Hi.
Last Tuesday I experienced a night to remember. A very good friend of mine and I went to our local theatre to see a fantastic ABBA tribute band. It was inevitable that we would go together since we both have the same passion for their music and thoroughly enjoy singing their songs whenever we get the chance.
Now why ABBA you may ask yourself, since I am a teenage girl that wasn't even alive when they were performing? It's mainly because I was brought up to their songs: mum used to listen to them lots while I was growing up and I guess it's caught on. So now I really enjoy listening to them, and I do believe that many hits from the 80s are far better than some of the tunes produced today. I also rather like replying with 'ah, the good ol' days' when they said 'let's take you back to the late 70s', during the performance!
Since it's not every day that I get to embrace my inner ABBA, I thought I'd better put a little extra effort into my outfit for the night. I haven't quite indulged in purchasing some white knee high boots (YET... I will get to one day!) but I did find a top that was understated but a perfect fit for the occasion, featuring the iconic bell sleeves. The band wore their replica costumes, giving a genuine and realistic feel to the evening, as if I were witnessing the original ABBA!
The excellent performers gave so much energy and joy in everything they did throughout the night which truly radiated within us watching- not a single person was not beaming with happiness by the end of the evening. My good friend and I have always seen ourselves a bit like an Agnetha and Anni-Frid, especially since I'm a blonde and she's a brunette. And the confidence and enthusiasm in which the girls performed, felt like the connection between them often mirrored that of our friendship, as she is one of the only people that stuck with me through it all and can make me as happy as those in the show. The others had an equally exceptional part in the performance (obviously can't relate though!), making it such a feel-good evening.
Featuring all of the famous favourites, there were few lyrics that I didn't know. The person next to me actually complimented my singing and knowledge of the words! A couple of the lesser known songs also appeared which were great additions to the mix. Stunning vocals paired with brilliant choreography makes for the closest experience I'll ever get to the real ABBA, and a beautifully authentic event.
Audience participation was brilliant, as we could get involved as much or as little as we wanted. During 'Fernando', we were encouraged to use the flashlights on our phones which was great fun, especially seeing the older audience members producing other variations such as their own little pocket torches! At moments in ‘Mamma Mia’, we could choose to replicate a real ABBA concert, by pointing our fingers in the air and moving them up and down, much like they did back when they were performing. There was also an amazing opportunity to partake in singing 'I Have A Dream' from the crowd but using a microphone; we were gutted to not get noticed as we would have loved to have had a go.
At the end of the spectacle, the band executed the well-known Eurovision winning 'Waterloo', urging the audience to get involved by standing for a sing and dance if they weren't already. There was also a guest appearance from Napoleon himself! Finishing with a snap of them, with us featured behind in the audience, (pictured below) has given us a unique way to remember the experience. It's definitely a must-see if you're an ABBA fan and they're appearing near you. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and will definitely endeavour to see it again when it is local next year.
There are those little moments that we live for. When belting out 'Super Trouper' next to one of my best friends, the seconds that we looked at each other for, with smiles drawn across our faces, remind me why I carry on. It gave me a chance to become someone I'm not, but someone I want to be. It allowed me to find a confidence I never knew I had.
I can't thank the people involved in the show enough for making it all possible- it was utterly amazing.
Thank you for being part of one of the best nights of my life.
Hannah x
