When I heard there would be a private radio gig close to Biarritz at the seaside in France I was obviously immediately interested.  I love beach locations for gigs and I love smallish events especially between big arena tours and summer festivals and being able to mix these two things sounded a wonderful and rare opportunity. On the other hand, private gigs are complicated. It’s not possible to buy tickets, the tickets are distributed through different competitions or give aways,  and the information about getting one can come very last minute, maybe only day before the event, whereas I need to make my travel arrangements from Finland some time in advance to be able to find suitable flights. There’s always a risk that things won’t work out. This time they did and my friend who lives close to the area contacted me two days before the gig and told she has two tickets and that I could have one. This made me happy and I could travel without feeling anxious. I still didn’t have many expectations for my trip, I had never visited the area and had no knowledge about it. 

This way I could be totally surprised. I arrived Biarritz on Thursday and was stunned by the place with its gorgeous beaches and ocean views and small seaside town atmosphere. I understood the timing for the visit was ideal in every way. The weather was nice and warm but not summery hot yet and there were no tourists anywhere at all, instead the beaches were full of happy dogs playing and running around. Shortly put, Biarritz in May was a heavenly place. The beach resort for the Friday’s radio gig was just 15 minutes drive away from Biarritz and looked equally amazing and even a bit more private and calmer place. The venue was fantastic for a small private gig. We spent the gig day at the beach sitting and watching the ocean and the playing dogs and I’ve rarely seen anything as joyful and relaxing. The day was lovely and seeing the tiny stage made me excited about the evening already. The audience would be facing to the sea and because the gig was supposed to begin at 9 pm we would see the sun going down on the background of the performance giving stunning light and views which was thrilling already as a thought.

I had seen a few concert photos of the resort and thought the venue looks “smallish” but in reality it was tiny. It was very, very small and intimate even though an outdoor venue. It was hard to believe the capacity of the gig was 700 like I had heard in advance. Circumstances like that for gigs are rare indeed. The doors for the event were opened as informed and after walking in someone pointed Mika who was standing on the side watching the venue and people entering and he smiled and waved and it felt a particularly nice start for the evening. Just before 9 pm the radio host introduced Mika and the gig started punctually and was possible to follow online as well.

I had expected Mika to wear white or pale blue because of the seaside location and because of the sponsor colours in flags and he appeared on stage wearing his white dotted sailor boy outfit and that time and place it looked more suitable and appropriate than ever before. He looked radiant, literally shining warmth and beauty (just look at the photos of him at the piano to know what I mean), and I loved seeing everything else around him kept so simple and plain. It’s rare to see him performing that way. There was still some daylight when he started with Origin but we could see the sky on the background and I knew the colours of it would change with the sunset during the first few songs and it was a magical background for his singing. I paid attention to the sky already during Relax and during Underwater the changing red tones looked absolutely stunning and I can’t think any more suitable circumstances for the song and the atmosphere made me think of hearing Underwater at a beach festival in Latvia many years ago. This time everything was of course much more formal and the gig was also recorded and filmed yet there was something similar in the environment and the atmosphere. 

I have to say that after the first few songs I totally forgot the formality and also that the gig was recorded. Mika did such a great performance and made sure the energy and mood were perfect and I was totally caught by it all, it felt like any regular gig just in smaller and particularly pretty circumstances and for several moments I totally forgot that there was actually a purpose for the gig, that is was promotional and recorded and filmed. During Jane Birkin Mika went to walk in the audience and I expected him to stay there for a while because that’s what he usually does and that’s what I’ve seen happening several times but he walked back almost immediately and I was standing confused and not fully understanding until realised they film him walking, that he wasn’t planning to sing in the audience and that he only wanted to do a walk for the camera. I realised I wasn’t careful enough, that I might be blocking the camera’s way, and for the rest of the song I tried not to even breathe not to disturb anyone but was soon again blown away by the fantastic performance and so was the rest of the audience. There was a lovely small gig vibe and very good energy in the audience.

There was obviously extra effort made for the show simply because it wasn’t just for that moment, everything was recorded for a big radio audience and I could hear that in the performing and see it in many details and also feel it in the atmosphere and in the way Mika made everyone included: people in the back area, people on the side, people in front and even those who were outside the venue listening the show at the beach. During C’est la vie he asked a small boy to sing with him on stage and I was full of admiration when I watched this brave little boy who was so cute and so smart and so polite at the same time. During C’est la vie the audience was already on fire and after that we heard more high energy songs like Grace Kelly, Bougez, Love Today, We Are Golden and even Elle Me Dit in the end. No Apocalypse Calypso even though I saw it on the setlist. It probably wouldn’t have felt totally appropriate in that situation, a little kid ons stage just a moment before and reading the crowd it was good to end the gig with big energy. 

The whole setting had an impact on me, it was a lovely day and experience in every possible way from the beginning to the end, but I was also more impressed by the gig itself than I’ve been for a while. Not sure if it was Mika’s performing because he did a fantastic, very considered performance or if it was the way he created such relaxed energy with the crowd that wasn’t his usual crowd at all or if it was his professional attitude that I could see in every gesture. I know very well how professional Mika is, I’ve watched him doing television for years, at gigs I just tend to forget that side and focus on the music and the energy and having fun. In these circumstances I had to pay attention and it was very impressive. To summarise, a stunningly beautiful and more than an appropriate way to open the summer season. Some snapshots below.