Apocalypse Calypso Tour setlist discussions

[giraffeandy]

If I'm not mistaken, they also played Material Girl in Berlin, I remember because some people in the crowd were commenting on it. 

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

8 minutes ago, mellody said:

His wings broke again, so I fear it might have been the last time we've seen them.

Yes, I thought the same.

Bye bye sweety wings 

[CharlotteL]

3 hours ago, Maaikie... said:

I wanted to make a list

That's a good idea, it's a killer playlist!

I also remember Delicate (and sth else) by Taylor Swift, right @Mubbin Sarina??

And a male cover of Girl Like Me by Dove Cameron.

 

[Fleeples]

Oh I'm glad I found this topic!

 

I loved the gig in Manchester, probably the most fun I've ever had at a gig. It was the first time I'd seen him live.

 

However, I was saddened that it was mostly a Life in Cartoon Motion showcase. I love that album (although I'm a weird outlier in that I was 'too cool' to like Mika when he was popular in the UK and then grew to like him in 2013 after he declined in popularity here) but it keeps people thinking of him as just a nostalgia act over here. I see comments like 'oh does that guy still have a career' all the time talking about him - they don't realise that he's huge in Italy/France. 

 

I wasn't too bothered about the lack of French songs-  they sound lovely, but I do struggle to connect as much when I don't understand the lyrics -  but if he was going to play just one french-language song, why Elle Me Dit? I saw someone comment that he could've done that as Emily but to be fair, I think I read that he hates that version and thinks it's lazy songwriting haha (I disagree) also the English one isn't a tribute to his Mum as much. I would think on a tour for his new French album he would at least play /one/ song from that album if he was going to sing anything in French! We missed out on Bougez too, not sure if he was having wing problems or cage problems or just timing problems...

 

But if he keeps only playing the old favourites, people won't realise he /has/ new stuff and that it's great! God what I'd give to hear some more songs from NPIH or MNIMH... Good Wife or Tomorrow please? Definitely keep some nostalgia stuff in there, but did we need 90% of LCIM?

[Maaikie...]

3 hours ago, CharlotteL said:

That's a good idea, it's a killer playlist!

I also remember Delicate (and sth else) by Taylor Swift, right @Mubbin Sarina??

And a male cover of Girl Like Me by Dove Cameron.

 

Ah I think you mean the one by Edwynn Collins, which is apparently the original lolol. Gotta love the remakes eh?

[CharlotteL]

1 hour ago, Maaikie... said:

Ah I think you mean the one by Edwynn Collins, which is apparently the original lolol. Gotta love the remakes eh?

Nooo I feel so stupid, I don't know that song, I literally thought it was an og 

[Maaikie...]

7 minutes ago, CharlotteL said:

Nooo I feel so stupid, I don't know that song, I literally thought it was an og 

Yeahh I was surprised as well! But after that I wasn't because everything is a remake these days 

[Mubbin Sarina]

14 hours ago, CharlotteL said:

I also remember Delicate (and sth else) by Taylor Swift, right @Mubbin Sarina?

 

Yep! Also Cherry Cherry Landy by Modern Talking 😂

[giraffeandy]

18 hours ago, Fleeples said:

not sure if he was having wing problems or cage problems or just timing problems...

 

 

18 hours ago, Fleeples said:

God what I'd give to hear some more songs from NPIH or MNIMH... Good Wife or Tomorrow please? Definitely keep some nostalgia stuff in there, but did we need 90% of LCIM?

 

Good Wife is definitely on my dream setlist together with Hurts, Pick Up Off the Floor, Tah Dah, I See You, All She Wants, Sanremo and a few others probably  I've already heard all but 2 songs from LICM live (most of them several times of course) but only 3 songs from TBWKTM for example.

 

18 hours ago, Fleeples said:

but if he was going to play just one french-language song, why Elle Me Dit?

 

I agree. He sings EMD everywhere even outside of France and it's not a bad song at all but tbh, it has never been my favourite... Jane Birkin would be a better choice now with his new album imo. Even though it's in French, at least people know the person and can sing "Jane Birkin" and the "lalala" bridge. 

[Fleeples]

4 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

 

 

 

Good Wife is definitely on my dream setlist together with Hurts, Pick Up Off the Floor, Tah Dah, I See You, All She Wants, Sanremo and a few others probably  I've already heard all but 2 songs from LICM live (most of them several times of course) but only 3 songs from TBWKTM for example.

 

 

I agree. He sings EMD everywhere even outside of France and it's not a bad song at all but tbh, it has never been my favourite... Jane Birkin would be a better choice now with his new album imo. Even though it's in French, at least people know the person and can sing "Jane Birkin" and the "lalala" bridge. 

Psst, go tell me your dream setlist here... He has so many amazing songs, it's a shame he thinks people only want to hear the oldies here! All she wants and good wife are on mine. Sanremo for sure! I'd love I See You too...

 

I like EMD fine, but it's a weird choice to make his only french song on a tour for his french album!

[Fleeples]

I was reading some old posts because I was mad at my past self for not being confident enough to go to gigs alone, and found this mention of him talking about a newer song and jokingly saying “play lollipop or #### off” as though reflecting the audience opinion. While funny (and I probably would’ve laughed if witnessing it, he’s very dry in his sense of humour and that’s one of the things I like about him!) it does make me a little sad that it’s possibly a reflection of how he thinks crowds think about him. 

[giraffeandy]

Btw, maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I was really looking forward to the Magic Piano tour because I was hoping he would get a bit more creative with his setlist during the smaller, more intimate concert, maybe playing more ballads while sitting at the piano and then have the big show at the arena. I was thinking that it would make no sense to have the exact same setlist for both gigs so that we would hear more songs including some he doesn't perform that often during these two nights. It's a shame this concept didn't work out. 

[mellody]

3 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

Btw, maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I was really looking forward to the Magic Piano tour because I was hoping he would get a bit more creative with his setlist during the smaller, more intimate concert, maybe playing more ballads while sitting at the piano and then have the big show at the arena. I was thinking that it would make no sense to have the exact same setlist for both gigs so that we would hear more songs including some he doesn't perform that often during these two nights. It's a shame this concept didn't work out. 

 

Same...

 

The crowd in Dublin yesterday went wild at the first chords of EMD, so they really didn't mind at all that he was singing in French. I've been wondering meanwhile whether the UK setlist might not have been his own choice, but part of the contract of getting to do the UK tour, that he would not play more than one French song? Idk if they can write such artistic choices in the contract, but if that was it, shame on them! He said in the Italian interview that he has to defend his freedom every week, that was what made me wonder. He heard/saw the reception of EMD in Dublin, so he could have easily added one of the other French songs, if it had been his own choice.

[Fleeples]

50 minutes ago, mellody said:

 

Same...

 

The crowd in Dublin yesterday went wild at the first chords of EMD, so they really didn't mind at all that he was singing in French. I've been wondering meanwhile whether the UK setlist might not have been his own choice, but part of the contract of getting to do the UK tour, that he would not play more than one French song? Idk if they can write such artistic choices in the contract, but if that was it, shame on them! He said in the Italian interview that he has to defend his freedom every week, that was what made me wonder. He heard/saw the reception of EMD in Dublin, so he could have easily added one of the other French songs, if it had been his own choice.

Do you have a link to that interview? That’s really interesting and sad and I’d like to read the context (as much as possible with google translate).

 

I can see why he would avoid French but why hardly any newer songs 💔 I don’t know whether him being forced to stick to the oldies brits know or feeling like people wouldn’t like it if he played new stuff makes me sadder. I hope it was a practical choice to reconnect with the UK ahead of more shows showcasing more new stuff…

[mellody]

52 minutes ago, Fleeples said:

Do you have a link to that interview? That’s really interesting and sad and I’d like to read the context (as much as possible with google translate).

 

I can see why he would avoid French but why hardly any newer songs 💔 I don’t know whether him being forced to stick to the oldies brits know or feeling like people wouldn’t like it if he played new stuff makes me sadder. I hope it was a practical choice to reconnect with the UK ahead of more shows showcasing more new stuff…

 

 

[Fleeples]

2 hours ago, mellody said:

 

Ah - sadly it's behind a paywall and I can't translate the PDF version, but thank you anyway!

 

[mellody]

1 hour ago, Fleeples said:

 

 

in the link I posted there is the whole text in Italian, plus a google translation in a Spoiler. Just scroll down in Kumazz' post and click on the spoiler container

Spoiler

looks like this

 

[Kumazzz]

@Fleeples

 

Here you are !

 

La Repubblica

11 Aprile 2024

• WEB https://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/musica/2024/04/10/news/mika_intervista_tour_apocalypse_calypso-422460186/

 

“Today fame is fragile, only imperfection can make us special”

LONDON — We wait for Mika “Go dot” for an hour and a half at the Eventim Apollo in London where he will play soon. But it's worth it. «Forgive me, I'm not on tour!». And what a tour, the spectacular “Apocalypse Calypso” from the latest album in French Que ta t te fleurisse toujours by the British-American-Lebanese pop star adored in Italy. Already about twenty dates overseas, tonight in Dublin, grand finale in Lucca on July 19th.

And the other night in Manchester, Mika, aka Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr.

«What a concert. Unforgettable. People were so crazy you couldn't hear the mix. But a mythical city: the Stone Roses, Joy Division, New Order, Morrissey and the Smiths, Oasis."

Is this tour a mystical journey?

« a musical but also emotional journey, which combines theatre, songs, shows, electronics: spectators enter a parallel and immersive world. stuff that isn't typically done at pop concerts. It is no coincidence that for the visual effects we relied on Rodeo FX, the company responsible for the Marvel films, but also Stranger Things, Harry Potter...».

But how does it feel when you've just turned 40?

«With an even more ferocious determination, vision and artistic sensitivity. I feel like I have more imagination than when I was 35."

And do you also feel freer?

«Freedom comes and goes. You have to win it back every week, in this world. But I certainly feel more courage and joy in defending my ideas, and in seeing tiny details become essence in my works."

Are you a perfectionist?

"Not at all. Imperfect beauty is the most precious thing, in music and art, even in politics. But to get to this poem you have to be very trained. plus one session in the preparation, to then lose control live, and not be ashamed or scared of it. Because this is one of the most liberating and delicious things. It comes naturally to us at 18 years old. But to live better, we must always provoke the imperfect poetry in us. Even at 40 years old."

Even more so in a world dominated by the false perfection of artificial intelligence?

«And from the presumed perfection that many seek when posting a selfie. So they become avatars of avatars. But unfortunately online everyone attacks everyone. Therefore, for many, "being perfect" in such a conventional way also means being less attackable. like a shield in war."

But this way we are all more and more equal.

«That's the risk. But I too am falling into the AI trap."

Which?

«In the car I connected ChatGpt to the stereo. I spend time chatting with him: I discover incredible things, conversing for hours about everything I don't know."

But how much harm can artificial intelligence do to music?

«We are in an interesting moment of transition. Record sales are collapsing but concerts, those with human beings on stage, have more and more audiences. To survive, you must therefore identify your niche, hold on to it, develop and defend the things that make you different, special. Today, even hugely successful songs can easily disintegrate. It makes it but more fragile than it used to be."

A world so torn by conflicts and tensions, perhaps on the verge of World War III, what impact does it have on your art?

«Politics is increasingly a stage. In this it resembles music a lot. With one difference: if international politics is increasingly fueled by hatred and fear, the most precious asset of music is love, openness, solidarity. This pushes me more and more towards artistic extremism, as a bridge to bridge this abyss between art and reality. It reminds me of the greatest performance ever." Which? «David Byrne, dressed in grey, incredibly moving his knees, with his body that seems to be quoting a work by Brecht. This I mean by glorious extremism."

Would a new LiveAid be needed to raise awareness in an increasingly torn and violent world?

"I don't know. For “Global Citizen” they contracted the Eiffel Tower to Billie Eilish. But it doesn't seem to me that it has shaken the world or consciences. People addicted to stadiums. But certainly only music and a true sense of community can save us. as with talents: when they become a fake, an appearance, they are worth nothing. trashy. And the public notices it. We must always rise higher to conquer it. In England I hosted the talent show The Piano. At first they laughed at me for the idea of playing a piano next to the bathrooms. Instead it was poetry and it was a success."

How long has it been since you returned to your problematic Lebanon?

«A few years. In 2021 the state gave me the highest honor and passport for the “I Love Beirut” charity concert. Then I wrote an article critical of Lebanese politics in Le Monde and... poof! Everything vanished."

But you, sublime nomad, where do you feel at home?

 

"Depends. I could stay in America, but I would miss France. Or in England, but I would miss the old man from San Casciano who sews my live hats. Or my trainer in Tuscany who talks to me about Descartes and Locke while we lift 40 kilo weights."

Feeling at home therefore a "state of mind"?

"No. And feeling good with the people around you. You can have all the wealth and freedom in this world. But if you don't feel part of a community, your life will still be humiliating."

 

 

[Brandon]

Hey!! Does anyone remember which song he remixed in the set, all I remember is that it was very EDM (electronic dance music) style! It wasn't the usual version of the song and I loved it.

 

It was towards the beginning going into halfway. And the set was an amazing purple colour with loads of lights !

 

Manchester 7th April

Edited April 12 by Brandon
Extra detail

[Fleeples]

5 hours ago, mellody said:

 

in the link I posted there is the whole text in Italian, plus a google translation in a Spoiler. Just scroll down in Kumazz' post and click on the spoiler container

  Reveal hidden contents

looks like this

 

Ah thank you both! Because the phrasing was different I missed it. D’oh.

[dcdeb]

3 hours ago, Brandon said:

Hey!! Does anyone remember which song he remixed in the set, all I remember is that it was very EDM (electronic dance music) style! It wasn't the usual version of the song and I loved it.

 

It was towards the beginning going into halfway. And the set was an amazing purple colour with loads of lights !

 

Manchester 7th April

Sounds like you’re talking about YoYo. He released a remix version similar to the version we’ve seen on the tour here: 

 

 

[krysady]

On 4/10/2024 at 10:06 PM, Fleeples said:

Good Wife or Tomorrow please?

Or both please!!