Mamma Mia, here the ABBA fans go again ...
Tribute show brings back fans who haven’t forgotten the Swedish band
When ABBA: Thank You for the Music hit the stage at IPAC on August 28, it wasn't even the first act paying tribute to the famous Swedish foursome to play in Wollongong in that calendar month.
That honour went to Abbalanche at Centro CBD on August 15, another event proving the enduring success of the international pop sensations.
Formed in 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden, ABBA achieved eight number-one chart performances in the United Kingdom; the song Fernando also hit number one as a single in Australia on its release, and the band sold 380 million copies worldwide.
Their legacy lives on acts such as ABBA: Thank You for the Music, which has been touring around Australia but recently hit the IPAC thanks to Merrigong Theatre Co. It's a well-worn trend that began with Australian act Bjorn Again in the late 1980s.
Their fans are also taking on the legacy by visiting the shows conducted by producer Jeff Carter and performed by Narelle Ryan, Michelle Birmingham and Susie McCann.
Most fans who witnessed the show grew up with the band when the band was performing in their decade-long era.
Wollongong resident Peter Marlos talked about how he watched their performances from the 1980s and has been a long-standing ABBA fan since.
Lydia Repeckyj liked the audience participation; at right, Alexia Marlos said the music was 'timeless'. Photos: Thomas Panayiotou
Dapto resident Lydia Repeckyj explained why the band has stuck with her for a long period of time.
“Everyone knows the music – you can get up and dance, you can get up and mingle with everybody, and it's a big celebration,” Lydia said.
Lydia also said that performances such as the ABBA shows allow for participation, such as dancing and singing, rather than sitting and spectating.
“It brings everyone together, and when you watch it in a theatre, the audience is actually getting involved.
“They’ve been going on for years and years and years, and it's generational; people in their 50s and now it's going on to teens; young kids are finding out all this music, and they're enjoying that. It's been around for so long,” Lydia said.
“There are musicals, there are plays; it's just easy to listen to.”
Figtree resident Alexia Marlos said the music was "timeless" and served as a source of nostalgia from her childhood to the present.
“I’ve listened to it when I was little, and I don’t get sick of hearing it,” Alexia said.
“It was fun when we were kids, my cousins growing up, and now, when I am going for walks, I put ABBA on my headphones, and I listen to it as I am walking.”
Christine Noons with a fellow ABBA fan; at right, Peter Marlos. Photos: Thomas Panayiotou
Figtree resident Christine Noons had life-long fond memories of their music as well, proving ABBA had made a long-sustaining impact on their fans.
“My dad got me into ABBA when he was a fan a long, long time ago, and there was dancing to Dancing Queen with ABBA with my girl friends,” Christine said.
The music hasn’t caught just the generations that experienced ABBA’s reign from 1972 to 1982; it has also influenced newer generations who have caught on to their music.
On what their favourite songs were, one voiced Mamma Mia as their favourite, while others enjoyed all of ABBA’s music equally.
“There are a few; I don't know – probably Mamma Mia for me,” Alexia said.
“There are too many to choose from; I would say Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), Christine said.
“My favourite song? I don’t have a favourite song; I guess all of them,” Peter said.
“Mamma Mia or Fernando, Angel Eyes, Knowing Me, Knowing You, but overall I love it; I love their songs,” Lydia said.
The event itself, ABBA: Thank You For The Music, began at 7:30pm, and the show lasted for two and a half hours, singing and performing classics such as Mamma Mia, Fernando, and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
