Music
Mika @ Dingwalls, November 21
Published Thursday, Nov 23 2006, 15:29 GMT | By Miriam Zendle
You may not have heard of Mika before, but trust me when I say you would travel for this man. Although his denigrators have called him derivative, those who have seen him perform live will be able to attest to his skill with a piano and a microphone, and since pretty much every artist I know will have used an influence of theirs in their music at some point, it's a bit of a pointless criticism.
23-year-old Mika has yet to 'properly' release a single, though he has just put out digital EP Dodgy Holiday, which is available on iTunes, and previously has sent 500 vinyl copies of Scissor Sisters-esque dance track 'Relax' into the world. It's not surprising that his regional gigs thus range from 80% capacity to 20 people stood around the walls of a small venue, tapping their toes nervously. However, as with many artists, Mika's main fan base seems to be in London - at least, it's the easiest to travel to for many fans, and Dingwalls, a small-to-medium venue in the heart of Camden Town, was totally and utterly packed out for this gig.
Mika's band form an integral part of his performance, and it's clear the group are very close - no doubt helped by long hours spent on a tour bus heading up and down the country in search of fans. Guitar player Marti duets with Mika on most of the tracks, utilising his gorgeous falsetto skilfully against Mika's own lilting tones, while drummer Cherise manages to retain huge amounts of energy and keep smiling despite what must be an exhausting set. Finally, keyboard player Luke and bassist Mikey complete the band, and it's hard to imagine a different lineup, even at this early stage - the bond is clearly there and it really, really works.
Every song on the set list was received well by fans who already knew all the words, or had even dressed up as characters from Mika's songs. The set was a bit too short, but as Mikey earlier said: "That's all the songs we have!" If you catch an artist this early on in his career, you can't expect him to have U2's repertoire! Mika's voice was strong, he was clearly relishing being there, and everyone in the audience seemed to feel the same. One high spot came when an anonymous audience member yelled at Marti to sing the famous Proclaimers song. They dutifully did so - but not knowing any of the words, it descended into a shambles that left everyone laughing.
If you can get along to see Mika, you really should. He's fresh, funky and different - and he'll set your toes tapping like no other artist can.
23-year-old Mika has yet to 'properly' release a single, though he has just put out digital EP Dodgy Holiday, which is available on iTunes, and previously has sent 500 vinyl copies of Scissor Sisters-esque dance track 'Relax' into the world. It's not surprising that his regional gigs thus range from 80% capacity to 20 people stood around the walls of a small venue, tapping their toes nervously. However, as with many artists, Mika's main fan base seems to be in London - at least, it's the easiest to travel to for many fans, and Dingwalls, a small-to-medium venue in the heart of Camden Town, was totally and utterly packed out for this gig.
Mika's band form an integral part of his performance, and it's clear the group are very close - no doubt helped by long hours spent on a tour bus heading up and down the country in search of fans. Guitar player Marti duets with Mika on most of the tracks, utilising his gorgeous falsetto skilfully against Mika's own lilting tones, while drummer Cherise manages to retain huge amounts of energy and keep smiling despite what must be an exhausting set. Finally, keyboard player Luke and bassist Mikey complete the band, and it's hard to imagine a different lineup, even at this early stage - the bond is clearly there and it really, really works.
Every song on the set list was received well by fans who already knew all the words, or had even dressed up as characters from Mika's songs. The set was a bit too short, but as Mikey earlier said: "That's all the songs we have!" If you catch an artist this early on in his career, you can't expect him to have U2's repertoire! Mika's voice was strong, he was clearly relishing being there, and everyone in the audience seemed to feel the same. One high spot came when an anonymous audience member yelled at Marti to sing the famous Proclaimers song. They dutifully did so - but not knowing any of the words, it descended into a shambles that left everyone laughing.
If you can get along to see Mika, you really should. He's fresh, funky and different - and he'll set your toes tapping like no other artist can.
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