On a freezing January evening in Birmingham, Mika turned the HMV Vault into a snug little sanctuary of stories, sound, and that trademark grin that makes you feel like he’s already your mate. Part performance, part TED Talk, part therapy session with a teaspoon of mischief, the 30th of January felt less like a gig and more like Mika inviting a room full of fans into his wild, wonderful brain.
Radio 1’s Maia Beth kicked things off, setting the tone like your cool big sister at a house party, before Mika beamed his way in, apologising for his late arrival like a man who’d just survived a chaotic rom-com train montage. “I had to run here,” he laughed, still catching his breath. And just like that, we were off. This wasn’t your average in-store promo stop. Mika was here to break down the songs, literally. With an armchair he had to drag closer (“I’m gonna have to move my chair, this is intimate, after all”), and a glint of chaos in his eye.
Commencing the event he described the process of creating Modern Times with the usual Mika flourish, chaotic, layered, and strangely divine. “At a certain point I still think, okay, this is my hero moment and I feel like I’m the guy that’s running in Chariots of Fire,” he said, laughing. But it was his guitar playing that really stole the moment. “The truth is, I’m the shittest guitar player you’ve ever heard,” he admitted. “So anything I play has to be one note.” And yes, he played it. One. Single. Glorious. Note. The story tells how two simple notes turned into raving at the organ in a cathedral as the snow fell and Modern Times was born.
After a moment of finding the right vocal key under a wash of dreamy blue light he blends into a performance of Science Fiction Love, a song that was inspired by hallucinations about Egyptian gods.
Next came Excuses for Love, a song that came from just the lyrics. He explains picturing himself singing the song in full tight white trousers walking down the street with friends like the Bee Gees, the crowd giggled at the thought. A song that he claims didn’t need strings or piano, all it needed was a groove which is demonstrated with his accompanying disco dancing.
Oh, tea. Dammit. “Would anyone like a cup of tea?” And just like that, the room gets dragged into a full-blown tea ceremony. No exaggeration: Mika started handing out mugs to fans, kept one for himself, and had a laugh about the “fancy little herb” a fan had brought him, joking it might be spiked.
Then it got even more delightfully unhinged. The very fan who’d supplied the tea confessed, sheepish as anything, that they only drink it with milk… which launched a venue-wide spoon hunt like we were all suddenly contestants on a low-budget game show. Mika clocked one fan still hadn’t taken a sip and teased them about it. They fired back that they were waiting for it to cool down, which only made him more entertained.
With no spoon in sight, someone resorted to stirring with a pen, and there he was, comfortably settled in his makeshift “living room” setup, letting the piano kick in as the pen clinked against the mug in time with Spinning Round.
Then came the number Eleven. He spoke of superstitions, symbolism, and how it led him to what he called “the best lyric ever.” A deadpan chant of “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.” “This,” he said proudly, “just proves there’s no such thing as a shit idea.” And the crowd? Absolutely lapping it up.
The Q&A with Maia returned us to slightly calmer waters, but just slightly. He opened up about how the tiny things are what give him the most pleasure, taking a step back from big productions to focus on intimate sessions and making a record. Clearly proud to have gone back to his roots, sharing with UK fans first out of respect for his first English language album in 7 years. However joking he’ll probably take his record store tour internationally thanks to the volume of hate mail. (A joke, of course. His delivery even makes trolling sound charming.).
When asked what songs he is most looking forward to playing on his upcoming Spinning Out tour much to Maia’s surprise he says hes actually very excited to play Eleven and watch himself hyperventilate. Though the most excitement he has is to bring his visions to life of wearing his tightest white trousers and strutting his stuff performing Excuses for Love. A controversial moment when Mika makes a slip of mentioning, he cheekily admitted to using ChatGPT “for something,” triggering some lighthearted boos. Maia swooped in, quipping, “Only for that, let’s leave the lyrics to creatives like yourself.”
But just when the night felt like it had wrapped, Mika had one more trick. Telling the story of a girl who never got the love she deserved, he built the room up into a full, joyous blast of Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). It wasn’t just nostalgic, it was euphoric. One fan handed over a handmade MIKA chain sign mid-song, now decorated in electric blues and purples. It momentarily derailed the set but Mika melted, matching it perfectly in song: “This is the coolest thing everrrrr!”
A love-in with laughter, lyrics, and tea? Only Mika could make a chilly January night feel like a glowing hug with a side of surprise pop brilliance. One part musical genius, one part unfiltered chaos, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
0 Comments