Mika puts audience in a trance at Terminal 5

[dcdeb]

I'm guessing Mika is going to need to put on major shows to get major coverage, but don't daily newspapers give reviews of most shows that go on in town?

 

 

They do sometimes, but not always. I saw a review from the Boston

Globe -- Boston's major daily -- but nothing in either the Chicago

Sun-Times or the Chicago Tribune, both fairly major papers.

 

When Mika came to DC, the Washington Post did have a little write-up

about the show. It was, IYR, rather hard to interpret what the writer

thought -- not overwhelmingly favorable, but not totally negative. But

I haven't seen anything in the New York Times yet for the Terminal5

show. And even though it wasn't a stadium show, still... 4000 people,

sold out venue, one of the top-selling artists in the world in 2007 --

that ought to be worthy of something, even a brief review, I should think.

I don't get it.

 

OK, that does it!

 

I volunteer my services as MIKA's new US publicist

 

dcdeb

[Gatagordinha]

Not to be a downer, but we need to put this in perspective --

this is just a student newspaper from a small university in a town in Connecticut (....) What Mika really needs is major coverage of the show in the big US papers and magazines and that's not happening here yet, either. Yet.

 

dcdeb

 

Right, well thanks for pointing that out, because I suppose it does matter. I would hope that the good reviews could 'filter up' though. And grass roots good reviews are always important. But I do get what you are saying.

 

I think the North American press is just generally more objective or at least positive. (...) Brits have a mean streak that just isn't acceptable in Canada.

 

(...)

 

Everything about Mika's music and performances is not perfect so he is open to legitimate criticism. But anyone who goes off and writes a snarky Mika-is-crap review after that is not being honest with themselves and is doing a disservice to their readers.

 

You are spot on about the mean streak. It shows that you have spent time in Britain Christine!

 

I have to agree that Mika is not perfect and sometimes the criticism he gets for certain things is valid. It's just that over here, reviews always seem to focus on the negatives, rather than the positives! In the Canadian/US reviews I see just the opposite. The way I see it, if an audience is sent home deliriously happy from a gig then the reviewer should put his/her personal opinions aside and justify to the reader WHY this was so. This doesn't always happen over here. Many journalists just have their own agenda and let their subjective opinion of Mika colour their reviews. It shouldn't happen, but I don't suppose there is a lot anyone can do, it's a culture thing.

 

So yes, I totally agree with you.

[Serendipity66]

Not to be a downer, but we need to put this in perspective --

this is just a student newspaper from a small university

in a town in Connecticut,

not the New York Times or some big, prestigious publication.

I guess what I'm saying is -- it's a great review, and I'm glad

it's positive, but not many people are going to be influenced

by this. And to me, it's seemed like many of the positive reviews

we've seen from these US dates have been the same -- either

from small papers or personal blogs.

 

What Mika really needs is major coverage of the show

in the big US papers

and magazines and that's not happening here yet, either. Yet.

 

dcdeb

 

I agree and last night I got to wondering why MIka is touring the States right now anyway. Do any of you smart people know the reason?

 

He is definitely not making much money (if any) on the smaller venues. At the Electric Factory Philly, the tickets were only $23, the night earlier, Lenny Kravitz tickets were going for about $45.

 

And the shows seem to be pulling in people who are already fans--hence, the stomping and screaming and swooning before the set even starts. So they already have his CD.

 

He is not doing any media publicity that i see-radio, TV-- so not many people who don't know him are going to venture out to see someone they don't know--I mean especially in the freezing-ass winter.

 

In short, I don;t see him being exposed to a wider audience or making any money, so why did his managment arrange this tour anyway?

 

Believe me, I am happy they did as I had one of the experiences of a lifetime. But I don;t get the reasoning

[Christine]

And even though it wasn't a stadium show, still... 4000 people, sold out venue, one of the top-selling artists in the world in 2007 -- that ought to be worthy of something, even a brief review, I should think.

I don't get it.

 

I like the fact that Mika isn't getting so much hype here and isn't seeing the crazy meteoric rise he had in Europe. 2007 was an exciting year but if Mika is going to spend the next 20 years playing stadiums and arenas and sweeping Brit Awards, what is really left to look forward to in terms of achieving success? In another year it will be a case of been there/done that, the roller coaster ride will be over and Mika will become a distant star to his fans.

 

North Americans are getting a chance to savour it all a bit longer. He's still got mountains to climb here and we can enjoy everything that goes along with that - from easier access to him to the thrill of watching him succeed.

 

I think the slow build is going to see him recognized eventually as a serious singer/songerwriter talent and not an overhyped British novelty who came out of nowhere and will disappear just as quickly.

[Christine]

In short, I don;t see him being exposed to a wider audience or making any money, so why did his managment arrange this tour anyway?

 

I think they sort of missed the boat on the timing and the tour was postponed because of Mika's chronic health issues in the summer.

 

I do think the tour is valuable though because so many of his North American fans had never seen him before. As many of us know, listening to Mika's CD and seeing him live are two totally different experiences and I think between word of mouth and the internet he's going to see his audiences double again the next time around.

 

If Mika releases a new album and does a media blitz prior to playing several dates in North America approaching 5,000-10,000 people hopefully he'll start getting real attention. I mean, he is a top 40 pop artist for heaven's sake, it's not like he's into some weird experimental stuff that only appeals to a small fringe audience.

[Queenie]

Thanks for posting, Gre!!

[backflip_76]

OK, that does it!

 

I volunteer my services as MIKA's new US publicist

 

dcdeb

 

Haha yes, do it Deb! You would be PERFECT for the job!

[dcdeb]

Right, well thanks for pointing that out, because I suppose it does matter. I would hope that the good reviews could 'filter up' though. And grass roots good reviews are always important. But I do get what you are saying.

 

Well, you're right too -- in that grassroots support and word of mouth are

instrumental in launching a career. As an author, I've found that there's

amazing power in even a minor mention in a small blog... so yes, these

are still very good, positive reviews.

 

I agree and last night I got to wondering why MIka is touring the States right now anyway. Do any of you smart people know the reason?

 

LOL! OK, first of all let me just say that I saw your avatar, not your

name, and thought this post was from Yoppappop, and I was like

Is this possible? I see my mistake now, sorry Serendipity.

 

Secondly, you have some good points, but I do think, as Christine says

later on here, that this tour was meant to happen sooner, and it

was necessary to solidify the support that already exists. Definitely

not about making money... yet.

 

I think the slow build is going to see him recognized eventually as a serious singer/songerwriter talent and not an overhyped British novelty who came out of nowhere and will disappear just as quickly.

 

Yes, I think you are 100 percent correct and as usual you

make some very good points. The slow-build here especially

allows him time to grow and establish himself, and will

lend him a lot more credibility in the end. I totally agree.

 

And I'm ambivalent. I know I say I want

Mika to succeed in the US because I want to be able to SEE him

here in the US. I want to be able to buy his albums without having

to buy them as "imports," which could happen if he never really

conquers the US market. But obviously, the more successful

he becomes here in the US, the less he will be "our Mika." He'll

be on the road to Elton John-dom or Prince-dom and things

will be very very different.

 

So while I'm indignant that the US hasn't really embraced him the

way the rest of most of the world has (Why can't they see how

amazing he is???), inwardly I'm a little bit glad that he's still

sort of "our little secret" and that we can, as you said, "savor"

his career journey a little longer.

 

*sigh*

 

I miss him already.

 

dcdeb

[mariposa]

Awww, that'a great review!!!

 

Hopefully lots of American non-Mika fans will be reading it and get intrested in learning more about Mika!

[HollyD]

WOW - this is the first time I have seen this VERY interesting comments!