Mika @ Acadamy 1

[meimei88]

Manchester Evening News

 

Mika , Buy his LP from Amazon

28/ 2/2007

 

3/5

27/02/07

 

CHANCES are, many of you are clicking on another story and harrumphing “Mika, Mika, Mika. That’s all we’ve heard for the last few months.†No one has been more hyped than the sexually ambiguous 23-year-old classically-trained Beirut-born Londoner.

 

His debut single Grace Kelly and its parent album, Life in Cartoon Motion, both topped the charts, while this gig was upgraded to Academy 1 due to baying demand.

 

Entering to Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 (don’t you just hate it when record labels make artists tone down their campness?) and dressed in braces and green trousers so tight, he couldn’t illuminate his genitals more without the aid of a spotlight; Mika launches into the fantastic disco stomper Relax, Take It Easy, essentially Cutting Crew’s (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight performed by Jake Shears.

 

Pinnacle

 

The depressing thing about voicing any criticism of Mika at the moment is it automatically makes you seem like one of those black-hearted cynics who waits for an artist to reach the pinnacle of the mountain, before spitefully pushing him off, twirling a moustache and cackling ‘Mwoo-ha-ha’.

 

And, when he’s good, he’s stunning, as demonstrated by the showboating Grace Kelly, an excellent ‘screw you’ song aimed squarely at those who tried to mould him into an r'n'b-lite image and Billy Brown (a Divine Comedy style piano-led tale of a husband’s illicit homosexual encounters). But when he’s bad, he’s so tediously schmaltzy and derivative, he makes The Feeling look like Anthrax.

 

Freddie Mercury

 

Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) – a re-hash of Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls – is a particular lowpoint. Whereas Freddie Mercury sang with a knowing wink, Mika’s effort comes across as cloyingly ‘empowering’, like a cynical It’s Raining Men or I Will Survive for the Weight Watchers generation.

 

With his boundless exuberance, it’s hard to hate Mika but tracks like Ring Ring (the kind of ‘80s putrescence that Sam Fox wouldn’t look out of place fronting) make you think ‘that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try’.

 

Still, despite some dodgy material seemingly purloined from the 'Perfect Gifts For Mothers Day’ CD rack of Tesco, there’s no denying Mika himself is a fantastic pop star, ricocheting around the stage, and able to pull off a stunning falsetto.

 

After 45 minutes, he returns for an encore of Lollipop, which includes balloons, two backing dancers dressed as pink Little Miss Moffat-style ‘Lollipop Girls’, tossing Chupa Chups into the audience; and glittery ticker tape canons.

[Fillip]

Well...there's no need to be rude dear!

[FREDDIESDOUBLE]

Indeed my dear !

 

Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) – a re-hash of Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls – is a particular lowpoint.

 

Thats the one of the best songs on the album for me , totally and utterly different to Fat Bottomed Girls!!! , maybe the slight sentiment is the same but they are very different ... maybe they just dont "get it"

[daisylou]

Honestly mention fat people and everyone has a comparison!

What about The Beautiful South`s Perfect 10??? that`ll be next.

Oh dear ...When will people get it MiKA is 100% himself he`s not copying anyone! He doesn`t need any comparisons!

Then again its all publicity I suppose.

xx

[helen]

dressed in braces and green trousers so tight, he couldn’t illuminate his genitals more without the aid of a spotlight;

 

Bugger - I knew I should have stood nearer the front!!!!!!!!!!! :biggrin2:

[Steph]

I'm not qite sure what to make of this review, he seems to be contradicting himself, as if what he writes and what he should be writing are two totally different stories, edited into one...

 

I have to do a bit of research and thinking , I'll be back later with a better analysis, this review annoys my (normally fairly critical) trail of thinking straight.