Life's a cartoon, at least for Mika

What do lollipops, pop corn, candy floss, clowns and colourful balloons remind you of? Fun fairs? Ocean Park? Birthday parties at McDonald's? Or it could be Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion Party, thrown by British pop artist Mika Penniman, at Kowloon Bay's Hitec on Monday evening.

Born in Lebanon but raised in Paris and London, Mika released his Life in Cartoon Motion album in February. It has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. There was one worrying moment at Monday's free concert - Mika's first time in Hong Kong - when Michael Choi, the Korean bassist, said to a technician: 'I think the battery is dead'. But the problem was solved and the party went on.

Mika, in shocking green pants and silver trainers, gave a promising concert, taking the stage with his hit single, Relax, Take it Easy, and then Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). The inspiration for the latter song, he said, was when he 'saw 15 big women walking into a bar feeling like queens'.

At the end, Mika joined his three band-mates, dressed in mascot's outfits, in throwing sweets to the audience.