Music
Mika @ Ronnie Scott's, Nov 9
Published Thursday, Nov 9 2006, 19:02 GMT | By Miriam Zendle
Bearing in mind I only started doing this job less than a year ago, I'm still in a place where I get excited at the idea of seeing a showcase at the very cool Ronnie Scott's in Soho. Since the artist in question was the fabulous Mika, who Digital Spy recently interviewed, I jumped at the chance to listen to some of his new album tracks in the funky, low-lit atmosphere of this upmarket jazz club.
Mika is startlingly tall. Really, ridiculously tall. He is also immensely slim, with a mass of curls for hair and gorgeous to boot. If this wasn't enough for your viewing pleasure, he does like to move - though Ronnie Scotts' small stage, filled up with guitars and drums and piano, was perhaps not the best place to attempt this. This over-flow of instruments didn't help the band, particularly when trying to change places and instruments for the Beatles-influenced 'Billy Brown.'
The set, which, as it was a showcase, was a bit unfulfilling, still showed off Mika's amazing vocal talents - shared by his guitarist, who managed to falsetto it up rather skilfully. Album tracks like Mika's Dolly Parton-esque ode to fat women, 'Big Girls', went down a storm thanks to their clever lyrical content and fabulous harmonies. The best response, though was for upcoming single 'Grace Kelly', a pop anthem which Mika has said represents his sound more than anything else he's written.
The album isn't released till February 12, but Mika, who recently supported The Feeling, and has done sessions for XFM Scotland amongst many other intriguing promotional gambits, has already created a huge buzz both within the industry and increasingly across the UK. For an artist who was totally unknown a year ago, he's doing bloody well for himself. This is one artist whose hype simply doesn't do him justice.
Mika is startlingly tall. Really, ridiculously tall. He is also immensely slim, with a mass of curls for hair and gorgeous to boot. If this wasn't enough for your viewing pleasure, he does like to move - though Ronnie Scotts' small stage, filled up with guitars and drums and piano, was perhaps not the best place to attempt this. This over-flow of instruments didn't help the band, particularly when trying to change places and instruments for the Beatles-influenced 'Billy Brown.'
The set, which, as it was a showcase, was a bit unfulfilling, still showed off Mika's amazing vocal talents - shared by his guitarist, who managed to falsetto it up rather skilfully. Album tracks like Mika's Dolly Parton-esque ode to fat women, 'Big Girls', went down a storm thanks to their clever lyrical content and fabulous harmonies. The best response, though was for upcoming single 'Grace Kelly', a pop anthem which Mika has said represents his sound more than anything else he's written.
The album isn't released till February 12, but Mika, who recently supported The Feeling, and has done sessions for XFM Scotland amongst many other intriguing promotional gambits, has already created a huge buzz both within the industry and increasingly across the UK. For an artist who was totally unknown a year ago, he's doing bloody well for himself. This is one artist whose hype simply doesn't do him justice.
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