MIKA GIGS

Belgium

Live /S Live in Zeebrygge 19/6/2022

The beach festival in Zeebrygge offered us an extremely relaxed and smiling artist. Mika told he had been celebrating a family wedding until early morning and I can’t tell if the reason was the love in the air, the time spent with his family or champagne celebrations but I’ve rarely seen a performance as smiling as this one. The whole show felt like pleasant fresh air on your face. The combination of the seaside environment, light summer night and simple pink setting was perfect. Absolutely lovely. I took photos of the beautiful sight, I danced, I enjoyed the vibe, I focused on listening to my favourite parts. Everything was right.

After two hot and sunny days it was rainy and cold. However, during the sound check we heard a little bit of Rain and that comforted me. It can be rainy and it can be cold, but as a reward we will hear Rain as a surprise song and later in the evening we got that and much more. The whole performance was beautiful. It’s always a rare treat to see Mika performing in daylight and when he started around 8 the weather had just changed brighter and the early night was light.

The stage was giant and the setting was extremely simple with Mika’s fresh pink and white outfit and the magic piano that was glowing in pale pink and spreading some glimmering sparks and that was enough. In the main role was Mika’s smile and the gig was all about enjoying the atmosphere. The high energy songs were relaxed and energetic and everyone was dancing. During Underwater and Happy Ending I mostly focused on listening to get a good memory of the songs and loved how they were performed. The voice was beautiful. This time Rain and Yo-Yo were the songs I most looked forward to. Mika spoke English which was amazing and also a little bit Dutch asking help from Wouter who speaks the language. An absolutely lovely night. 

France

Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives 1/7/2022

Watching Mika in his prettiest outfit - white shirt, blueish grey Korean pants and glittery shoes - in front of the Palais Ideal and the building bathing in different coloured lights, was one of the most aesthetic experiences I’ve had. Le Palais Idéal was built by Ferdinand Cheval, also known as Facteur Cheval, a French postman who spent thirty-three years building this extraordinary palace using water washed stones, pebbles and fossils that he carried home first in his pockets and then later using a wheelbarrow. An extraordinary building, really, absolutely unique, a mix of different styles, inspired by images Ferdinand Cheval saw on postcards during his working days and decorated with figures, patterns, quotes and poems. 

Mika appeared on stage in his beautiful outfit starting with Lollipop making the beginning of the song even simpler and more delicate than before, he clearly wanted to make the performance more intimate than an average summer festival performance to appreciate the special venue. I could immediately hear that his voice had an extra warm tone from the flu but despite that his singing was extremely pretty. The performance in Hauterives was absolutely lovely, there was something special in several songs. 

The set list was exceptional. After Lollipop Mika did Big Girl and Origin and then sat down at the piano to sing a particularly touching version of Tiny Love. In the end he talked about the meaning of Tiny Love and the whole performance was particularly beautiful. After a moment the keyboardist moved in front of the piano and we heard a partly acoustic version of Yo-Yo which was something I had hoped for a while. A wonderful surprise to hear Mika’s voice properly. Hearing Yo-Yo made the gig already special but after that we also heard a breath-taking performance of Mika’s new song Who’s Gonna Love Me Now for the first time. I literally hold my breath almost during the whole song. 

We heard Underwater with a lot of interaction with the audience and Happy Ending was an absolutely beautiful experience. Because of the situation the high notes were left out and the version was gentle and soft with the guitar in the spotlight and the whole performance was stunning, the palace glowing in blue in the background, the lighting showing us only Mika’s figure. Beautiful, beautiful performance. 

I enjoyed Boum Boum Boum and Ice Cream as always and was amazed how impressive the energy suddenly became during Grace Kelly Mika hitting the piano and singing fiercely. We heard Elle Me Dit and We Are Golden as the high energy part and I thought there wouldn't be Love Today but after the ending bow the band came back and Mika appeared again and did an impressive version of Love Today even though he must have been very tired already. Then the very final bow and the remix version Yo-Yo was started in the background and Mika and the band danced a bit and disappeared leaving the audience continuing the dancing. 

What a wonderful experience this gig was. I hadn’t seen such a unique and interesting venue for a while and I loved how the night was made special also with the outfit and the generous, surprising setlist.

Francofolies in La Rochelle 13/7/2022

La Rochelle is a gorgeous place, busy with people but absolutely beautiful. The line-up for the festival day was strong: established French singers, some less known acts between and particularly for my taste Asaf Avidan with his fascinating, androgyne voice and guitar skills and even the big favourite Rufus Wainwright as a guest for Calogero. A huge night yet I still felt Mika was the main performer and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The audience gave him the traditional La Rochelle chant and it couldn’t have been more deserved. A magical moment to happen, gave me goosebumps. Feeling the vibe, hearing the crowd repeating the shout and seeing Mika’s face that moment was reason enough for me to be there. He did a great festival performance. Beautiful performing, beautiful energy and a lot of interaction with the crowd spreading the magic. In La Rochelle photographers and television cameras had a distinct role and it was distractive for the audience close to the stage but also highlighted how big the day was. A big festival day, an old-school summer festival experience. 

Foire aux Vins in Colmar 24/7/2022

At the end of the show in Colmar Mika said “I said everybody’s gonna love today” and people believed what he said. The whole crowd started to shout “love, love, love” like in a trance. It was an iconic performance. ICONIC. It’s performances like this Love Today that make you understand how nothing can compare to this artist. He’s a magician on stage, his presence is incredible. The show we saw in Colmar was absolutely fantastic. The energy was so good. This was my first time in Colmar and the concert was surprisingly intimate to be a part of such a big festival. Both the energy and the audience were amazing. 

Festival Grandes Marées in Jullouville 27/7/2022

Grandes Marées was smaller and less known than some other festivals we saw during the summer and you could feel it also in the vibe. The photographers at Francofolies in La Rochelle seemed to be bigger stars than the artists on stage, shamelessly blocking the view with their giant equipment. In Normandy the photographers kept themselves low and we could easily see the full show, maybe asked by the festival because the stage was close and moderately low but it was extremely considerate. 

I enjoyed the gig a lot and the energy was once again extraordinary. The whole summer tour was extraordinary, we saw incredible performances. Each gig had a different tone coming from the venue or location but the performance was always absolutely wonderful and the energy good. Beautiful gigs and this one in Normandy wasn’t an exception. 

Acoustic parts in different songs are always my favourites. Tiny Love is always a highlight and it was that also in Jullouville. After Tiny Love on the setlist a collection of highlights: Relax, Ice Cream, Boum Boum Boum and Yo-Yo. After Yo-Yo comes Underwater and I purely focus on listening. In the end of Underwater there’s a part where the audience is asked to sing together and it’s always beautiful to see everyone holding their mobile lights. Before the moment Mika was talking to the crowd in French and I didn't try to catch his words, I was waiting for the collective moment. Suddenly the girls told me oh he’s talking about you! As always with Mika, I didn't see that coming. Soon after that made gestures for me to come on stage to help him with the lights.

I felt fear but decided to be brave. One of the security guys came to help and lifted me over the barrier and helped me on stage and that happened in an easy and effortless way which impressed me and suddenly I was there. Mika seemed to understand I was out of my comfort zone and he was kind and sweet and smiling which made me feel at ease. I was scared to see the microphone on my level but it wasn’t for me, it was for him to be on the same level with me. Also, I felt alarmed when he went a bit further because I felt safer when he was near me but generally it all went quite well and it was soon over and I jumped back to the audience. Wow, the crowd looked so beautiful from the stage! 

At Grandes Marees the beginning of Grace Kelly was even stronger than ever before and I couldn’t stay still and felt the adrenaline rising, it was wonderful. The final Love Today with the cape felt almost like a small show inside of the show: the band playing powerfully, Mika moving like an acrobat and finally the cape flying. During moments like that the connection with the audience is huge. What a fantastic ending and after that even a tiny dessert with the remix version of Yo-Yo.