So, I tossed around the idea of writing this review all weekend. Hell yeah, we headed down to see the legendary Mika, and had an excellent time. But the gig was just him and a DJ as a support, and he’s certainly not what we usually cover here at Overtone. However, he absolutely smashed it, so we felt it was only fair to give him the praise he deserves. We did Dadi Freya last year too, so it makes sense to cover this too! And it’s not like it’ll be a long one, anyway!
As we said, his opener was a DJ. I’m sure she was great at what she does, but it wasn’t for me and the crowd overall weren’t really into it. She was barely advertised anywhere though, so that may not have helped. Sorry no-speaking, no-named DJ, but we shall move swiftly on.
As I said before, MIKA absolutely killed it. I was expecting it to be good as I’ve seen live videos of him still sounding on point. However, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, honestly. Right from the opening notes from him and his incredible band, they took the packed out crowd on a journey through his extensive, impressive back catalogue. It’s easy to forget just how many massive hits the man has, too. From ‘Lolipop’ and ‘Grace Kelly’ to ‘Big Girl’ and ‘Happy Ending’ to set closer ‘We are Golden’ and the oft overlooked ‘Underwater’, the setlist was PACKED to the brim of incredible songs.
And, to top it all off, MIKA is an incredible showman. He held the packed crowd in the palm of his hand from the moment he walked on stage until the very final note. Whether it was getting them all to sing along, telling stories between and even during songs, or even walking through the crowd and up to the balcony during ‘Big Girl’, the man is nothing if not a showman. I know he plays pop music, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t a rockstar.
A quick shout out to the venue, too. Originally Civic halls before it got a Covid-era referb, it is still in pretty amazing condition, the upkeep being of clear importance. The sound was amazing, it’s massive and easy to get into, and my only ever so slight gripe was the slowness of the bar-staff. But still, props to the venue!
Honestly, though this page is primarily a rock-centric audience, I’d recommend MIKA to anyone. It’s high energy, catchy pop-rock that is sure to keep a smile on your face throughout. A lot of it has a great message and is performed to the highest of standards. His vocals live are just as breathtaking as on track, and his performance is phenomenal. We have a lot of gigs and festivals lined up for the rest of the year, but this is truly going to be hard to top!