Mika at Kew the Music

A ticket for one of Mika’s concerts is a ticket for a guaranteed flamboyant party. The Club Apocalypso tour, two months of summer shows in countries such as France, Greece and so on, stops as well in London, at Kew Gardens, an area around where the artist grew up. There are various anecdotes that the singer scatters throughout the playlist, linked to long days in the park and first recordings in a makeshift studio recovered from a garage. The mood is always kept high: nostalgic moments and reflective thoughts out loud pepper an irresistible flow of vitality and enthusiasm.

In the words of Mika, remembering a piece of advice from his mother: “When you’re sad, you should dance to happy music.” And well in line with this mantra, the gig is the perfect antidote for the wintry July days. The rain seems to stop just in time for the bombastic opening of Ice Cream, with the crowd immediately joining in shaking off and raising hands at the rhythm of the band. Origin of Love introduces strong pumping drums and outlandish energy delivered by Mika, while Dalí-esque funky animations run in the background. The party fully rocks in with Lollipop. And while the singer quickly runs backstage for the first of several sparkling and vibrant outfit changes, Queen Big presents the butterfly lounge: Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) is a joyous hymn, an extravaganza of movements and release. For this one, Mika doesn’t simply get down from the stage, he makes a deep dive and spends over half of the song dancing among his fans, even reaching the first rows of the picnic area of the field.

The tone changes with Underwater, a number in appearance less extravagant, slower, but that resonates with verve. In addition to the enviable bouncy spirit and stamina, Mika masters an incredible vocal virtuosity, famously marked by sustained and varied falsetto. His performance of almost two hours doesn’t dwindle for one single moment; his engaging spoken entertainment, active presence and engagement with concertgoers make his live shows unmissable events.

Advancing through Billy Brown and Elle Me Dit, strongly connected to and reminiscent of relevant characters in the life of the artist, the last part of the set is a trio of powerful pop hits: rainbow-themed Grace Kelly, which causes the terrain to tremble beneath the feet of the audience from the jumping, Happy Ending, likely the most melancholic and at the same time the most potent in its long, high-pitched lines, and Love Today.

There’s no forced positivism or cloying sentimentality: cheerfulness, fun and irresistible bangers are all that are needed for an insanely enjoyable evening.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Mika’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Lollipop here: