MIKA in UK & Ireland Press - 2015

[RAK1]

I think, the only answer at the moment, is for us to not think of Mika's career in terms of Chart positions and album sales, at least, in countries like the UK.

In my own opinion, it's depressing to do that at the moment. There doesn't seem to be a way out of the slump. The mere mention of his name seems to say to people in the UK, that he's finished, he's old-fashioned, or any other cliché they can think of.

Yes, he has lots of fans in other countries. He's a big star there, but not here. Once again, it's depressing to think of that.

So, this is what I think. We just need to think of what might be on the horizon, in terms of Mika's career. We don't know what he has in mind or if there is a plan for some project in the UK that could raise his profile here in some way.

I see him, perhaps, as a force behind music. Still making music himself, maybe more like Andrew Lloyd Webber is.

I hope for the best. It's all we can do.

 

It's not that he doesn't have many fans in the UK,, it's just that they aren't on here, and don't realise that he has gone off doing tv elsewhere. A lot of people I noticed this week, have started coming on FB asking why there isn't a UK tour as such. Last time he did Manchester everyone was buzzing afterwards, so I don't get why there isn't a gig up there this time. And I'm pretty sure if he came to Bristol or Bournemouth again, he would get a fair amount of interest too. And Newcastle love him. It is always hyper there. Edited July 28, 2015 by RAK1

[RAK1]

So why did you say it is arrogant to point out that he is not getting any and that it's an insult to fans who think the album is a masterpiece?

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I don't understand why you are talking about live performances as if I am criticizing his live performances. We're not talking about gigs. We're talking about the album and why people in the UK do not embrace it. The album is an unchanging recorded piece of music and people do not critique it or put it on a radio playlist based on how great the songs sound at gigs. I have already said that I think the songs have a lot of potential but the production/arrangements on the album sound out of date. And by "out of date" I do not mean similar to music from the 1970s per se, I mean it sounds like music that no one is listening to on the radio in 2015.

 

If UK reviewers gave Mika a poor review on his performances then I would think they were being unfair. But some of the things they say about album are fair...at the very least they are understandable. All you have to do is listen to music on the charts to understand why. It is not because Mika doesn't do enough promo. It is not because the Brits are horrible mean people. It's because this album does not sound anything at all like something that could be in the top 40 charts in the UK.

 

If Mika was in a different genre - let's say doing quasi classical music like Josh Groban - the attitude would be different. If Mika is being reviewed in a different country - let's say the US where he is known as a non-mainstream foreign artist - the attitude would be different. But in the UK he was a top 40 artist. He had a #1 single and a #1 album. If he makes a pop record that couldn't possibly get top 40 airplay he is going to be perceived as not keeping up with the times. It is inevitable and totally understandable. As the guy on BBC said, pop music has moved on without Mika. I don't care how much Mika's fans love this record, that is the reality and it can't be denied. If the situation is different in Italy or France or South Korea, that's great. But we're talking about the UK.

 

 

 

I agree.

I would say that I don't think that the music scene in the UK has moved on. To me right now, it feels like it's in a vaccuum, not going anywhere. None of the new artists from here are doing anything groundbreaking. Calvin Harris is doing well, but his music is hardly pushing the boundaries it was back in 07, Ed Sheeran is a good songwriter,and I am a fan, but he is hardly doing anything that is blowing peoples minds.Not saying Mika is either, I think he needs to get back to focusing on his music than on the tv distraction, but Promiseland is taking a step in the right direction. And he needs to build on that. Edited July 28, 2015 by RAK1

[Christine]

IMO, Each country has its own mainstream music scene reflecting its culture and the trend flowing from past to present throughout the history. 

 

This is exactly it. And it's why I don't understand the outrage from fans who don't live in English music markets. I have been listening to English pop music since before Mika was born. It is my culture and my history and I understand it. I still listen to top 40 music and I like that it is changing all the time. I like that it is influenced by 1970s funk and dance music and even rap at the moment. Some of it is crap and is only popular because the singer is cute and the choruses are annoyingly catchy. Some of it is as good as anything Mika has ever done. One thing that can't be disputed is that people like it because they are buying it.

 

I am tired of people talking about the English music market as if we don't "get" Mika and don't appreciate good music. The reason I became a Mika fan and the reason why Mika was ever successful in the first place is precisely because his music appealed to people who love top UK top 40. We were "getting" Mika months and even years before other markets jumped on the bandwagon. But music changes and people's tastes change with it. Especially because young people are driving music trends and do not have the same attachment to sounds from other eras that someone listening to the radio 10 years ago may have. 

 

Edit : Taylor Swift or other unfamiliar names in UK chart top 10 is not doing good here in Korea, never could fill Olympic Arena as Mika did, but that doesn't mean that their album is not good enough. Their albums are best and suits on current UK scene, but doesn't suit here in Korea. I fully understand how fans are frustrated when their fave musician doesn't good in homecountry, while he/she's big in other countries.. as that means they rarely have chance to see their fave musician's concert. It hurts.... 

 

Yes it does hurt. And I would think no one was more hurt by it than Mika. But he has moved on. He did a bit of promo in the UK and he's doing a gig in London. That's about all anyone can expect under the circumstances and he needs to push hardest in markets that will respond to the promo.

 

I think it's quite difficult to go on with this discussion Christine, because you always seem to twist my words  I'm pretty sure that you understand what I say/write, if you want to.  So it's pointless to try to explain it any further...

 

Now you know exactly how I feel and why I can't be bothered offering my opinions on the songs. I can't even discuss facts without being accused of arrogance and argued with about points I did not make as evidence that my facts are wrong. When one cannot even talk about facts without being told they are wrong and arrogant and are invalidating the tastes of other fans then there is no point in offering opinions. If you are not willfully misunderstanding me then I guess it is a language/cultural issue because I never have these communication problems with anyone except a handful of Mika fans.

[Christine]

I would say that I don't think that the music scene in the UK has moved on. To me right now, it feels like it's in a vaccuum, not going anywhere. None of the new artists from here are doing anything groundbreaking. Calvin Harris is doing well, but his music is hardly pushing the boundaries it was back in 07, Ed Sheeran is a good songwriter,and I am a fan, but he is hardly doing anything that is blowing peoples minds.Not saying Mika is either, I think he needs to get back to focusing on his music than on the tv distraction, but Promiseland is taking a step in the right direction. And he needs to build on that.

 

I can hear that things are changing. I think autotune is going out of favour and is only used on artists who can't sing rather than on everyone. There was a time when I could not tell the difference between Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson because their voices were manipulated to sound identical. I think OMI's song is only heavily auto tuned because the vocal came from a song made in 2012. It will be interesting to see if they drop the autotune for his next single because he's actually a good singer and doesn't need it. Another trend I am hearing is this kind of lame late 80s pop-rock that I wasn't too crazy about at the time and really cannot stand 30 years later.

 

Is any of this groundbreaking? Hardly. But IMO nothing groundbreaking has happened in music since the mid-1980s. Whether what Calvin Harris is doing is good music or not is a matter of opinion but there's no denying it has turned him into a superstar and I have no doubt he'd be where Mika is today (without the French/Italian success) if he hadn't completely changed things up and started making mainstream club music. The difference between Mika and Calvin Harris is that I think Calvin Harris' heart was always in the club music and he didn't get into it to follow a trend but in order to start one. And he has been outrageously successful at it.

[Pascale]

I also think it's hard to recapture early days and that's why I went so overboard in seeing Mika perform as often as possible years ago. I knew it would end (for me) as time went on and wanted to experience the magic as much as I could.

Please don't say that. I've already got the feeling that I missed out on something special. Not that his concerts aren't special now. I read Nina's and other reviews of the latest gigs and I believe there was some magic going on. But Mika's defenitely changed and that's fine but I'm so sorry I didn't see him in the beginning. I'm probably idealising and I'd better look for things that are happening now. Bur your saying that the early days are hard to recapture makes me sad. I'd rather deny reality a little bit longer if you don't mind.

 

 I can't believe people are still acting outraged about it 3 years after the same thing happened with TOOL. Especially since NPIH is far far more distant from current trends than TOOL was.

 

You just can't have it both ways. If you hate OMI's music and all the other #1 songs on the 2015 charts and Mika makes music that is on the opposite end of the spectrum then he's not going to have a #1 song. Whether Mika cares about having a #1 song or is perfectly happy doing what he's doing is a whole different discussion.

 

I don't think people are outraged. Some of the fans are very disappointed that the single and the album isn't doing well in the UK and they think that this is (among other things) because of a bad choice of single and lack of press. And some of them were mad at a reviewer because they feel he had no respect for people that love Mika's music. And some people believe UK reviewers give Mika's new music no chance because there's a general prejudice that Mika is out. You can differ in that opinion and you can agree with the reviewers that Mika's new music (production) is oldfashioned. But when you don't agree with that and you think his music is great or at least as good as a lot of things that are in the his list nowadays, I understand that you talk about the reasons why his music isn't played at the radio and what could be better ways of promoting him. You also said that Promisland would have been a better single. And his tv exposure in France and Italy obviously brings him lots of new fans. They might have discovered him through the talent shows but they like his music as well and visit his concerts. So there is a lot to win in promotion field. But apparently Mika is fine with things as the are. Whether it's the fault of his record compagny or his own fault that he chose a "weak  single and made a (imo very) weak videoclip to go with it, I don't know. In the end he himself is responsible for choosing his compagny and his advisers. And i do not hear him complaining about disappointing results ad he hasn't changed his team, I believe, so I guess he's happy with the way things go.  

  

But that's being Mika. Being a fan is something else. I do understand that people are disappointed (yes, again, after what happened with TOOL) that a muscian they love isn't appreciated as they wish he would be. I also feel disappointed and hurt (again and again) when I show my friends clips of Mika or make them listen to his music  and I see desinterest or critic in their face.  And when they don't like the first of his songs, I try some others in the hope that they will experience what I experience when I listen to Mika.  Okay,of course I give up in the end (I don't want people to be Mikahaters because of me) but i do believe there are still a lot op people on this earth that have never heard of him or haven't listened long enough to his songs to appreciate him. I'm not starting a petition and I'm not phoning any radiostation but that's because i'm lazy and also because I think fame isn't necessarily a good thing for the artist himself. And unfortunately also because I'm less enthousiastic about his latest album than about his earlier music.      

 

But I'm sad that a lot of countries still don't get the opportunity to hear it, and that the radiostations keep playing "Grace Kelly" and "Relax" - when there's so much good stuff released after these hits I also think that it's strange to let "Promiseland" be a bonustrack - when it could/should have been a well promoted single, imo...        

 

I get that. I don't agree with you about the quality of NPIH but it's rather frustrating that in some countries his new music isn't played anywhere. TAU was played only once (!!!) at the dutch radio. And there's a lot of 'old fashioned" stuff going on there.  

 

I think, the only answer at the moment, is for us to not think of Mika's career in terms of Chart positions and album sales, at least, in countries like the UK.

Might be better for your own peace as well. And just enjoy his music and all the fans that he does have. I think it's wonderful to see whole theatres jumping and singing at his gigs. Most artist aren't that lucky. That's still magical, don't you think?

 

edit: wow, when I was writing this, 5 new posts are written. So i'm very much behind in the discussion. I give up for now. Have a movie to catch. Have fun

Edited July 28, 2015 by Pascale

[Christine]

Please don't say that. I've already got the feeling that I missed out on something special. Not that his concerts aren't special now. I read Nina's and other reviews of the latest gigs and I believe there was some magic going on. But Mika's defenitely changed and that's fine but I'm so sorry I didn't see him in the beginning. I'm probably idealising and I'd better look for things that are happening now. Bur your saying that the early days are hard to recapture makes me sad. I'd rather deny reality a little bit longer if you don't mind.[/size]

 

No, don't feel that way. It's just my experience because I have been going to gigs for 8 years. I can't maintain that kind of awe and obsession for the entire length of someone's career. His performances are very very good and he is very connected to the audience and its energy. This has not changed in any negative way over the years and he exudes a confidence that wasn't always there before. I just can't stand listening to Billy Brown for the 50th time at this point

 

 

You also said that Promisland would have been a better single.

I don't know whether or not any of these songs have single potential. I just think Promiseland and the Good Guys remix sound like they were produced in the 21st century, in contrast to the rest of the album. I love other songs on the album too but that doesn't mean they are going to chart high in the UK or US or Canada.

 

 

But that's being Mika. Being a fan is something else. I do understand that people are disappointed (yes, again, after what happened with TOOL) that a muscian they love isn't appreciated as they wish he would be. I also feel disappointed and hurt (again and again) when I show my friends clips of Mika or make them listen to his music  and I see desinterest or critic in their face.  And when they don't like the first of his songs, I try some others in the hope that they will experience what I experience when I listen to Mika.  Okay,of course I give up in the end (I don't want people to be Mikahaters because of me) but i do believe there are still a lot op people on this earth that have never heard of him or haven't listened long enough to his songs to appreciate him. I'm not starting a petition and I'm not phoning any radiostation but that's because i'm lazy and also because I think fame isn't necessarily a good thing for the artist himself. And unfortunately also because I'm less enthousiastic about his latest album than about his earlier music.  

I guess I have a hard time relating to this because I don't care what anyone else thinks about Mika or any other music I listen to. Yes I did try to share his music with a lot of people early on but if the person was not receptive then I turned them on to Amy Winehouse or Paolo Nutini or Adele or Sam Smith or Sia. It's just something I want to share with people so we can go to gigs together and help each other discover new music. I find North Americans like old school R&B and Brits (especially Mika fans) like more poppy electronic stuff (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Calvin Harris). And no one I know would listen to Taylor Swift or Pitbull if their lives depended on it. Just about everyone I know slags off Michael Bublé but I love him and don't give a flying f*ck what anyone else thinks!!

[Marilyn Mastin]

I really wish that Mika would say something about his plans in the UK. I think if we knew what he was planning, it would help a lot. Someone on another thread, a while ago, said something about Mika doing something on the radio in the UK.

Something on the radio could be anything. My hope would be that it would be a radio show, maybe over a few weeks. I loved the New Years Eve when he was on Radio 2, and I think a radio show could be really good.

If he did some DJing, I believe he would be the kind of DJ who would play music that isn't necessarily mainstream. I think he'd give people a chance, who wouldn't get onto Radio 1. It would also give him a chance to show, and talk about, his vast knowledge of music, from how pieces of music are constructed with the instruments, to his own musical taste, which is extensive and often includes the music of people I've never heard of, but are interesting.

In this way, he would be more likely to gain the respect of the listeners, who then may listen to his own music. It would also be a way for him to play some of his own songs on the radio.

The trouble is, Mika is so vague about things, and sometimes he can raise hopes, only to dash them. Like sometimes when he announces big news is coming, and it's some kind of contest, or something in another country.

If we had some concrete news about his future plans in the UK, instead of this "watch this space" attitude that he has, I think we might all feel better for the future.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Marilyn Mastin

[CarolinaAsh]

 Just about everyone I know slags off Michael Bublé but I love him and don't give a flying f*ck what anyone else thinks!!

 

    He's so dreamy... and of course married to a freaking model. Story of my life. Married or gay, one of the two. SIGH. 

[Christine]

    He's so dreamy... and of course married to a freaking model. Story of my life. Married or gay, one of the two. SIGH. 

 

Ha, well I do not want to marry him but I love big band music and I love his schtick. My friend calls it cheesy but I think it's entertaining the way he interacts with the audience and tells jokes and bonds with his fellow Canadians (even if it's not sincere since he's married to an international model and not hanging out at Tim Horton's ). I guess it's also something I would get sick of after 20 gigs but I have only seen him a couple of times.

 

If we had some concrete news about his future plans in the UK, instead of this "watch this space" attitude that he has, I think we might all feel better for the future.

 

Marilyn I think Mika doesn't know what he's doing exactly or at least it is not assured to the point where he can discuss it in public. I think he is juggling so many balls up in the air and the way the next one falls is going to determine the next move he makes, and so on.

 

I told him I was coming to London and he said "it's sold out isn't it?" Well...almost... Then he said he wanted to do another show. Does this mean he would like to do other shows in the UK? I think so. Does it mean he is going to do them? I don't know and I don't think Mika knew at that moment either.

[CarolinaAsh]

Ha, well I do not want to marry him but I love big band music and I love his schtick. My friend calls it cheesy but I think it's entertaining the way he interacts with the audience and tells jokes and bonds with his fellow Canadians (even if it's not sincere since he's married to an international model and not hanging out at Tim Horton's ). I guess it's also something I would get sick of after 20 gigs but I have only seen him a couple of times.

 

 

Marilyn I think Mika doesn't know what he's doing exactly or at least it is not assured to the point where he can discuss it in public. I think he is juggling so many balls up in the air and the way the next one falls is going to determine the next move he makes, and so on.

 

I told him I was coming to London and he said "it's sold out isn't it?" Well...almost... Then he said he wanted to do another show. Does this mean he would like to do other shows in the UK? I think so. Does it mean he is going to do them? I don't know and I don't think Mika knew at that moment either.

 

Yes! I love the jazzy bit and big band too. You definitely should check out Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, they do a lot of swing/big band.

 

Also, I'm fairly well convinced Mika isn't sure what he's doing about 90% of the time. But hey, neither am I, lol. Prime example: I really want to go to the London show. But I need my passport first, will it be here in time? Also a flight, and they're expensive, and a place to crash and tickets and can I save enough money? So I'm in a stupid weird limbo because I wanna go but I can't be sure it'll all fall into place. Kind of like Mika's balls, according to Christine. (Sorry, couldn't resist the double entendre!)

[Christine]

Yes! I love the jazzy bit and big band too. You definitely should check out Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, they do a lot of swing/big band.

 

Also, I'm fairly well convinced Mika isn't sure what he's doing about 90% of the time. But hey, neither am I, lol. Prime example: I really want to go to the London show. But I need my passport first, will it be here in time? Also a flight, and they're expensive, and a place to crash and tickets and can I save enough money? So I'm in a stupid weird limbo because I wanna go but I can't be sure it'll all fall into place. Kind of like Mika's balls, according to Christine. (Sorry, couldn't resist the double entendre!)

 

I am sure your passport will arrive on time. Just don't dawdle and apply for it now.

 

This is not the first time someone has made jokes about Mika's balls believe me.  

[CarolinaAsh]

I am sure your passport will arrive on time. Just don't dawdle and apply for it now.

 

This is not the first time someone has made jokes about Mika's balls believe me.  

 

Applied last Thursday

[teenagedreamer98]

Wow this thread is busy today!

 

I really wish that Mika would say something about his plans in the UK. I think if we knew what he was planning, it would help a lot. Someone on another thread, a while ago, said something about Mika doing something on the radio in the UK.

Something on the radio could be anything. My hope would be that it would be a radio show, maybe over a few weeks. I loved the New Years Eve when he was on Radio 2, and I think a radio show could be really good.

If he did some DJing, I believe he would be the kind of DJ who would play music that isn't necessarily mainstream. I think he'd give people a chance, who wouldn't get onto Radio 1. It would also give him a chance to show, and talk about, his vast knowledge of music, from how pieces of music are constructed with the instruments, to his own musical taste, which is extensive and often includes the music of people I've never heard of, but are interesting.

In this way, he would be more likely to gain the respect of the listeners, who then may listen to his own music. It would also be a way for him to play some of his own songs on the radio.

The trouble is, Mika is so vague about things, and sometimes he can raise hopes, only to dash them. Like sometimes when he announces big news is coming, and it's some kind of contest, or something in another country.

If we had some concrete news about his future plans in the UK, instead of this "watch this space" attitude that he has, I think we might all feel better for the future.

 

I really hope he is going to do something on the radio here, although I doubt he will do anything until September after his holiday in August.  And I agree with the point you made about him being vague.  I know how it feels to become excited about something, only to find out that it's not in my country and I can't attend (I'm a student and can't travel far).  Don't get me wrong, I am really happy that Mika is doing great in other countries.  But I just wish we'd see more of him in the UK.

I'm not holding my breath for more UK dates.  A lot of people on Facebook have been asking why we aren't getting any more dates.  I remember Mika's interview on Radio Scotland when the presenter asked if he'd come to Scotland, to which he replied "of course"!  I'm still not going to get excited about that though, because we haven't heard anything about a Scottish date yet.  Maybe he was just saying that to end the interview nicely?

I would love to see him live, but I doubt that's going to happen any time soon.

[Pascale]

 I guess I have a hard time relating to this because I don't care what anyone else thinks about Mika or any other music I listen to. Yes I did try to share his music with a lot of people early on but if the person was not receptive then I turned them on to Amy Winehouse or Paolo Nutini or Adele or Sam Smith or Sia. It's just something I want to share with people so we can go to gigs together and help each other discover new music. I find North Americans like old school R&B and Brits (especially Mika fans) like more poppy electronic stuff (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Calvin Harris). And no one I know would listen to Taylor Swift or Pitbull if their lives depended on it. Just about everyone I know slags off Michael Bublé but I love him and don't give a flying f*ck what anyone else thinks!!

I never cared like this with any singer. I like all kinds of music and usually i don't care at all if artists are popular or despised or looked down on. I like reading reviews and hearing other peoples opinions because it makes me think about songs or lyrics and sometimes it makes me more aware of my own views. In Mika's case though I'm so moved by some clips or interviews that I feel bad when someone is clearly not moved at all. I sort of start seeing Mika with their eyes and it takes away some of the (childish) pleasure and enthousiasm that i have. As if he's not so special as i thought he was. And I guess probably he isn't (although he ís very special). It's just that he touches a feeling within me and it's a very vulnerable feeling as well. So i feel hurt when this feeling is "attacked" by desinterest or disdain. Not if it's a professional review or an opinion on the internet. But when it happens with my friends it's different. I'm getting more used to it now but I still don't like it.   

[Marilyn Mastin]

Marilyn I think Mika doesn't know what he's doing exactly or at least it is not assured to the point where he can discuss it in public. I think he is juggling so many balls up in the air and the way the next one falls is going to determine the next move he makes, and so on.

 

I told him I was coming to London and he said "it's sold out isn't it?" Well...almost... Then he said he wanted to do another show. Does this mean he would like to do other shows in the UK? I think so. Does it mean he is going to do them? I don't know and I don't think Mika knew at that moment either.

 

 

Wow this thread is busy today!

 

 

I really hope he is going to do something on the radio here, although I doubt he will do anything until September after his holiday in August.  And I agree with the point you made about him being vague.  I know how it feels to become excited about something, only to find out that it's not in my country and I can't attend (I'm a student and can't travel far).  Don't get me wrong, I am really happy that Mika is doing great in other countries.  But I just wish we'd see more of him in the UK.

I'm not holding my breath for more UK dates.  A lot of people on Facebook have been asking why we aren't getting any more dates.  I remember Mika's interview on Radio Scotland when the presenter asked if he'd come to Scotland, to which he replied "of course"!  I'm still not going to get excited about that though, because we haven't heard anything about a Scottish date yet.  Maybe he was just saying that to end the interview nicely?

I would love to see him live, but I doubt that's going to happen any time soon.

That's hat I mean it's like with the "radio in the UK" announcement, he apparently said it in an Italian interview. What's the point of that if it's the UK?

Maybe he can't say too much, but I think he could tweet and say he hasn't forgotten us, or just something to give us something to hope for.

At the moment, there is a book coming out, but no indication that there will be an English version. He could just put it out there that there will be, and we'd be excited for it. But I'm not buying a book in a foreign language, even if it's Mika's book.

He's also talking about another album. Well this latest one wasn't promoted here. No adverts, no nothing and no physical cd in most shops. So there's no point us, in the UK, getting excited about it. Of course I'll buy it, but it doesn't fill me with thrills, unless he gets decent promotion for it and the distribution is handled better.

If he does go in a slightly different direction with the genre of the album (as he has said) moving on from Ordinary Man, maybe it would stand a chance, as the BBC man said, a darker album would be better for showing Mika's songwriting talents. So if there was a better promo team and possibly, a different label, maybe it could work. But it's all maybes at the moment.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Marilyn Mastin

[Christine]

I would love to see him live, but I doubt that's going to happen any time soon.

That is a shame that you can't travel to see him although it's perfectly reasonable and understandable. I would think every other touring UK artist goes to Scotland so I can imagine your disappointment when other dates were not announced with London.  

 

In Mika's case though I'm so moved by some clips or interviews that I feel bad when someone is clearly not moved at all. I sort of start seeing Mika with their eyes and it takes away some of the (childish) pleasure and enthousiasm that i have. As if he's not so special as i thought he was. And I guess probably he isn't (although he ís very special). It's just that he touches a feeling within me and it's a very vulnerable feeling as well. So i feel hurt when this feeling is "attacked" by desinterest or disdain.

I am impressed with your self awareness and honesty. Perhaps I would not have to fear having my character attacked and being accused of insulting people if some others on MFC were equally self aware. More importantly if they realized that, while there's nothing wrong with having these feelings, it is not rational to place the responsibility for these feelings onto other people. Particularly people you have no relationship with other than being a fellow member of a club. People who therefore do not owe it to you to censor themselves and only discuss facts and express opinions that affirm your belief that Mika is perfect, everyone should love him unconditionally and everything he does is an unqualified masterpiece.

 

In your case I would advise a couple of things. First I assume you are going to a gig this year..? There will be thousands of people there who will make you believe that Mika is the most special extraordinary artist that every graced a stage. This works for me even in my most jaded moments. To go to New York City and see people so excited and so receptive to him is infectious and reminds me how much I have loved him and why.

 

And secondly I would advise you to separate your friends from your feelings about Mika. As I said if I sensed someone was not receptive I would move on to another artist to find common ground with my friends and music. If some of your friends think he's okay but do not understand why you feel as passionately as you do then perhaps try to convince them to go to a gig. I have done this with a couple of people and I have rarely heard of anyone walking away from a gig without a very positive impression of Mika. Even people who did not go to the event to see him or were only there to accompany their wife, friend, etc. One of my friends said that it is a good thing that Mika is only making fun music and not asking people to follow him on a spaceship to meet Jesus because he is so charismatic and so totally in command of the audience he could convince anyone to do anything.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Christine

[Pascale]

 

First I assume you are going to a gig this year..? There will be thousands of people there who will make you believe that Mika is the most special extraordinary artist that every graced a stage. This works for me even in my most jaded moments. To go to New York City and see people so excited and so receptive to him is infectious and reminds me how much I have loved him and why.

 

And secondly I would advise you to separate your friends from your feelings about Mika. As I said if I sensed someone was not receptive I would move on to another artist to find common ground with my friends and music. If some of your friends think he's okay but do not understand why you feel as passionately as you do then perhaps try to convince them to go to a gig. I have done this with a couple of people and I have rarely heard of anyone walking away from a gig without a very positive impression of Mika. Even people who did not go to the event to see him or were only there to accompany their wife, friend, etc. One of my friends said that it is a good thing that Mika is only making fun music and not asking people to follow him on a spaceship to meet Jesus because he is so charismatic and so totally in command of the audience he could convince anyone to do anything.

Thanks for your friendly words and advise. I'll give another reaction here but perhaps we'd better continue in private messages if there's more to say. I don't mind talking about this in public but we are rather off topic. I hate to think of all the fans that've opened this thread thinking they would read another review of NPIH or interview with Mika and instead they get.... 

 

Yes, I'm going to three gigs in the next two months  . First Lokeren en Rochefort and of course Amsterdam in september. And yes I'm terribly afraid that I will be disappointed. I'm not a festival person (1,63 so I usually see a lot of backs and heads in front of me instead of the artist. And maybe Mika won't have his night. He has had so many special concerts lately. It must be hard to keep his spirit up all the time. And i've seen so many special concerts on youtube. It will be difficult to top that.

 

But it's okay. I'll be very happy if it will be a great night and I'll cope with the disappointment if it won't be what I had hoped for. Anyway you're probably right. Thousands of enthousiastic an cheering fans will be a big help.  

 

However I think I wasn't clear enough. iI don't really mind being disappointed or hurt (e.g. by my friends opinion). I don't like it. Of course I prefer feel happy but sad and unhappy feelings are part of life and in general I'm not avoiding them. The only exception is the feeling of shame and i'm working on that.

I totally agree with Mika that fear is a good thing. Realizing that you're afraid and doing things that you're afraid can push you forward as long as the fear isn't too overwhelming of course. One of the reasons I admire Mika is because of his incredible capacitiy and bravery to shine and to show himself in public. Of course it helps that he is very beautiful and charming and that he can sing very well. And that he has a loving background that apparently gave him enough security to perform like he does. But he has still lots of fears (if i can believe the interviews) and he confronts them and gets out all the time even when he is having bad times.      

 

So to keep it short (  ), I will be there, first time next friday evening (deo volente)

Something completey different. You are saying your character is attacked here at MFC. I'm not sure if it that's the case. I haven't read everything that's said to you of course and i'm sure there will have been said some hurting things. 'But somehow I believe it's more your words and way of speaking that is attacked than you or your opinion. You have a very direct and sometimes very absolute way of expressing your views. I like that because I'm not like that at all and i admire your courage and the clearness of your thoughts. But i can see that sometimes it can be offensive to people. I'm surprised because of your briskness in some posts.  You say people can't handle facts. That might be true in some cases. But i think it's often more the way you state the facts than the facts or the truth itself. What is "truth" anyway?  "Is truth unchanging law. We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?" (to quote one of the few musicals that i do like and the guy that I indeed would go visiting with a spaceship when Mika is leading the expedition.  Could be fun.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Pascale

[mellody]

Lol christine, i like your friend's comment about the spaceship - she does have a point!

 

And pascale, no worries - even a very normal mika gig is such a special and fabulous experience. have you been to one of his gigs before? (Sorry if you said it already, i don't have time to read every long post in this thread ). Maybe see you on friday, i'll be there as well.

[Christine]

Yes, I'm going to three gigs in the next two months  . First Lokeren en Rochefort and of course Amsterdam in september. And yes I'm terribly afraid that I will be disappointed. I'm not a festival person (1,63 so I usually see a lot of backs and heads in front of me instead of the artist. And maybe Mika won't have his night. He has had so many special concerts lately. It must be hard to keep his spirit up all the time. And i've seen so many special concerts on youtube. It will be difficult to top that.

"Special" is in the eye of the beholder. I can't believe there is anyone around here (surely not many) who didn't think their first gig was special, no matter what the circumstances were.

 

Fans are often sad when they haven't seen Mika in awhile and sometimes when people complain about post-gig depression and missing Mika it upsets the people who have never even been to a gig before because it seems a bit selfish. My response to that is "you don't know what you're missing". I know that sounds terribly unsympathetic but what I mean by that is that no matter how great you think it's going to be you don't know how great it is until you experience it first hand. It is nothing like watching YouTube videos. It is nothing like listening to CDs.

 

In my early gig days I would be tired and jetlagged and headachey and my legs were sore, etc. but the moment Mika came on stage it would all disappear. I could not see anything but Mika. I could no longer feel my sore legs, the pushing, the heat. It was just euphoric.

 

I can't guarantee you or anyone else this exact experience obviously but there must be a lot of fans who feel similarly or they wouldn't go to/want to go to so many gigs.

 

In any case you are going to a few gigs so if the first one isn't perfect because Mika didn't sing your favourite song or the festival was unpleasant, you can look forward to the other gigs. I am sure you will have a great experience, so don't worry about "special". You are going to be there instead of watching it on Periscope so it will be the most special Mika gig you've ever seen

 

However I think I wasn't clear enough. iI don't really mind being disappointed or hurt (e.g. by my friends opinion). I don't like it. Of course I prefer feel happy but sad and unhappy feelings are part of life and in general I'm not avoiding them.

I totally agree with that approach.

 

But somehow I believe it's more your words and way of speaking that is attacked than you or your opinion.

Well perhaps it doesn't help but I see people who have the patience and disposition of a saint also being censored. So I have taken a page out of Mika's book and decided I don't care what anyone thinks about me and am no longer going to waste my time even attempting to be diplomatic because it's not effective anyway.

 

You have a very direct and sometimes very absolute way of expressing your views.

There is a recurring joke on the show Good Wife where one of the judges in a courtroom interrupts the solicitors every time they make an argument in order to clarify with them that it is just their opinion. She gets annoyed with them and rules against them unless they pander to her by prefacing every argument with "In my opinion, your honour...".

 

This is a joke because it's absurd. It should go without saying that anything you present in order to persuade people of your point of view is your opinion. MFC is not a court of law but it's also not kindergarten and it's not unreasonable to expect other adults to be familiar with how expressing one's opinion works on a forum. If I say what I think, it is OBVIOUSLY my opinion. What's more people who are reading it already know this because they love to point it out by saying "it's ONLY your opinion". As if the very act of asserting what one thinks without saying "in my opinion" somehow invalidates that opinion and it needs to be publicly dismissed so no one listens to it.

 

I don't understand why anyone should have to engage in this phony social ritual that does not exist in real life (not in my world anyway) just to sort of humble themselves before other posters on the forum. Why shouldn't anyone stand up for their opinion instead of apologizing in advance for even having one? If you're not confident in what you're saying then why say it at all?

 

What is "truth" anyway?  "Is truth unchanging law. We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?" (to quote one of the few musicals that i do like and the guy that I indeed would go visiting with a spaceship when Mika is leading the expedition.  Could be fun.

Sure truth is not unchanging. But that doesn't mean we can't discuss what is true or untrue in a given moment. As I said if BBC1 starts playing tracks from this album then I will surely be wrong in what I said. Until that time it is an objective and provable fact that the album is not being played on BBC1, it's not simply my opinion.

[robertina]

reading this thread is absolutely delighful to me :-) I love discussions when opinions are brought up in freedom of speech and intelligence. Thanks, you know who you are :-)

[CarolinaAsh]

One of my friends said that it is a good thing that Mika is only making fun music and not asking people to follow him on a spaceship to meet Jesus because he is so charismatic and so totally in command of the audience he could convince anyone to do anything.

Lol christine, i like your friend's comment about the spaceship - she does have a point!

 

So. Basically he's like Charles Manson, but uses his powers for good and not evil? (Sorry, SLIGHTLY obsessed with that new miniseries show thing Aquarius right now.)   

 

"Special" is in the eye of the beholder. I can't believe there is anyone around here (surely not many) who didn't think their first gig was special, no matter what the circumstances were.

 

Fans are often sad when they haven't seen Mika in awhile and sometimes when people complain about post-gig depression and missing Mika it upsets the people who have never even been to a gig before because it seems a bit selfish. My response to that is "you don't know what you're missing". I know that sounds terribly unsympathetic but what I mean by that is that no matter how great you think it's going to be you don't know how great it is until you experience it first hand. It is nothing like watching YouTube videos. It is nothing like listening to CDs.

 

In my early gig days I would be tired and jetlagged and headachey and my legs were sore, etc. but the moment Mika came on stage it would all disappear. I could not see anything but Mika. I could no longer feel my sore legs, the pushing, the heat. It was just euphoric.

 

I can't guarantee you or anyone else this exact experience obviously but there must be a lot of fans who feel similarly or they wouldn't go to/want to go to so many gigs.

 

In any case you are going to a few gigs so if the first one isn't perfect because Mika didn't sing your favourite song or the festival was unpleasant, you can look forward to the other gigs. I am sure you will have a great experience, so don't worry about "special". You are going to be there instead of watching it on Periscope so it will be the most special Mika gig you've ever seen

 

This has been madly enlightening just now, and makes me wanna go even more. Alas, flight costs still are far too high. (Sorry but, like Mika, I like to eat.) I'll just keep praying for a return to the states/Canada in early 2016.    

 

So I have taken a page out of Mika's book and decided I don't care what anyone thinks about me and am no longer going to waste my time even attempting to be diplomatic because it's not effective anyway.

 

I'd like to say I am doing the same, except I tried before, and I'm never very good at it except at work or when drunk. (I say at work because my coworkers know I'm a loon and the kids love it! I mean, for crying out loud I wore a Panda Onesie to pajama day last year.)

 

reading this thread is absolutely delighful to me :-) I love discussions when opinions are brought up in freedom of speech and intelligence. Thanks, you know who you are :-)

Hahaha yes right? Pretty impressive no one resorted to petty childish name called and whatnot, because well, this is the internet. Just goes to what I said in my post in Members Chat that day, Mika fans are special breed. We're all freaking unicorns!   (Just searched the emoticons, we so need a unicorn one. Because Mika is a unicorn too.)

[Pascale]

And pascale, no worries - even a very normal mika gig is such a special and fabulous experience. have you been to one of his gigs before? (Sorry if you said it already, i don't have time to read every long post in this thread ). Maybe see you on friday, i'll be there as well.

 

 

"Special" is in the eye of the beholder...... You are going to be there instead of watching it on Periscope so it will be the most special Mika gig you've ever seen

 

 

Thanks to you both. Yes very first Mikagig! Getting more and more excited now. I just bought the Lokeren tickets 10 minutes ago. Already have got the Rochefort ones since the day of announcement ( so before the announcement of all the other concertdates). My friends think I'm really weird now but hey, I got to have my share of "fan fun" in life, don't I?    

[cathouzouf]

Thanks to you both. Yes very first Mikagig! Getting more and more excited now. I just bought the Lokeren tickets 10 minutes ago. Already have got the Rochefort ones since the day of announcement ( so before the announcement of all the other concertdates). My friends think I'm really weird now but hey, I got to have my share of "fan fun" in life, don't I?

Enjoy it to the fullest!

[teenagedreamer98]

That is a shame that you can't travel to see him although it's perfectly reasonable and understandable. I would think every other touring UK artist goes to Scotland so I can imagine your disappointment when other dates were not announced with London.  

 

 

Pretty much every UK artist comes to Scotland to promote their music; we get people like One Direction and Take That.  We also get American artists such as Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.  Basically, we get everybody except Mika, which I find a bit unfair.  The really famous artists tend to use the Hydro Arena for their concerts (that's the biggest arena in Glasgow, with nearly 14,000 seats).  However, I don't think Mika would go there because he's not as well known here as he used to be.  I know he did a show in Edinburgh in around 2010 but that was before I'd heard of him.  But I know there are a lot of other Scottish people who would love to see him here again.

The London gig is great for those who can attend, and I'm looking forward to reading gig reports.  But I'm seriously considering starting a petition for more UK dates.  I know a lot of people would appreciate them.

[robertina]

Pretty much every UK artist comes to Scotland to promote their music; we get people like One Direction and Take That.  We also get American artists such as Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.  Basically, we get everybody except Mika, which I find a bit unfair.  The really famous artists tend to use the Hydro Arena for their concerts (that's the biggest arena in Glasgow, with nearly 14,000 seats).  However, I don't think Mika would go there because he's not as well known here as he used to be.  I know he did a show in Edinburgh in around 2010 but that was before I'd heard of him.  But I know there are a lot of other Scottish people who would love to see him here again.

The London gig is great for those who can attend, and I'm looking forward to reading gig reports.  But I'm seriously considering starting a petition for more UK dates.  I know a lot of people would appreciate them.

 

suddenly I feel very old