Dublin was a lovely ending for the English part of the tour but I felt that the bigger Apocalypse Calypso Tour still needed a proper ending and I was looking forward to the show in Brest more than any regular gig during the tour and had particular expectations which, during the night, were not only filled but definitely also exceeded. The gig in Brest was absolutely fantastic and had some appropriate “the last gig of the tour character”. After the show I felt that the tour had ended in a lovely, lovely way exactly as I had hoped. 

I find it hard to end things in general and for example after tours just go home not knowing if there’s anything to plan in the future but this time everything was different. This tour was particularly satisfying. The tour concept - the show structure and length - was more satisfying than for any other show I had seen before and each show that we saw left us so fully content that no one could have possibly asked for more. Sometimes, even after an amazing gig, I feel I don’t want to let him go simply because I feel the whole moment was over too soon but this time it was different. 

 When I saw the show for the first time in Clermont-Ferrand I almost thought the show was over several songs before it officially ended but it wasn’t and there was more coming. Then I thought the same again, and again it wasn’t the case and we got more and the show really felt more generous than any show before. In the final end of the show I thought Mika needs to rest and even though I was receiving energy I also felt I need to process everything wonderful I had seen already and that it was a good time to end the show for me as well.

 The Apocalypse Calypso show is carefully planned to fill different needs in the audience. The first songs on the setlist wake people up, catch their attention and gradually get them into the right mood and also unite people and raise a collective spirit in them. After that there are songs that I often purely listen and enjoy (Feels Like Fire, Underwater, later Happy Ending). There are high energy songs in the first half of the show (Relax, Yo-Yo) as well as in the latter half (Elle Me Dit as an example), there are many new songs in different parts of the show and eventually the hit parade where you think the show might be over after Grace Kelly but it’s not because there are still also C’est la vie, Happy Ending and the high energy Love Today with the bird outfit and again, the show is not over yet, there are still Any Other World and the final flower power We Are Golden. 

 There are thoughtful elements like Good Guys with the role mode stories, there are signature style show elements like the white piano, there are gorgeous, flamboyant outfits like the suit with giant wings, and even when the show is over, we can still have a beautiful after show moment listening to the symphonic soundtrack during the final good bye and I see You while gathering our belongings and walking out the venue. It’s all very carefully planned and when I say the show is satisfying I’m not exaggerating, it really is. So even though the UK Tour was wrapped up I loved having a proper closure for the Apocalypse Calypso Tour in a form of the full, satisfying show including the new French songs. 

 We heard Bougez in French, Apocalypse Calypso, Sweetie banana, Jane Birking, C’est la vie and 30 secondes, only Moi, Andy et Paris had been left out. In addition to the French setlist the gig had also some literal “the last gig of the tour” vibes because Mika mentioned the occasion several times and in the end of Love Today filmed a small clip where he thanked everyone for the tour and he also thanked people in the end of the show making gestures pointing people which was all very sweet of him (simply that he acknowledged the ending and the good byes and that we all won’t see each other for a while at least on a tour). It was easy to spot the good mood already in the beginning part of the gig, the tone felt joyful and lighthearted. It felt good to hear Apocalypse Calypso again and after that Talk About You offered wide smiles to the audience and we all knew already at that point that the gig would be particularly good and Sweetie banana continued the relaxed, smiling vibe. 

 I had looked forward to Feels Like Fire because it’s one of my personal favourites and a song I often listen at home. I have enormously enjoyed having it on the setlist and at the same time been aware it might not always be there so when it was turn for it during the last gig of the tour in Brest I purely listened and tried to remember everything carefully. I listened to Underwater equally focused even though I expect it to be there in the future as well (it’s such a strong song it would be extremely weird if it wasn’t there). Underwater is stable and reliable and something that adds high quality in life, at least that’s how I think and feel. Listening to different versions of songs like Underwater is a basic element in my life and during gigs I always try to focus on it and then in the end of the song, when the crowd joins the singing, maybe film a bit so I can later compare the vibes in different audiences. 

 During Relax and Yo-Yo I danced and the crowd felt good and energetic. It wasn’t the loudest or the most enthusiastic during the tour but it had a good energy for sure and it felt good to be a part of it. During Jane Birkin I simply enjoyed the song. After Dublin and before traveling to Brest I spent a day in Montmartre mostly just sitting in my favourite cafes and listening to Jane Birkin and I had looked forward to hearing the song live and now truly used the opportunity to enjoy it as fully as possible. 

I saw later that Moi, Andy et Paris was on the setlist as well but sadly it was skipped and we got Billy Brown as an extra song with the white piano. During the gig I was happy to hear Billy Brown as well. I’m grateful that we heard Moi, Andy et Paris several times during the tour done together with the audience and I love the recorded version and will listen to it a lot at home for sure. This time I focused on enjoying Billy Brown and thought it was a small surprise at a French gig. I like it that Billy Brown is having a second coming after so many years and it sounds both nostalgic and fresh in my ears. 

 Big Girl, Elle Me Dit, Billy Brown, 30 secondes, Grace Kelly and then C’est la vie and the biggest song highlight of the night for me. Not seeing new French songs during several gigs made me miss them a lot and I loved loved loved hearing C’est la vie! It was such a big highlight for me and just seeing the big Club Apocalypso sign made me smile and I couldn’t stop smiling during the song. This song has so many faces. The acoustic, more quiet version is beautiful and serious and the Apocalypse version with show elements more joyful and energetic, either way I absolutely love it live and truly can’t see why it couldn’t replace Elle Me Dit as that one French song that is introduced to the international audience. It’s practically Elle Me Dit part two, the theme is very much connected to the theme in Elle Me Dit and it’s both light and incredibly deep at the same time so it’s both easy to the audience and has a serious thought behind. Also, it’s personal and offers a meaningful topic in case he one day wants to talk about it.

 I filmed C’est la vie as a full song so I can watch it later at home and think about the performance and I certainly will do that. My concert experience is never totally over when the concert ends, I always continue thinking about the performance and the songs and their elements and the themes behind them and for me this music is a continuous source of inspiration. I don’t expect or even want these shows to be unnaturally perfect or absolutely flawless (even though sometimes they totally seem to be) but I definitely love knowing there’s a lot of thought and effort behind, whether the effort comes directly from Mika or the team that works closely with him, and I want to appreciate that effort and pay attention to every possible detail and all that is a big source of ideas and energy in my everyday life. 

After C’est la vie the big Club Apocalypso sign stayed high up in the ceiling and continued sparkling in pretty, lighter colours. A huge amount of fog started to flow on stage and filled it making the scene incredibly beautiful and we heard a stunning Happy Ending with a particularly pretty ending part. The combination of these two songs - C’est la vie and Happy Ending - was the biggest highlight of the night for me but my very favourite moment during the show must have been the end of Love Today and feeling the energy and the general, amazing mood and suddenly seeing the expression of happiness at Mika’s face and I can’t tell what he was thinking that moment but I definitely thought that oh wow the big tour is now done and in such a glorious way! What a success it was! 27 gigs (actually 28 with one promotional event) in only a bit more than 7 weeks. Amazing, sold out performances in different countries and cities. 

Quite a reason to be happy and that was the vibe in the end of Love Today. And as always, after that we still saw Any Other World and We Are Golden and the latter one happened with the Brittany flag on stage just like we had thought in advance. What a beautiful ending for an absolutely beautiful tour, will take me a moment to go through my memories.