Music
Mika @ Birmingham Barfly, February 23
Published Sunday, Feb 25 2007, 18:02 GMT | By Miriam Zendle
Mika, Mika, Mika. Since our early interview with Mr Penniman back in October 2006, before anyone really knew who he was, what he did or what his surname was, the Londoner's star has definitely shot high into the ascendent. Not content with scoring number one with 'Grace Kelly' a week before its physical release, he also managed to do the same with album Life In Cartoon Motion, and whilst his previous batch of gigs boasted no more than a smattering of onlookers at the non-London evenings, every date on his current tour sold out pretty quickly, including the Birmingham Barfly.
The Barfly itself is an intriguing venue. Not too big and not to small, it's proportioned just right to allow a feeling of intimacy without the tight feeling a tiny venue can produce if the atmosphere isn't judged correctly. Support act and Extremely Gorgeous Bloke Leon Jean Marie provided an upbeat and truly enjoyable preface to Mika's set, his funky, punchy vocal style getting the audience dancing and grooving before he retired backstage after only a few songs. Everyone was ready to watch the main attraction, but it was only forty five minutes later that a restive and slightly grumpy crowd got what they'd come for, when Mika plus band finally appeared on stage.
It's clear that the Londoner has gained a huge amount of support since his last Birmingham gig, held at the teeny tiny Academy 2 in front of no more than a couple of dozen onlookers, as this time round every corner was packed out with new fans. The rapturous support he received throughout the gig attested to this - every song was greeted with huge applause and cheering, although the prevalence of a much wider fanbase was clear during 'Over My Shoulder', a number that when performed to dead quiet, as happened at early gigs, is utterly electrifying, but fell rather flat due to the chatter that provided an unwelcome undercurrent for the song.
Although his set is still overly short - forty five minutes long - due to a lack of material and his unexpected ascension into the top of the charts, every minute was made worthwhile thanks to Mika's boundless energy and fantastically spot on vocals. We could all only hope for the range he manages to produce so effortlessly! His band were, as ever, on top form, with guitar player Martin providing particularly effective backing vocals, his duet with Mika on 'Over My Shoulder' showing that he himself could likely cut it as a solo artist if he so chose.
Mika's music is very much a love it or hate it kind of thing. His throbbing, luscious pop stylings aren't for everyone, but he's been lucky enough to garner a large fanbase in a very short time frame, and his excitement and joy at the success this is bringing him is clearly evident at his gigs, which allow him to show that he can truly replicate live what most would imagine to be studio-tweaked vocals. The only way for Mika is up, based on this performance.
The Barfly itself is an intriguing venue. Not too big and not to small, it's proportioned just right to allow a feeling of intimacy without the tight feeling a tiny venue can produce if the atmosphere isn't judged correctly. Support act and Extremely Gorgeous Bloke Leon Jean Marie provided an upbeat and truly enjoyable preface to Mika's set, his funky, punchy vocal style getting the audience dancing and grooving before he retired backstage after only a few songs. Everyone was ready to watch the main attraction, but it was only forty five minutes later that a restive and slightly grumpy crowd got what they'd come for, when Mika plus band finally appeared on stage.
It's clear that the Londoner has gained a huge amount of support since his last Birmingham gig, held at the teeny tiny Academy 2 in front of no more than a couple of dozen onlookers, as this time round every corner was packed out with new fans. The rapturous support he received throughout the gig attested to this - every song was greeted with huge applause and cheering, although the prevalence of a much wider fanbase was clear during 'Over My Shoulder', a number that when performed to dead quiet, as happened at early gigs, is utterly electrifying, but fell rather flat due to the chatter that provided an unwelcome undercurrent for the song.
Although his set is still overly short - forty five minutes long - due to a lack of material and his unexpected ascension into the top of the charts, every minute was made worthwhile thanks to Mika's boundless energy and fantastically spot on vocals. We could all only hope for the range he manages to produce so effortlessly! His band were, as ever, on top form, with guitar player Martin providing particularly effective backing vocals, his duet with Mika on 'Over My Shoulder' showing that he himself could likely cut it as a solo artist if he so chose.
Mika's music is very much a love it or hate it kind of thing. His throbbing, luscious pop stylings aren't for everyone, but he's been lucky enough to garner a large fanbase in a very short time frame, and his excitement and joy at the success this is bringing him is clearly evident at his gigs, which allow him to show that he can truly replicate live what most would imagine to be studio-tweaked vocals. The only way for Mika is up, based on this performance.
