Mika: A Golden Return To Manchester

Can it really be twelve years since Mika last graced the stage at the Manchester Apollo? The pop icon made up for lost time on a show that was a visual and musical feast as he arrived back in the north as part of his current Apocalypse Calypso tour, making you wonder why it took him so long to make a return visit.

The Lebanese-born star rose to fame when his introductory hit Grace Kelly became a worldwide hit in 2007. While his fortunes waned slightly in Britain, his career became even more successful in the rest of Europe, most notably France, where the current tour has been playing arena-sized venues.

Arriving on stage in a bright red suit, the costume changes were numerous, the interaction with his fans instantaneous, and the songs a masterclass in pop perfection. His energy levels never appeared to drop in a two-hour show that seemed to pass by far too quickly.

With a natural stage presence and a good rapport with his fans, this was a party where Mika was the perfect host. Lollipop was accompanied by a cartoon on the huge video screen at the rear of the stage, though it was not long before he was in the throng of the audience as he joined the fans for a resounding version of Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) before continuing the revelling with the fans upstairs in the circle.

There are few occasions where a song is performed entirely in French on the Apollo stage. Dedicating Elle me dit (She Tells Me) to his late mother and sharing stories of how she used to attend his concerts was an emotional moment on an otherwise uplifting night.

A custom-made grand piano was wheeled on stage, which came as a surprise; a Pride-inspired rainbow magically rose out of the piano at the end of a momentous version of Grace Kelly, a track that has aged well along with the other euro-pop numbers in Mika’s repertoire.

“You were extraordinary tonight,” he affirmed at the end of the closing number, We Are Golden, as he stood centre stage, visibly moved by the warm welcome from the sold-out audience. A golden performance that had been worth the twelve-year wait.