MIKA GIGS

New Caledonia

L’Arene du Sud in Paita 20/2/2020

The venue in Paita, New Caledonia was a sold out, middle sized sports arena. We arrived late but everyone else arrived even later and going in was very peaceful. Inside the venue was hot. I’ve seen a gig that was called a sauna and several sweaty festivals but nothing even close to this one. Not sure if I’ve ever sweated that much. The audience was really good and sang extremely loudly and showed a warm, loving attitude. Mika must have been quite jet lagged and his voice wasn’t as strong as it usually is during Happy Ending but the audience didn’t mind at all and immediately helped him and joined the song and the moment became very sweet and heartwarming. Underwater was quite funny simply because the crowd was so incredibly loud. I loved the vibe and based on his smiles and expressions so did Mika. The setlist was basic with no special details and the atmosphere during the performance relaxed. I was jet lagged after traveling from the other side of the world as well but enjoyed the show a lot.

New Zealand

Auckland Town Hall in Auckland 22/2/2020

The gig in Auckland was a truly special case, the very first show in New Zealand and something I had thought could be only a distant dream for me. It was such a weird gig. It was amazing as well and I absolutely loved it, but it was weird and it was totally different than I had imagined in advance.

The venue was seated. When I walked in and saw the images of Mika’s parents in the background I had something like the concert hall in Tours in my mind. A rare opportunity where Mika could add songs like Over My Shoulder to the setlist. A gig where the audience would respond to different songs, dancing when it’s time to dance, sitting quietly when it’s time for that. Singing along, letting him sing alone. For some reason I had imagined it wouldn’t be like some chaotic seated gigs in Italy where the audience runs to the front of the stage the exact moment the gig starts. Well it wasn’t like that. The audience ran to the front long before the gig started.

Instead of waiting for people to return to their seats I just quickly took my place in front of the stage as well and danced because that was specifically allowed in instructions before the show: "You are allowed to stand up and dance all night". People were quite drunk I think. I had a quick drink just before the gig started as well and it was an excellent idea because that way I could tolerate the crowd more easily and blend in the audience from the beginning of the show and I didn’t need to wait several songs to be able to focus on them. And the gig was a lot of fun since the first notes of Ice Cream, I loved it. I loved Dear Jealousy and I loved Relax and I loved everything after that.

I really enjoyed the whole gig. I couldn’t hear Mika particularly well because of the loud crowd around me so listening to the a cappella part of Happy Ending was even more euphoric than it usually is. The crowd finally settled down and we could finally hear only Mika and it was so lovely and he was singing so close to us and it was pure happiness, even more than it usually is. It’s those short close moments like the one in the end of Happy Ending that alone make all the traveling worthwhile. All the effort seems like nothing at all compared to what it brings in the end.

After Stay High Mika complimented the venue and the acoustics of it and I waited holding my breath and he did add Over My Shoulder and it was absolutely beautiful. Over My Shoulder is one of my favourite songs and I’ve heard many versions of it and this was one of my favorites of them all. The Auckland audience went quiet and I closed my eyes and just listened and his singing was so incredible it’s hard to put in words and the exact moment when Max joined in was MAGICAL. Those two sound magical together. 

Before the show started it didn’t look possible but during the gig I felt I was a part of that crowd. Auckland was something to remember for sure.

Australia

The Tivoli in Brisbane 24/2/2020

The venue was a small, proper music venue, my favourite kind of venue. The stage was simple. The lights were really nice and it’s not always like that at small gigs, it can be either too dark or too bright. The crowd was one of the best I’ve seen and I’ve seen many. I felt good, friendly vibes already in the queue while waiting for the show and the atmosphere during the gig was as positive as I had imagined it to be.

Mika had fantastic energy on stage and he sounded and looked good. I was aware there were also other people but I could hear and see only him. He was the only one I paid attention to. Except during Platform Ballerinas when there was a queen on stage. I’m not joking, there was a drag queen on stage. Thank you universe for sending her, it was the best Platform Ballerinas ever. Very, very special gig.

Enmore Theatre in Sydney 26/2/2020

Newtown around the venue was like I had always imagined Australia to be: such a lovely area where ”urban jungle meets the hippie style”, full of vintage stores with clothes, vinyls and books, cafes with good coffee and health food, so many dogs, shabby old houses, a lot of wall murals. One of the most charming areas I’ve seen around different venues.

Mika was wearing his good mood yellow suit and the white ruffle shirt and he looked beautiful on stage indeed. The audience was very much 2007. People knew the old songs well and were extremely enthusiastic during them. Big Girl and Lollipop made the crowd go wild. I felt Mika was doing the new songs in an extra intense way to keep the tension up and with many songs he managed to do that very well. Tiny Love was particularly energetic and one of my favorites during the Sydney night. Underwater was stunningly beautiful – another personal favorite for me – and in the end of it the audience was deafeningly loud and that brought a big smile on his face.

At the end of Happy Ending the venue almost exploded and it made me happy to see Mika loved and appreciated in such a genuine way. The audience in Australia was incredibly grateful to finally have him and I loved watching them showing it to him. A truly special experience and I hugely enjoyed this small, lovely gig in Sydney, it felt priceless to feel the atmosphere and see the audiences’ and Mika’s reactions. 

Forum Melbourne 27/2/2020

The gig in Melbourne was the last gig of the Australian Tour. What a huge success this small tour was. I knew in advance this tour is something I surely want to see but I had no idea how special the vibe could be.

The people I met and who created the atmosphere were not there because of marketing or promotional efforts. There was practically no marketing or promotion in Australia until the tour at all. People were there because they had years ago discovered music that had an impact on their life. Music that helped them grow as people and reflected their own thoughts and was something so powerful they couldn’t forget it. They waited more than 10 years to see this artist on stage. They came because they live and breathe the message behind Mika’s music and wanted to celebrate it by listening and watching him, dancing, singing and gathering together.

There were colors of freedom and tolerance both in the audience and on stage. The venues were absorbed with love and acceptance. The crowd received it in the music and gave it back reacting so there was an ongoing interaction during each of these gigs. Not only as direct talk between Mika and the audience even though that happened as well but also in other ways. People could feel the music in their bodies, they reacted by dancing, jumping, singing, screaming and the music got stronger and stronger, there was an amazing amount of energy moving and the louder the crowd became, the wider was the smile on Mika’s face, it was easy to see how much he enjoyed it.

While watching it I thought it’s all about interaction like that. Interaction is why I enjoyed the supporting act Chela who was on stage with her dancer. The girls looked at and smiled to each other and to the audience and in a small venue it was easy to see it. They had a lot of physical contact and it was obviously a part of the choreography but so professionally done that it looked spontaneous. Interaction is why I enjoyed watching Mika with his band members. I enjoyed watching their looks, moves, gestures. Interaction is why I enjoyed paying attention to the audience. There was a lot of love and warmth in the air, even more than there usually is. The audience had stored it for years and waited for this moment to show it and the way it finally happened was extraordinary.

The setlist was quite basic and similar every night and it was good that way. I love knowing other people’s favourite songs and in Melbourne I was between Cynthia and Iona and as I know that Cynthia likes Tomorrow and We Are Golden I waited for those songs for her. I had heard before the show the boys next to Iona love Origin so I looked at them the moment the song started just to see their smiles. 

For myself Melbourne had so many favourites it’s hard to list them all. After the two previous shows I looked forward to Melbourne so much I couldn’t wait for Ice Cream to start the gig. Mika came on stage in dark blue looking slim and if possible even more elegant than previous nights. I loved the introduction we heard for Jealousy and used a moment to think how lucky for us he felt that way and focused on making music again. Paloma was one of the most important moments as always and I loved seeing how the reception for it started to evolve. In Sydney I felt the audience was not focusing on it but in Melbourne there already was a small change and people started to show lights in their mobiles and it was a lovely moment even though the song was still new. 

Underwater is always a moment that makes my traveling worthwhile. It never fails, it’s a fundamental song on the setlist. In Melbourne we saw a beautiful performance once again and I did as I always do, put down everything, had no camera or mobile in my hands, breathed, calmed down and focused on listening. The Melbourne audience was as loud as a small audience can be. During Love Today I closed my eyes and realised I must have grown as a person, it’s not easy to surrender for the moment. It wasn’t only Love Today from the Life In Cartoon Motion songs I enjoyed. I enjoyed them all. After so many years this tour made me rediscover the old classics. Big Girl, Lollipop, Grace Kelly.

Mika gave so much energy on stage he must have been physically exhausted when it was all over. It’s hard to put in words how special it all was. To hear these collections of songs from the beginning of his career and from these days in this context, seeing the images of his parents in the background, feeling the energy of these people that had waited for so long to finally have him in front of them. A lot of touching elements and many genuine emotions, on everyone’s, also Mika’s, face.

Melbourne was the last show of the tour so obviously I didn’t want it to end but felt satisfied and happy when it did. The tour couldn’t have ended any better. The last moment and the wild dance with the rainbow flag in the end looked iconic. Such good moments. I hope the experience reminded Mika of how important it is to continue making music that tells a meaningful message and then perform it in a way that creates genuine interaction with people. The result is what we saw at these gigs.