, but I guess I got most of them.

One reason why I am upset about this is that all last year, when he did the Heaven and Roundhouse gigs, I missed out on speaking to him. At Heaven I really really wanted to tell him how much I had enjoyed it, and how I felt like the new stuff was so great, but because of all the mobbing that happened at the end I just had to stay away and watch him walk away from the scrum. After the Roundhouse it was too late -and a weeknight- so I had to get back home and therefore again, didn't get a chance to speak to him.

I was really really hoping that this smaller event here, especially after so long, would give me the chance to have a bit of a chat in a normal environment and this is why I find it frustrating that due to the actions of a few, again, we all suffer the consequences.

 

As I said in my initial post though, I guess that I should already be used to it by now

[Elwendin]

I read here and there and asked people to tell me about they happend to meet him. Those are my bedtime stories lately. I do enjoy them. They makes me imagine that someday, in two or three years maybe, I will be able to get a chance to say hi to him (or won't, I'm so shy, but in that case it will be totally my fault...).

But it seems it's getting more and more difficult to have these chances. It's all getting messy and crowded and a kind of unpleasant for nice people, whereas aggressive ones can make it.

I'm frustrated....

[camille*]

Thanks everyone for your reports!

 

Would have loved to go, with or without an MFC party, with or without Mika attending the said party, as I couldn't go to the Paris session either (and I still don't have the LE watch ); I always appreciate when people come and report on here which I feel has become more rare these last couple of years (for reasons I can understand)

[Christine]

As I said in my initial post though, I guess that I should already be used to it by now

 

Yeah well I will never get used to it. I mean in a back alley after a gig yes. People are wound up after a gig, any random person can turn up and do and say whatever they want. That's expected. But when it's a relatively private setting and involves Mika's hardcore fans, I expect them to act normal if they are over the age of 18 or so. We were getting a group pic in NYC and some guy kept trying to barge in and get Mika's attention. I told Mika he was not with us and Mika told him to back off and wait until he was done speaking to us. There was a time when I would have been reticent to basically tell this guy to get lost and stop ruining our meeting, especially in front of Mika, but I'm not going to suffer or have to take responsibility for someone else's rudeness. We're all adults, we all know how to behave in social situations and Mika being in the room doesn't change the rules.

[kath]

I read here and there and asked people to tell me about they happend to meet him. Those are my bedtime stories lately. I do enjoy them. They makes me imagine that someday, in two or three years maybe, I will be able to get a chance to say hi to him (or won't, I'm so shy, but in that case it will be totally my fault...).

But it seems it's getting more and more difficult to have these chances. It's all getting messy and crowded and a kind of unpleasant for nice people, whereas aggressive ones can make it.

I'm frustrated....

 

No... Don't despair. It's always been the same. It's crazy in Italy at the moment but it will pass. And really in the end a lot of it is down to chance ... Sometimes it's ok and sometimes it isn't. I realise that ones chances of it being ok are increased by the number of opportunities that one has to see him.... And if you only have one chance and it doesn't work out, well then, it's disappointing.

But there always have been (and always will be) some people who are more domineering (or pushy) than others and unfortunately this makes it difficult for the people who genuinely don't want to push themselves forward. But I have known people who have waited literally years to meet Mika and usually they get their chance at some point. Good luck, I hope your dream comes true. And if it does and you do become tongue tied don't worry - he is used to it.

[kath]

We're all adults, we all know how to behave in social situations and Mika being in the room doesn't change the rules.

 

Yes, I think that's what got me on Tuesday ... It was the breaking of unspoken rules really. I don't mean to create an 'us and them' mentality between long standing fans and newer ones but it was just that some people didn't seem to know what what expected of them. Where as people who have been around a while understand that it isn't acceptable to leap up from ones seat and try to get as close to Mika as possible. I have been at events where announcements were made prior to Mika entering the room .... Instructing people not to get up ... And that he would work his way around the tables. This wasn't the case this time ... As presumably the expectation was that it was small and informal and there would be no need. I was never under any illusion that Mika would stay very long ... But I feel that if he had been left to his own devices he would have moved around the tables.

[dcdeb]

 

So, thank you again to Mika, to our mods and to all the MFCers and fans I met there, I had such a great time thanks to you

And as someone said, we really could feel the nice feeling among MFC, everybody helping everybody, enjoying each other compagny, and accepting others with their differences without jalousy feeling. That's what I like at MFC and I'm proud to be part of it

 

You know that's ideally how we'd like it to be -- we're a good group and everybody ought to be able to get along. But of course nothing's perfect and we have our bad moments, too. I think, though, that the good times far outweigh the bad!

 

It really was a perfect day! Would like to say a huge thank you to Mika for the party and for always being so incredibly kind towards the fans!!

It was amazingly sweet and generous of him to organize something like this party:wub2:

 

It was also lovely to meet many MFCers, some for the first time. Hope to see you all very soon!

 

Glad you were able to get there!

 

I read here and there and asked people to tell me about they happend to meet him. Those are my bedtime stories lately. I do enjoy them. They makes me imagine that someday, in two or three years maybe, I will be able to get a chance to say hi to him (or won't, I'm so shy, but in that case it will be totally my fault...).

But it seems it's getting more and more difficult to have these chances. It's all getting messy and crowded and a kind of unpleasant for nice people, whereas aggressive ones can make it.

I'm frustrated....

 

Don't worry -- if you hang in there I'm sure you will be able to meet Mika some day. He'll go on a proper tour to support the next album and you'll go to the show, and hang out with MFCers, and before you know it, he'll be standing in front of you.

[Elwendin]

Thank you Deb and Kath for your words. I mean to hang out in here for much much time, 'cause I'm feeling good chatting with you guys. I'm interested in mfc and mfciers, not only in Mika per se, so I can wait. And wait. And wait (and collect money to be able to attend some events, it's sad and unfair but I believe that having the chance to meet him it's also a money matter). Of course, I do hope at the end of this long waiting I will have my Mika treat. You help me to carry on with this hope.

[IngievV]

I personally hate it when strangers get up in my face for whatever reason. I hate it when salespeople follow me around the aisles just to get me to buy anything. I don't appreciate having a camera shoved in my face without my consent. So why the hell would I do it to someone else?

 

Is it because he is famous that he's not allowed to have some space to breathe and move around freely? It was incredibly obvious he was very uncomfortable with the situation and I'm pretty sure he had not expected it to be like this because of the setting. I get that people want to have their moment and have him notice their existence, but you are only making a fool out of yourself and you put yourself in a bad light by mobbing him. Don't be selfish and rude. He is only a person and just because you want his attention does not mean you should invade his personal space.

[IngievV]

Exactly At one point, one of the 'followers' was standing behind him after following him around the table and started sort of waving her arms in the air as if she was going to try and stroke his head and back or something. She didn't touch him I don't think but boy did that look bizarre and "slightly" worrying

 

 

I was told the moment he was about to leave, someone ran up the stairs to block his way and ask for a picture even though he made it clear he was not there to take pictures.

[sariflor]

Yes, I think that's what got me on Tuesday ... It was the breaking of unspoken rules really. I don't mean to create an 'us and them' mentality between long standing fans and newer ones but it was just that some people didn't seem to know what what expected of them. Where as people who have been around a while understand that it isn't acceptable to leap up from ones seat and try to get as close to Mika as possible. I have been at events where announcements were made prior to Mika entering the room .... Instructing people not to get up ... And that he would work his way around the tables. This wasn't the case this time ... As presumably the expectation was that it was small and informal and there would be no need. I was never under any illusion that Mika would stay very long ... But I feel that if he had been left to his own devices he would have moved around the tables.

The problem is that this sort of thing is just down to common sense and courtesy, and not being a social ignorant, really. Do we need directions and announcements to tell us not to go around slapping strangers in the face or randomly pinching them? This is the same. With or without announcement, people should be able to behave themselves in a respectable way, ESPECIALLY in a privileged situation such as this.

 

I personally hate it when strangers get up in my face for whatever reason. I hate it when salespeople follow me around the aisles just to get me to buy anything. I don't appreciate having a camera shoved in my face without my consent. So why the hell would I do it to someone else?

 

Is it because he is famous that he's not allowed to have some space to breathe and move around freely? It was incredibly obvious he was very uncomfortable with the situation and I'm pretty sure he had not expected it to be like this because of the setting. I get that people want to have their moment and have him notice their existence, but you are only making a fool out of yourself and you put yourself in a bad light by mobbing him. Don't be selfish and rude. He is only a person and just because you want his attention does not mean you should invade his personal space.

 

Exactly!

 

 

I was told the moment he was about to leave, someone ran up the stairs to block his way and ask for a picture even though he made it clear he was not there to take pictures.

Oh goodness, why do I have no trouble believing this

[Alireine]

Hi everybody!

 

First of all, thank you to Deb (as I understood you were the relay between MFC and the MikaTeam) for organising this little after-party.

 

Then, thank you to all the people I met during the queue. You all are very nice and I hope to see you next time!

This event was the first time I had the chance to meet MIKA. I saw him once in concert in 2010 and then, never had the chance to be in the same country as him... So, you can imagine how happy/excited I was (do you remember your first meeting with him? )

The SWATCH event was, in my opinion, very good. He took the time to talk to us (maybe because we were the first ones?) and Chandon's meeting with MIKA (the "little boy") worth this long afternoon !

 

Here are some of my photos!

 

Now, the "after party". Can I say the music was perfect? ahah I was hoping to meet new mikafans during this event. The ones I read everyday here or the ones I follow on Twitter and who don't know me ahah As I am "shy" and some groups were already created I didn't talk to a lot of people, but it was lovely to meet some new people!

When Mika arrived, I also saw the "little crowd" moving with him. I have to confess I filmed his speech, but don't blame me I was far from him. I stayed quite far from him, even if I didn't stay at my table. (under the stairs, like Harry Potter ahah) I really reacted normally, but I think people are more "extrovert" and can react differently. (or maybe it is a cultural difference?)

If you would like to hear his speech, I uploaded it on Youtube (don't know if I have the right? I've put it in unlisted. I'm a newbie, so if no, please tell me and I remove it immediatly ):

 

[YOUTUBE]dp7YIzhFVx0[/YOUTUBE]

EDIT : Oups I don't know how to integrate the video ? can someone help me ?

EDIT BIS : THANK YOU mellody

 

and I only took a few photos:

 

I didn't manage to thank him for this idea as he was "escaping" but I think I thank the two girls from the MikaTeam three times ahah (By the way, they are really nice... and I realise EVERYONE was really nice yesterday!)

I think this day will definitely stay my best day during my stay in England

 

Thank you so much for your video and for the pics and report! I had a feeling reading it that you was not far away from me in the queue, then I checked your Twitter and it was you Je suis très contente de t'avoir rencontrée et d'avoir passé l'après-midi dans le froid () avec toi (very happy to have met you and spent the afternoon queuing with you)

 

We are very lucky to have Mika's speech in video please, could someone post a transcription of what he said? I don't get everything

[mellody]

it's funny, personally i didn't get the impression that mika would have stayed longer, hadn't he been followed around. of course the mobbing was wrong, no doubt about that. but it seemed to me like he just quickly wanted to thank everyone personally, not stay for chats. when he came to our table, he clearly was already about to leave, since he said sth like "hello and goodbye at the same time". but maybe that was the reason why i didn't think he'd stay longer. if he still was rather relaxed and in a chatty mood when he got to the first table then his short stay probably was indeed due to the mobbing.

 

i just didn't expect at all he'd talk with anyone individually, after deb's post here and mika's tweet. and also because i thought that he wouldn't feel the need for it, after having met everyone individually at the signing already. of course for us it's different, and we'd be happy to chat with him, or just be in the same room with him for hours , but i think that for him it's simply a part of his work - and after meeting fans for an hour at the store he didn't feel like doing much more of that, even if everyone would have stayed in their places. so i'm just very happy that he turned up, and i even got to talk a few words with him. although some might call that pushy, since it was obvious he didn't want to stay for a chat. i just felt the need to thank him for being there and for the party, and although that might have kept him there for 30 seconds longer than he had intended, i don't feel bad for it.

 

it was a very small amount of fans following him around, so i don't think it would have been a problem for him or his manager to stop them from doing that, if he'd had the intention to go from table to table. if it's 20 or more fans mobbing him, it's hardly possible to stop them, but i think it would've worked in this case, if they had just told them.

[IngievV]

Oh I don't believe he would have stayed longer either as I can imagine he wanted to go home and relax. That is not my point. My point is that people acted rude and disrespectful and didn't even give him a chance to leave. I'm sure none of the people would appreciate it if a stranger did the same to them so why should Mika accept it from strangers?

[Christine]

Of course, I do hope at the end of this long waiting I will have my Mika treat. You help me to carry on with this hope.

 

I just wanted to add to what others have said. When gigs started becoming larger at the end of 2007 and Mika started playing arenas and even a stadium in France a lot of people were worried that his increasing fame would make him inaccessible but it has not been the case. Not for people who have persevered and kept up to date on what he was doing and made contact with fans who help each other out.

 

I didn't have a conversation with Mika until 2 years after my first gig. But it was the perfect first meeting and well worth the wait. Mika invites fans to dance on stage, to sing with him, to preview his album with him, to attend tapings of his TV appearances, to work behind the scenes preparing for gigs. And you never know when he is going to send some champagne to an MFC party or even pop in for a few minutes.

 

it's funny, personally i didn't get the impression that mika would have stayed longer, hadn't he been followed around.

 

Perhaps you're right. I have no idea since I wasn't there. I just know in my own experience there is virtually a 100% correlation between Mika sticking around and people remaining calm and behaving like they would if he was a "normal" person. The only exception I've seen where he allowed people to mob him for an extended period of time was in Brixton in 2008. But it was an extraordinary circumstance and I doubt that will ever be repeated.

[Alireine]

I just wanted to add to what others have said. When gigs started becoming larger at the end of 2007 and Mika started playing arenas and even a stadium in France a lot of people were worried that his increasing fame would make him inaccessible but it has not been the case. Not for people who have persevered and kept up to date on what he was doing and made contact with fans who help each other out.

 

I didn't have a conversation with Mika until 2 years after my first gig. But it was the perfect first meeting and well worth the wait. Mika invites fans to dance on stage, to sing with him, to preview his album with him, to attend tapings of his TV appearances, to work behind the scenes preparing for gigs. And you never know when he is going to send some champagne to an MFC party or even pop in for a few minutes.

 

 

 

Perhaps you're right. I have no idea since I wasn't there. I just know in my own experience there is virtually a 100% correlation between Mika sticking around and people remaining calm and behaving like they would if he was a "normal" person. The only exception I've seen where he allowed people to mob him for an extended period of time was in Brixton in 2008. But it was an extraordinary circumstance and I doubt that will ever be repeated.

 

 

and now you made me curious about Brixton 2008

[Christine]

and now you made me curious about Brixton 2008

 

Long story short. Mika held an afterparty at the end of his Dodgy Holiday Tour. He stuck around for 90 minutes while he was mobbed so badly the entire time that I (and many others) didn't get within 10 metres of him.

[Alireine]

Long story short. Mika held an afterparty at the end of his Dodgy Holiday Tour. He stuck around for 90 minutes while he was mobbed so badly the entire time that I (and many others) didn't get within 10 metres of him.

 

[Elwendin]

 

and now you made me curious about Brixton 2008

 

 

So am I !!!

 

 

Not for people who have persevered and kept up to date on what he was doing and made contact with fans who help each other out.

Mika invites fans to dance on stage, to sing with him, to preview his album with him, to attend tapings of his TV appearances, to work behind the scenes preparing for gigs. And you never know when he is going to send some champagne to an MFC party or even pop in for a few minutes.

That's what I want.

I don't care about making him signing something or take a pic with me to the detriment of some quality time with him: if I could have just one pic as a nice memory it will be fine, but that's not my point. I don't even want to talk with him individually at the moment (I would just freeze , I can tell him what I want in front of people, I have no secrets). I'll just be happy to meet him with a small group of you for some minutes, that's all.

 

, but i think that for him it's simply a part of his work

 

I so do not hope so. If meeting his fans, the ones who cares about him and appreciate him that much as a man, is just a work to him, then I don't want to meet him anymore. I'm not here to bother him.

[krysady]