I was lucky to be at Kettner’s in London on the 22nd January 2011 and see the acoustic set Mika performed to Magic Points competition winners. I love acoustic performances and I can’t describe how happy I was to be there and how much I appreciated it. I had seen his club gigs earlier but none of them was this small or intimate. The gig was special for many reasons, some of them very obvious. Kettner’s was an ideal tiny venue for a gig like this. It was cozy and beautiful and with a group of familiar people and some champagne it really felt like a festive gathering in someone’s living room. The audience consisted of 6 winners and their guests (I knew most of them in advance) and a few people from the record company. We were sitting for a while before the show and having a couple of drinks and the atmosphere was even better I had hoped for, everyone was behaving in a polite but relaxed way, the whole situation felt very natural.

Finally Mika came into the room with Melachi and after some organizing everyone had their seats (on the floor, on sofas) and the gig started. From the first moments I realized it was very different than I had expected and more intimate than I had ever seen. It was really an acoustic gig, Mika didn’t even use a microphone. It was the first time I heard him singing live like that and I loved every moment. We didn’t see the usual stage transformation or at least not a complete one. This time there was no stage, just a piano. Mika sat behind it and looked shy, even a bit nervous and started his set. It was a beautiful performance. It was also definitely the most casual performance I have seen from him. Happy Ending was the most beautiful moment of the show and it made me really wait and hope for another acoustic tour and I felt very lucky to see the set.

The show seemed totally spontaneous. Maybe Mika had other things on his mind and he didn’t have time for that, or maybe he just wanted to do it this way. Living room gigs tend to be unrehearsed. The band looked confused and was asking for directions. Mika explained and showed the band what to do, he even taught them a “new” song and it was such an unexpected treat and I loved watching it. He performed 12 songs. After the gig I gave Melachi a kiss and a hug and Mika had a small chat with everyone. What a good day it was, one of those days that feel like a dream.