Saturday, February 24, 2007

Mika / Leon Jean Marie Birmingham Barfly Friday 23rd February 2007


I've not been to a full on sold out gig for a while. This was. It was all a bit strange, in particular the audience, one of the oddest crowds I've ever seen at a gig. It's clear that Mika has done that rare thing and become a hit with everyone from grannies to gay young things - a bit like Scissor Sisters did. For once I actually felt quite young...anyway, enough of my musings on audiences, that's got me into trouble on more than one occasion.

Leon Jean-Marie was the support and delivered a slew of funky, Brit soul tracks with a healthy dose of Beck thrown in for good measure. Scratch (out on March 12th fact fans...I know 'cos I'm looking at a sticker thrust into my hands by an enthusiastic 'street team' type person) was probably the highlight, but the whole set went down well with the crowd. He's being pitched as a kind of Prince for the next generation (as opposed to the new power generation...that's a whole different raspberry beret) and I'd agree that he's a lighter version of his purpleness. I quite enjoyed it all, don't see as much 'urban' music as I should really, but then (to my knowledge)there's not a huge amount on locally.

Mika. Some love him, some hate him. Personally I see him as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Like rum truffles or Weston's Old Rosie. It was a slick old show for sure. Pretty much note perfect, bags of energy, a winning smile...audience clap alongs (even though a few of them needed oxygen and a quick rub down with sponge afterwards). The songs are all as instantly hummable as swarm of bees on the lash and, after five or six weeks at number one, he's set to be the most successful artist of 2007. By a mile. He played one slower number during the set which perhaps hints at more torch song sort of future but, for now, he is the new king of Disco Pop, Freddie Mika-ry if you will (now I thought that was quite clever...). He's down to play Glasto this year and I can think of few things quite as lovely as watching the sun set over the Pyramid Stage with a pint of red wine whilst listening to Love Today. Like I say...guilty pleasures...
P.S: Before anybody points it out the photo wasn't taken last night it was nicked from the web...my mighty 3 megapixel camera just couldn't hack it...all I got were shots of some birds head.

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