2022 - Centre Bell, Montreal - 25 April 2022 REPORTS/PICS/VIDS

[Kumazzz]

 

MONTREAL !!

Here we go !!

We are waiting for your posts !!

 

[Kumazzz]

mikainstagram IG story

 

Guess he was dancing in the TVA dressing room in yesterday ( 24 April 2022 for Star Academie )

 

 

[Kumazzz]

mikainstagram

MIKA(@mikainstagram) • Instagram

 

mikasouns Twitter

For The Rite Of Spring Tour is back in Canada!!! And tonight in an arena! Salut Montréal et à ce soir!!!! Au @CentreBell

 

📸Royal Gilbert

@MaisonValentino

 

 

 

 

[Kumazzz]

Centre Bell(@centrebell) • Instagram

 

IG story

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

Cocktail Lollipop

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Kumazzz

[silver]

Wonder what the cocktail is like?

[Kumazzz]

Laura's IG story from the Centre ell entrance 

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐈𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐲(@iseleylaura) • Instagram

 

 

 

[Kumazzz]

2 hours ago, silver said:

Wonder what the cocktail is like?

 

Cocktail Lollipop

IG story

 Instagram

 

 

 

[NancylovesM]

Edited April 26, 2022 by NancylovesM

[NancylovesM]

I somehow got super lucky and received a goodie bag from Indeed with a signed vinyl copy of MHIMH!!!

[NancylovesM]

Oh! I forgot the video of Boom Boom Boom. I am not from Montreal, and I do not speak French, so I have no idea who he brought on stage. Can anyone fill me on on who this is?

[holdingyourdrink]

3 hours ago, NancylovesM said:

I somehow got super lucky and received a goodie bag from Indeed with a signed vinyl copy of MHIMH!!!

So lucky!! And thanks for the videos from first row!! He directly looked at you during Grace Kelly, got that on camera 

Were they randomly handing out goodie bags? Or were you also interviewed by Laura?

[Perdchen]

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mika/2022/centre-bell-montreal-qc-canada-bb65d86.html

 

Was the setlist so short? 

[NancylovesM]

5 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

Were they randomly handing out goodie bags? Or were you also interviewed by Laura?

I went looking for the Indeed display and they weren’t giving out bags anymore. So I was really sad because they didn’t have the display in Toronto since the truck got stuck at the border. The Indeed guy felt bad for me and gave me one of the “secret bags” he had behind the display and it was a lovely surprise to find what was inside 😲 I didn’t see Laura at the display when I was there, but apparently she was on her way. 

[hermigg]

7 hours ago, NancylovesM said:

Oh! I forgot the video of Boom Boom Boom. I am not from Montreal, and I do not speak French, so I have no idea who he brought on stage. Can anyone fill me on on who this is?

IMG_9276.MOV

Hi! Basically, he said that he had invited a good friend (he told some anecdotes about them) to the show tonight but he wasn't sure that she was there. It was Ariane Moffatt, a well known singer-songwriter here in Québec (they also worked together on Star Académie). Fortunately, she was at the show and she went on stage to sing with him! She was saying: "Mika, you're insane! I have no idea what's happening!" It was a great moment to witness and it's clear that they're good friends  

[izabeil]

7 hours ago, NancylovesM said:

Oh! I forgot the video of Boom Boom Boom. I am not from Montreal, and I do not speak French, so I have no idea who he brought on stage. Can anyone fill me on on who this is?

 

 

It’s Ariane Moffatt, a french signer from Montreal, she’s pretty known in Quebec 

[izabeil]

5 hours ago, Perdchen said:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mika/2022/centre-bell-montreal-qc-canada-bb65d86.html

 

Was the setlist so short? 

Yes it’s the setlist from last night show….

in previous show he made new song but not in Montreal, sadly 😞

I was a little bit sad because I was suppose to see the show two years ago, thanks to covid pandemic 🙄, and there was a lot of good songs on the last album, but he just sang tiny love, ice cream and tomorrow….  I was hoping to hear Paloma, stay high or platform ballerina, but not this time…. Although it was a great show, but not enough new songs for me….

[izabeil]

Hey MIKA fans!

So what did you think about the show last night? Pretty amazing that he came in the crowd, I didn’t think that he’ll do it because of the pandemic.I’m always amaze by the respect from the crowd and the fans while he’s walking trough everybody and nobody jumps on I’m or try to ripe is clothes.  And I’m lucky because he was at 6inchs from me 😍

Even though I was hoping to hear more songs from its last album, that I personally love the most, MIKA was MIKA and the vibe in the Bell Center was amazing 🤩 for a moment I forgot that we were still in pandemic with all the rules! 
 

I didn’t film a lot of his songs last night because I was so in the moment but here’s what I got on tape 😉

 

 

 

[Paoletta]

[Paoletta]

thank you so much!!! 

[guylainem123]

10 hours ago, NancylovesM said:

Oh! I forgot the video of Boom Boom Boom. I am not from Montreal, and I do not speak French, so I have no idea who he brought on stage. Can anyone fill me on on who this is?

IMG_9276.MOV

 

the lady he brought on stage is Ariane Moffatt. She is a Québec singer. She was also a judge on "La Voix" (The voice) a few years back. I think Réverbère is her most known song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ5qIX4ujdE

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

 

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1878853/concert-mika-centre-bell-critique-rezzonico?fbclid=IwAR38fYNYygKqzWQyXDVLRgK40yJHU_wRJkG2zJxA0YjlzyTnIea3WSxV0tQ

 

Chronique

Le Sacre du printemps festif de Mika

Philippe Rezzonico 

 

L’événement se nomme For the Rite of Spring (Pour le Sacre du printemps) et encore plus que le légendaire ballet classique d’Igor Stravinsky, la tournée de Mika, présentée lundi au Centre Bell, a mené à une jolie pétarade festive.

Le point culminant de ce crescendo pimpant est survenu très précisément à 22 h 31, durant Love Today. Mika, bras écartés, courant à toutes jambes de part et d’autre de sa grande scène rectangulaire, s’est soudainement immobilisé pour s’adresser à la foule.

Il a fait éteindre les lumières du Centre Bell durant quelques instants, pendant que ses quatre musiciens maintenaient le rythme derrière lui.

Le Centre Bell va se remettre à danser. C’est le printemps. On saute vers le printemps et le futur. Attention… Un…. Un, deux, trois!

Vous dire l’explosion de joie, de plaisir et d’abandon vue et ressentie au moment où toutes les lumières se sont rallumées… C’était comme si le soleil venait de crever temporairement les nuages d’une déprime printanière collective (pandémie interminable, guerre en Ukraine, décès de Guy Lafleur) qui s’éternise.

Les astres alignés

A posteriori, c’est comme si les astres étaient alignés. Mika, dont le concert du 9 avril avait été reporté pour cause de maladie – on présume la COVID –, qui se pointe à Montréal le jour où le mercure approche les 20 degrés centigrades. Ça donnait encore plus l’envie de sortir afin de se déplacer au centre-ville.

De plus, on salue le choix de la première partie assurée par Klô Pelgag qui n’a pas raté sa grande mission : réchauffer la salle pour le messie, Mika.

Avec ses cinq musicien(ne)s et choristes vêtus de sarraus blancs, celle qui a fait une razzia de Félix lors du dernier Gala de l’ADISQ, a démontré une complémentarité musicale avec sa tête d’affiche. Si Mika fait dans la pop grand public dansante, Klô Pelgag verse dans la pop alternative… pas mal dansante, quand elle le veut.

Et elle le voulait lors d’un segment de 30 minutes qui comprenait notamment À l’ombre des Cyprès, Le sexe des étoiles et Mélamine. Assise à son piano, debout sur le tabouret, allongée sur la scène, sautillant partout, Klô Pelgag s’est donnée sans compter et a conquis un public qui était familier avec son œuvre. Belle réussite.

 

Éclatant Mika

 

Mika est arrivé 35 minutes plus tard sur une scène rectangulaire à deux niveaux. À l’avant, lui et un piano. À l’arrière, sur un plateau surélevé, ses musiciens. Une scène dénudée qui a bien servi bien l’artiste à la triple nationalité (britannique, américaine, libanaise) qui, à 38 ans, court autant sur une scène que lorsque nous l’avons vu une première fois à la salle Wilfrid-Pelletier en 2009.

En revanche, les écrans supérieurs du Centre Bell ne fonctionnaient pas. Pas idéal pour les spectateurs placés au fond de l’amphithéâtre. Mika leur a fait plaisir en allant interpréter devant eux une joyeuse version de Big Girl (You Are Beautiful), ce n’était pas prévu dans le scénario.

Il n’y avait même pas d’escalier ou de rampe prévue pour Mika pour descendre de la scène au parterre. Mais l’effet fut d’autant plus saisissant qu’il était fringué d’un complet rose fuchsia. Des gradins, nous avions l’impression qu’une tache de couleur mouvante se déplaçait dans le Centre Bell.

 

Michael Holbrook Penniman a du panache, rayon tenues vestimentaires. Il portait un complet noir d’entrée de jeu, quand il a amorcé le concert sur son piano avec une interprétation en deux temps (lente et rapide) de Lollipop. Au hasard des chansons, le complet perdait des morceaux pour dévoiler des motifs colorés. En raison de la présence de parents avec de jeunes enfants, nous aurons eu droit à un strip-tease vestimentaire familial de bon goût, qui n’a pas été plus loin que le torse nu de l’artiste.

À l’approche de la quarantaine, Mika a une voix moins perchée que dans sa jeune vingtaine et ses trois musiciens choristes lui donnent un bon coup de main… quand ce n’est pas la foule. Sur les planches, il est une boule d’énergie qui chante et danse, tout à la fois. Particulièrement vrai lors de Origin of Love, Relax (Take It Easy) et Ice Cream. Ses interventions auprès de la foule dans un français impeccable étaient liées par le rappel de sa présence à Montréal durant un mois l’an dernier, quand tout était au point mort en raison de la pandémie.

 

Duo imprévu

 

C’est à ce moment, à Montréal, qu’il a écrit Underwater – un bon moment du concert – et qu’il a rappelé qu’une artiste québécoise était venue le rejoindre dans sa loge pour faire la causette lors de l’enregistrement d’une émission télévisée.

Il a noté que l’artiste en question était Ariane Moffatt, qu’il voulait chanter l’un de ses succès avec elle, qu’il savait qu’elle était présente au Centre Bell, mais que le problème, c’est qu’Ariane ne sait pas qu’elle doit le faire. Je ne sais d’ailleurs pas où elle est.

Réaction générale de stupeur, cris de la foule, faisceaux de lumière braqués dans les rangées, quête de Mika... Cela a pris plusieurs minutes avant qu’Ariane Moffatt n’arrive finalement sur la scène. Ça n’avait vraiment pas l’air planifié.

Il est fou, fou, fou… Je n’ai aucune idée de ce qui se passe. Finalement, j’étais une bonne copine dans la loge?, a lancé Ariane à Mika. Des invitées surprises durant un concert, ce n’est pas rare. Mais une invitée qui est surprise, ça l’est beaucoup plus.

Les deux artistes sont montés sur le piano et ils ont interprété Boum Boum Boum dans l’un des duos les plus imprévus qui soit – du moins, pour l’un des deux protagonistes – prélude à une version dynamitée d’Elle me dit après le départ de Moffatt.

Mika n’a jamais levé le pied de l’accélérateur par la suite avec Grace Kelly, qui l’avait révélé il y a une quinzaine d’années, Love Today et, au rappel, une interprétation de We Are Golden où il s’est vêtu d’un long manteau clair digne des souverains d’antan et s’est mis une couronne sur la tête.

Ceux qui n’ont pas immédiatement pensé à Freddie Mercury étaient tout simplement trop jeunes. Même éclat, même théâtralité, même démesure.

Une finale parfaite, en vérité, pour cette soirée vivifiante de musique qui nous a fait oublier durant quelques heures que nous vivons un printemps moche au possible.

 

Spoiler

Chronic

Mika's Festive Rite of Spring

 

Philippe Rezzonico

 

The event is called For the Rite of Spring and even more than Igor Stravinsky's legendary classical ballet, Mika's tour, presented Monday at the Centre Bell, led to a pretty festive backfire.

The climax of this dapper crescendo came precisely at 10:31 p.m. during Love Today. Mika, arms outstretched, running at full speed on either side of his large rectangular stage, suddenly stopped to address the crowd.

He had the lights of the Centre Bell turned off for a few moments, while his four musicians kept the rhythm behind him.

The Centre Bell is going to start dancing again. It's spring. We jump towards spring and the future. Watch out… A…. One two three!

To tell you the explosion of joy, pleasure and abandonment seen and felt when all the lights came back on... It was as if the sun had just temporarily burst through the clouds of a collective spring depression (endless pandemic, war in Ukraine, death of Guy Lafleur) which drags on.

The stars aligned

A posteriori, it is as if the stars were aligned. Mika, whose concert on April 9 had been postponed due to illness - presumably COVID -, who shows up in Montreal the day the mercury approaches 20 degrees centigrade. It made me want to go out even more to get around downtown.

In addition, we salute the choice of the first part provided by Klô Pelgag who did not miss her great mission: to warm the room for the messiah, Mika.

With her five musicians and choristers dressed in white lab coats, the one who raided Félix at the last ADISQ Gala, demonstrated a musical complementarity with her headliner. If Mika does danceable pop for the general public, Klô Pelgag pours into alternative pop… quite danceable, when she wants it.

And she wanted it during a 30-minute segment that included In the Shadow of the Cypresses, Sex of the Stars, and Melamine, among others. Sitting at her piano, standing on the stool, lying on the stage, jumping everywhere, Klô Pelgag gave herself without counting and conquered an audience that was familiar with her work. Great success.

 

Bursting Mika

 

Mika arrived 35 minutes later on a two-tier rectangular stage. Up front, he and a piano. At the back, on a raised platform, his musicians. A bare scene that served well the artist with triple nationality (British, American, Lebanese) who, at 38, runs as much on a stage as when we saw him for the first time at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in 2009.

On the other hand, the upper screens of the Centre Bell did not work. Not ideal for spectators placed at the back of the amphitheater. Mika made them happy by going to perform in front of them a happy version of Big Girl (You Are Beautiful), it was not planned in the script.

There weren't even any stairs or ramps provided for Mika to descend from the stage to the floor. But the effect was all the more striking as he was dressed in a fuchsia pink suit. From the bleachers, we had the impression that a moving patch of color was moving through the Centre Bell.

Michael Holbrook Penniman has panache, clothing department. He wore a black suit from the start, when he opened the concert on his piano with a two-step rendition (slow and fast) of Lollipop. At random songs, the suit lost pieces to reveal colorful patterns. Due to the presence of parents with young children, we were treated to a tasteful family dress striptease, which went no further than the artist's bare torso.

As he approaches his forties, Mika has a less pitched voice than in his early twenties and his three backing vocalists give him a good hand... when it's not the crowd. On the boards, he is a ball of energy that sings and dances, all at the same time. Especially true during Origin of Love, Relax (Take It Easy) and Ice Cream. His interventions with the crowd in impeccable French were linked by the reminder of his presence in Montreal for a month last year, when everything was at a standstill due to the pandemic.

 

Unexpected duet

 

It was at this time, in Montreal, that he wrote Underwater - a good moment of the concert - and that he recalled that a Quebec artist had come to join him in his dressing room to have a chat during the recording of a TV show.

He noted that the artist in question was Ariane Moffatt, that he wanted to sing one of his hits with her, that he knew she was at the Centre Bell, but the problem was that Ariane doesn't know what she has to do. I don't even know where she is.

General reaction of amazement, cries from the crowd, beams of light aimed in the rows, search for Mika... It took several minutes before Ariane Moffatt finally arrived on the scene. It really didn't seem planned.

He's crazy, crazy, crazy... I have no idea what's going on. Finally, I was a good friend in the dressing room?, launched Ariane to Mika. Surprise guests during a concert are not uncommon. But a guest who is surprised is much more so.

The two artists got on the piano and they performed Boom Boom Boom in one of the most unexpected duets ever – at least, for one of the two protagonists – prelude to a blasted version of Elle me dit after the departure from Moffatt.

Mika never lifted the foot of the accelerator thereafter with Grace Kelly, who had revealed it fifteen years ago, Love Today and, as a reminder, an interpretation of We Are Golden where he is dressed in a long light coat worthy of the sovereigns of yesteryear and has put a crown on his head.

Those who didn't immediately think of Freddie Mercury were simply too young. Same brilliance, same theatricality, same excess.

A perfect finale, in truth, for this invigorating evening of music that made us forget for a few hours that we are living in an ugly spring.

 

 

 

[Mikasister]

https://www.instagram.com/mikainstagram/

 

mikainstagram

 

❤️ Montreal last night!!!!!

Scroll for video!

📷 @bertexertier

[mellody]

Apparently he has a new keyboarder... does anyone know who that is?

And what did he say about screens during Big Girl? Apparently he was talking about video screens on stage, did he plan to have them like at Coachella and it didn't work, or was it on purpose that he didn't have them (and then why did he talk about it)?

 

Thanks everyone for the videos and reports!  Oh wow @NancylovesM, you were really lucky about the signed vinyl! love your avatar btw!

[cathouzouf]

59 minutes ago, mellody said:

Apparently he has a new keyboarder... does anyone know who that is?

And what did he say about screens during Big Girl? Apparently he was talking about video screens on stage, did he plan to have them like at Coachella and it didn't work, or was it on purpose that he didn't have them (and then why did he talk about it)?

 

Thanks everyone for the videos and reports!  Oh wow @NancylovesM, you were really lucky about the signed vinyl! love your avatar btw!

Can’t help with the keyboard player, was too far…

 

about the screens, he sais once that they were not working and later that he disn’t want them so it’s still unclear… nonethless, personally, I didn’t miss them, it made an arena show more intimate

[izabeil]

1 hour ago, cathouzouf said:

Can’t help with the keyboard player, was too far…

 

about the screens, he sais once that they were not working and later that he disn’t want them so it’s still unclear… nonethless, personally, I didn’t miss them, it made an arena show more intimate

I was in the 4th row so I didn’t care about the screen to be there or not.

i like to pretend that it was his choice to not put it on so we will concentrate on the atmosphere that he was trying to make with us.

i loved when he was asking to turn off the light and be in the lights of every single light of our phone.  Many times there was lights in the crowd like it will put us as one.  For me it was more intimate then other shows at Bell Center.  I don’t know if it’s because of MIKA and he’s energy and the magic that he can create because is who he is, or just because there was just no screen, who knows!?

anayway, I prefer the one I saw at the Corona in 2019, but it was so great to be back all together and forget the pandemic, at least most of it (thanks to the mask 😷) for the time of the show, singing and dancing like nothing else exist except his music and him.