Live Review: MIKA – 9th July 2024 – Kew The Music, London, UK
3 min read
Singer, pianist, Eurovision host, model, presenter and all round loveable queer entertainer Mika made a very welcomed return to London last night as the remarkably tall musician was the latest to headline this year’s outdoor series, Kew The Music.
“I have one responsibility, after you’ve spent so many hours in the rain, to raise the temperature”, Mika told his audience early into last night’s colourful set following bouncy performances of the quirky and camp Ice Cream and catchy Origin of Love as part of the singers Club Apocalypso tour stop.
Dressed sharply in a marijuana leaf printed suit, the singer told the crowd, “If we’re in a botanical garden, surrounded by plants, you might as well wear them too,” drawing attention to his attire and getting a big cheer from fans that either crammed as close to the outdoor stage as possible, or sat on dampened picnic blankets in the general admission area of the garden space.
Career staples Lollipop, with its slightly risqué lyrics and equally risqué images of giant lips swallowing bananas on the big screen, and Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) were early highlights in the musicians set; the latter seeing the star swap suits for a purple and yellow number before delivering a pitch perfect rendition of the motivational and self-loving hit as he stepped into the crowd and danced his way to the back of the main standing section while fans all around scrambled to record the energetic moment from the eccentric performer.
A downtempo performance of Underwater gave the audience to try out their singing chops and provide a backing to Mika’s swaying vocals on the cinematic ballad before personal favourite Relax (Take It Easy) turned the park into a flamboyant and vibrantly colourful club with its catchy melody and thumping rhythm.
“When you’re sad, you should dance to happy music.” Mika told the crowd and happy music was exactly what the superstar filled his set with the slow but optimistic Happy Ending, showing off the singers seasoned falsetto after offering up a stellar version of signature hit, Grace Kelly and closing the set with a punchy encore of the bouncy Love Today.
Last nights show was not just one from a pop star. Mika showed off his skills as a top tier entertainer that boasts positivity and optimism. Even under the grey London skies and frequent passing planes overhead, he finds an anecdote that both inspires and ignites joy in his listeners and those in attendance at last night’s incredible Kew The Music spectacle which he turned into a real-life Butterfly Lounge where everyone could be themselves.
Setlist:
Ice Cream
Origin of Love
Lollipop
Stuck in the Middle
Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Underwater
Relax (Take It Easy)
Good Guys
Popular Song
Billy Brown
Elle me dit
Grace Kelly
Happy Ending
Encore:
Love Today
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
