2020 @ Palaonda Bolzano, ITALY, 02 Feb REPORTS / PICS / VIDS

[Paoletta]

beautiful Mika!!!!! 

[giraffeandy]

I'm not good at writing reports but I'll try... First of all I want to thank the MFC for the ticket because otherwise I wouldn't travel so far on my own. But it was a great experience and I'm really glad I did it even though I needed a push to decide to go to Bolzano alone. Also thanks to @sara09 and her friends for the support. It was my first time seeing the big show and it was definitely worth it. For sure in some ways I liked the smaller show in Zürich better but in other ways the stage with the piano and lights is so amazing so I'm happy I could see both "types" of the show during the tour so far (I still hope there'll be some more dates in Europe later ).

 

I didn't watch many videos of the big show before because I didn't want to "ruin" my own experience even though of course I saw the stage on social media before. I really like how the show is working with lights and colours on the stage, it's so clever and effective and also of course the moving piano with the changeable lights is amazing! I like how Mika uses it as a musical instrument/sofa/pedestal during the show.  I had a great spot in the 2nd/3rd row right in front of the "catwalk" stage even though I arrived only 30 minutes before the door opened (and only 45 minutes after I arrived to Bolzano with the bus, so it was still quite a success that I made it to the venue so early after checking in in the hotel). I was so excited to be there because it really was a long, last minute trip and luckily everything went smoothly, it felt almost too good to be true. The support act (Charlotte I think) was decent but to be honest, I was too excited to really pay attention because she sang rather ballads and at the moment I was too hyped for that but she sang really well. When it comes to Mika, I have to say the setlist was quite predictable this time with no surprises (unfortunately for me no NPIH song) but the show really made up for it. 

 

Mika was right when he said it's ####ing freezing because it was really quite cold in the venue. I've been to ice hockey arenas before for concerts but it was never so cold that you had to keep your jacket on. So it was really funny when he brought his own coat for Big Girls. Again I was lucky that he entered the crowd right in the place where I was standing, so I got a really close look even though it works even better in smaller venues in my opinion where you can see Mika the whole time during his "journey" through the crowd. I have to say I couldn't appreciate most of the spoken parts this time because I don't speak Italian, of course I knew a bit what he is saying in these pre-recorded parts but sometimes I was quite lost. However, that didn't matter as much. The show was great with a lot of Mika energy, his iconic dance moves & jumps and little jokes (like his pantomimes when he let the crowd sing). I feel that these are the things that are even more present in the big show where Mika has more space to move. I still feel high after the show, maybe even more than after the last one but it's hard to say...

 

(I know it's a bit messy but I tried my best to put down at least some of my impressions from the show – it's impossible to mention all of them because is an endless list.)

[mamiam]

21 hours ago, miknikel said:

This photo symbolizes a little bit all the concerts. Mika reaches out his hand to invite us to share an hour and a half with him.

 

 I like the way you present this pic.  And yes - a complete audience seem to "eat from his hand" - with good appetite - where ever he goes  As far as I can understand, from what's presented here on the MFC, it's not about a tiny love at all - rather a huge love, I would say.  I hope MIKA really understands how much people love him - and what he has to share  

 

Love, love

me 

[mellody]

I find it hard to write a report about this gig, because to me it was so full of emotions which are hard to put in words. But I'll try.

 

The queueing was very relaxed (especially for Italy!) and the venue was very cold.  It's an ice stadium and the ice rink was beneath the floor, so I kept on my jacket until shortly before the gig started. Mika talked and joked a lot - mostly in Italian, sometimes in English, and a little bit of German here and there - made LOTS of eye contact with the crowd, and certainly managed to heat up that venue! Luckily it looked rather full, despite being far from sold out - but I had feared far worse when I looked at the half-empty seating map a few weeks before the show. I suppose many decided last minute.

 

I thought I had gotten lots of eye contact with Mika in Luxemburg, but that was nothing compared to Bolzano!  Gig with the most eye contact of all the ones I've been to since 2007!  At times it felt as if he was playing a private gig only for me, and although I know that this was just me getting lost in the moment and he had lots of eye contact with many others as well, it certainly felt very special.

 

When he left the stage for Big Girl, first thing he did was give Allegra a hug.   And later he went through the crowd just a few rows behind me, that was also very nice and close.

 

And well, when it was time for Elle me Dit, instead of his usual talk about his Mum, Mika decided to talk some German instead and asked me to translate for him. He pointed for me to come to him - so I climbed over the barrier, which before the gig I had thought would be impossible, as it was a rather high one - no idea how I did it, I can't even remember if people next to me helped me, but I found it very easy.  The rest of it you can see in the video.

It took me a moment to realize what he wanted from me when he just said "who here speaks German?" and thought, how would I know what language every person in that venue speaks?!  Luckily he then gave me the missing info that he wanted me to translate it.  "the sky is blue" and "the grass is green" was easy to translate, as there's no room for interpretation in these. But what I wasn't fully aware of so far is that for translating for someone else, you need to know not only the words but most of all what that person intends to say with a certain sentence. So when he asked me for "Bozen is very nice", I got confused - you can say that a city is nice, as in beautiful, or, what I think he wanted to say, that the people in front of him are nice, as in friendly. My mind isn't quick enough for that, as I'm generally someone who thinks too much, so it took me a while with a confused Mika waiting for a clear answer, until I decided for one of these options. 🙈 I probably would've done better just dancing for EMD, but I think the German speakers in the crowd (and those online who can watch the videos) were quite happy with it, so I guess it's fine.  And I definitely enjoyed being so close to Mika for these 90 seconds. Tho I didn't even realize he put his hand on my shoulder, I only saw that in the video later. I wasn't even extremely nervous, he made me feel comfortable. But I was unhappy with myself for not being a better translator, when I got back to my place. I shouted, danced and jumped out all my insecurities during EMD though, and after that I felt great again, and the gig continued to be fantastic. 

 

What was amazing and the first time ever I have felt this during a gig was that for a while after that I had the feeling that I saw the whole venue and everyone inside just like they were, with all their flaws and insecurities, but also as special individuals, and that feeling was so pure and filled me with amazement and happiness, it's so hard to describe. It's like I didn't see the show, but the people working on it, the stage set as something that several people had put a lot of thought and work in, the people in the crowd as all those individuals with different life stories, tho I don't know most of them, and also Mika and his band not as performers but just as normal people, although they were performing at that very moment.

And no, I didn't take any drugs, except a huge dose of Mikaïne!

 

The day before in Padova I had the impression that it was hard for Mika to talk about his Mum before EMD. It might have to do with the different language - maybe in French it's easier for him than in Italian. But I suppose that's why he didn't do his - meanwhile - usual speech im Bolzano. I don't remember tho how he introduced EMD, I was a bit distracted at that moment.

 

The intro for Lollipop was super funny, and most of all, in English!  I've uploaded the video in my other post. I guess I need to watch Roger Rabbit again soon, as I can't remember much of the story - I loved the movie as a child, but I also was scared to death of that acid which dissolved the toon characters and I had nightmares about it. 🙈 I'll probably find it boring today.

 

The ending of UW was also even more touching to me than the last 2 times I had seen it - thanks so much for the video, @lormare73 ! 

Happy Ending off-mic was amazing too, with the fantastic acoustics of this venue, Mika's voice seemed to echo from every corner of the Palaonda.

 

The distance I had felt from Mika last year was absolutely and completely gone at all of these 3 gigs I went to last week - and that was not just because he did meet us after the show in Luxemburg, he didn't in Padova and Bolzano. I didn't expect it in Italy anyway, but I'm surprised just how little I missed it after that gig in Bolzano. I suppose tho that also might have to do with seeing him leave, and him waving to us - and he even had Andy turn down the window when he saw us, I felt he wanted to say something - but when they saw the window being turned down, a bunch of fans crowded the car, handing gifts and letters through the open window, so Andy quickly closed it again and they left.

 

I expected nothing at these last 3 gigs, except a good show, but got everything I could've wished for and more.  Strasbourg surely won't be able to keep up with that, but I think I'll have no problems staying high from these experiences until the summer festivals, or even longer.

[giraffeandy]

15 minutes ago, mellody said:

I guess I need to watch Roger Rabbit again

 

Just watching the movie...  Tbh, I haven't heard about it till Sunday so I have to catch up. 

[Starlight]

9 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

 

Just watching the movie...  Tbh, I haven't heard about it till Sunday so I have to catch up. 

I've seen that movie so many times!  But I didn't watch it for quite a while now... Maybe it's a sign to do it again.

[Lucrezia]

Photos by Grazia 

 

 

[Lucrezia]

Videos by Grazia 

 

 

[Lucia T.]

Hello everyone! I was looking for pictures of the Paloma fan action that me and my friends set up during the gig. I'd love to print and keep them as a cute memory😊 I'll hopefully post some pictures from the concert later today

[mellody]

I remember at some point someone was asking for a video of the paper doves for Paloma, don't remember if it was here or somewhere else, but as I just found one on Tiktok, I thought I'd share it here: 

 

 

[Lucia T.]

On 2/7/2021 at 11:41 PM, mellody said:

I remember at some point someone was asking for a video of the paper doves for Paloma, don't remember if it was here or somewhere else, but as I just found one on Tiktok, I thought I'd share it here: 

 

 

Hi Mellody! I just saw this, it was me asking last year. Thank you for sharing, such a sweet memory of the tour🤗

[maggie112]

On 2/7/2021 at 11:41 PM, mellody said:

I remember at some point someone was asking for a video of the paper doves for Paloma, don't remember if it was here or somewhere else, but as I just found one on Tiktok, I thought I'd share it here: 

 

 

Thats my Mika memories Tiktok account 😁😁