Mika. So exciting, bouncy and new twelve months ago!
But now?
I just wasn't so sure. I hadn't listened to the album in months and I think I only picked up the tickets because they were cheap and the show was at the Apollo, up the road, in a kind of 'why not?' sort of way.
Shall we say, expectations were somewhat low. I wasn't even particularly excited about going.
However, in discussing the show, I am reminded of another hugely camp destination where my enthusiasm levels were bumping along the bottom - Gran Canaria. After all, I thought that was going to be absolutely dreadful and how wrong was I? Very. And so it proved on Monday night.
I've seen quite a few shows at the Apollo but precious few where the staging and general look of the thing was given so much thought. Only Nelly Furtado, in recent memory, has made so much of the space. It was a let down a little by stupid plastic detailing like the fake bunches of flowers tied to every microphone and keyboard, but generally (and you can sort of get an idea of it from the photo above, it was a triumph of strung lighting, wind-blown backdrops, large inflatable fat girls and... real actual fat girls. Someone had actually properly designed it.
The enthusiasm of our hero was pretty difficult to discard too. He bounced around like he was wedged on a pogo stick. Gyrating, running, drumming on old dustbins and throwing his hands in the air. It was infectious! Plus, his songs stood up to live performance and fair zinged. I even found myself enjoying Big girls (you are beautiful), one of my least favourite songs of last year. The sentiment is lovely, of course, but I find it a little patronising, or maybe even calculated ("let's write a song about obese women! they buy CDs too!"). Despite the enjoyment factor, I think I might have avoided that one fat girl doing a sumersault. Her costume withstood the strain. Just.
It was also startling to see children in the crowd. Little children. Loads of them! They were eight and upwards, and it felt a little like I had stumbled into the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. They were all in their star-pattern hoodies and battery-illuminated bunny ears. What was that all about? I guess kids love Mika. To witness them with their Dads was a little strange.
Wait, am I carping? I shouldn't. It was a great show, delivered with aplomb and sparkle. I was still finding bits of tissue paper in my hair and jean pockets yesterday from the glitter cannons. With those, the string section, dancers, backing singers, roadies, inflatables and so on, heaven knows how they made money on the show. Thankfully, that wasn't my worry. Mika's enthusiasm was all-pervasive and his vocal range extraordinary. Gold stars for effort.
But not everyone agreed.
Mika Relax (Take it easy) at Hammersmith, 25.02.08
Everybody screeeeeeeeeeeeeeam now!
And afterwards we all went to the local backroom and sucked too hard on a lollipop!
Posted by: xolondon | February 29, 2008 at 02:52 AM