Printemps de Pérouges in Pérouges, France 27/6/2024

After the very special philharmonic concert in Orange the summer festival season was officially opened in Pérouges, Southern France with Printemps de Pérouges festival. Between Orange and the festival I stayed in the tiny medieval village of Pérouges. I wanted to have a couple of days of peace and quiet in a beautiful environment to cherish the memory of the philharmonic concert that was still fresh in my mind and I had a lovely stay indeed and my thoughts being still in Orange I didn’t have many expectations for the festival and was simply curious to see the setlist for the summer. For that reason it was even a bigger surprise that we got numerous new details and additions in the setlist and arrangements and also new outfits and visuals. The night at Printemps de Pérouges turned out to be full energy and excitement. 

As a special feature the festival stage was incredibly high. In an ideal case I would have tested a few spots to know where I can see well but festival entries are often chaotic people running in front and I simply took a place in the middle because I like to have a symmetrical view on stage. The stage being so high it wasn’t possible to see for example the new piano at all but I knew from images it’s beautiful and after the gig left the venue counting time for the next gig to have a proper view to it and also to hear the setlist again because I absolutely loved what I heard in Pérouges. We had heard Tiny Love during the soundcheck and I kept my fingers crossed it would be included on the setlist and I was hoping Ice Cream as well knowing it’s a realistic wish for the summer setlist. 

The concert began and my heart jumped happily when Mika started with the white piano and did Tiny Love dressed in a black suit and his red wings. Such an amazing version of Tiny Love! The whole front audience united and did a collective gasp realising how special and beautiful the version was. The audience is a heterogenous group and I had, for example, people from all age groups around me. I don’t think it’s even possible for such different people to be always in a total harmony but that moment and generally moments like that we all become one. There was such pure and genuine delight in us all, and it could be seen and heard and it somehow warmed my heart. What a beautiful version of Tiny Love! We are so lucky! 

During the song Mika added a little bit new in the lyrics saying: ”I couldn’t train a bird with red wings to spell your name” and in the end ”you make me fly with a tiny love” to be funny with the bird theme and changing the lyrics made the song even more special. I couldn’t see him singing other than raising my mobile high to see the image in it (the stage was simply too high) until the very end when he walked to the front part of the stage and ended the song elegantly blowing a kiss to the audience. Wonderful start for the concert. There was electricity in the air after the beginning like that, we all knew it was going to be a beautiful night! 

After Tiny Love he changed to a white and green flowery outfit and did first Ice Cream and then Lollipop, making different sides of the audience sing in the latter one.  Then a huge surprise and a fierce version of Origin that definitely together with Tiny Love became the huge highlight of the night. Origin is a classic and I love the song and the thought behind it but I rarely pick Origin as my favourite song during the gig. This time I did and I still afterwards think how amazing it was. Amazing fierce vibe. 

After Origin some yellow and another new suit and then a walk in the audience during Big Girl. Mika picked a sun flower in his hand so it was easier to spot him in the crowd and when he climbed the stairs to the stands the yellow suit stood out nicely even from far away. The yellow suit had a short jacket with a sailor boy style collar with text “Mika” and the pants were wide and striped and pyjama style and gave the outfit a bit old-fashioned vibe which I loved. Then Jane Birkin and Underwater and again, making the audience sing. People screamed quite a lot which wasn’t a total pleasure for ears any more but the atmosphere was cheerful. The last song in the yellow suit was C’est la vie done with the backgrounds. Again, the stage being so high, it wasn’t possible to see it well but I loved C’st la vie which is always a strong favourite.

The next suit was white and suitable for jumping in Relax. Then another high energy song and Bougez. The festival had started with two other artists and the second one of them, Julien Granel was actually familiar from some past festivals. He’s an energetic artist and has previously mentioned Mika being an inspiration for him and in the middle part of the gig Mika asked Julien on stage with him and they performed Bougez together. (I added a few photos below but it was too dark from my spot and I had my bigger compact camera in the car because only the tiny one was allowed). After Bougez Elle Me Dit and Grace Kelly were performed in the usual white face outfit that was already familiar from the Apocalypse Calypso Tour. A lot of people had different signs at both sides of the audience and Mika used a moment to have a look at them but after Julien Granel no one was asked on stage from the audience and he guided the audience to dance and did a funny little dance himself as well.

In the ending part of the gig the outfit was changed to a pink plastic looking one. I miss the elegant flower suits from last summer because those were my particular favourites but I can see similarities in this seasons outfits (shorter jackets, sailor boy collars) and I love seeing “season’s uniform” on stage whether it’s dots or flowers or something else and I generally appreciate the change in outfits between gigs because it helps my mind to organise performances and songs from different gigs. I saw only a photo of the new piano on stage and it was gorgeous! I raised my hand to take a pic below of the piano with the “flower confetti” which actually wasn’t confetti but piles and piles of tiny artificial flowers that just served as confetti Mika throwing them to the audience. Happy Ending was beautiful and quite special in pink and with flowers around the new piano and felt, once again, new and different as well. I wondered, once again, how it’s even possible for so many of these songs performed to have a new appearance again and again. 

After that the high energy end with Love Today, We Are Golden and the final “Yo-Yo dance”. I was happy to get the final wild dance and it gave extra festival vibes and seemed to seal the first summer show especially the fireworks on the background. Everyone left the show smiling and excited and at the same time feeling spoiled yet hungry for more. There’s something so chaotic and weirdly relaxed in festivals. I curse myself for putting myself through all that again - the heat, the rain, the chaotic entrance - and still leave the place excited and loving everything. 

Using Format