Two years ago Mika Penniman was working as a waiter at Somerset House. This week he was back in the London entertainment venue, in a very different role. The Beirut-born glam rocker wowed audiences with a spectacular Alice In Wonderland-inspired show as part of the mansion's annual series of summer concerts.
The 23-year-old - whose new single Big Girl is out on July 23 - has drawn comparisons with late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury for his flamboyant style. And he was living up to his reputation at the show - which drew a sell-out audience, including Peaches Geldof and her boyfriend DJ Fred Les - as he took to the stage dressed as the Mad Hatter from the famous Lewis Caroll tale.
Explosions of balloons and confetti rained down on the crowd as Mika boogied his way through songs from his chart topping double platinum album Life In Cartoon Motion. And he wasn't the only one dressing up. The audience was dotted with flapper girls, fairies and cowgirls, while onstage dancers in animal suits jostled for space with the band.
The colourful performance was just the latest high spot in Mika's soaring career. Since making his radio debut in September 2006 the operatically-trained singer has topped both the singles and album charts and is currently in the middle of a run of sell-out concert dates across Europe.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
