Voyage Concerts

I also went on a Monday. Lots of couples and quite a few adults with parents and some with older children. Surprised at the number of 70 plus. There may be a bit of a stereotype about the popularity of ABBA amongst gay people - or the simple fact the LGB population is just under 3% in the UK. ABBA concert goers and CD buyers more diverse than say ABBA forums. Propirtionately more women and greater age span at the shows than in forums.

Yeah the cartoons are not great. Maybe get away with one. But two?

Being to Fan Only shows will I imagine be totally different from regular shows with casual fans.

Nobody here is asking for 100% Greatest Hits, I am certainly not. I love The Visitors, SNC and ISHFIY in the show. Hole in Your Soul is pretty good too.

I just feel there are 3 tracks in a row - VV(cartoon) and WAISAD, DSMD (lesser known) that don't work.

If you've only been to fan nights or haven't actually seen the show you won't get it. It's a bit odd also to arguing about keeping the setlist but at sane time, like Alan, you won't go again until it is changed.

You could just add 2 or 3 big hits - without dropping any. Another 8 to 12 minutes or so in the show wouldn't be too much.

The section I talked about VV/WAISAD/DSMD needs popular songs in the mix to break up the excruciating monotony - and stop people using it as unofficial toilet break, with all that disruption.

I guess everyone will have a different view. One person's excruciating monotony will be another's emotional highlight. Everyone's review will be personal to them - likewise, their dream setlist. When I go to a concert by any act, I fully expect there to be songs I'm unfamiliar with - songs dear to the acts' more devoted fans. There've been occasions where I've come away with something new to obsess about. That's happened to me over the years with artists like Prince, Depeche Mode, U2, Dolly Parton, Royksopp, Elton John and Kylie Minogue. There are others, too. Those are the moments in a show where the die-hards are singing along and you cool your heels a bit, absorbing the unfamiliar. True, some of those moments can be more challenging than others and, those songs often tend to come in little sets - but that's how concerts are, I think. *shrug* Boiling point from intro to encore seems a little unrealistic. But each ticket buyer is entitled to their own feelings about what they've seen or hoped to see, so fill yer boots.

I've been on discussion forums for other acts over the years and never once found universal approval for a tour setlist. There was always some fan favourite missing in action; always some overplayed chart hit included to please the broader public, that made the diehards roll their eyes. It's proof that we're individuals and not robots. Likewise that LGBTQ+ people are not some monolithic coterie with a limited range of stererotypical cultural reference points. Still, while 3.1% of the population might be the official statistic, we queer types often blend in unnoticed, so who knows how many of us you might have been rubbing shoulders with? Brenda from Cleethorpes in the dull twinset swaying gently beside you could be a fantastic trans woman enjoying a blissful night off from campaigning for rights. Dadbod Derek with the Ken Barlow jumper could be an off-duty leather daddy, dragged to the show by his drag queen boyfie in civvies.   Let's hope so! As page 28 of the The Gay Agenda says: "3% is not enough: recruit!" #JokeInnit

I'm going in December and look forward to the setlist as is. Personally, I'd love the show to contain more songs. MMM, ST and TACOM seem like no-brainer additions. The frustrating thing is how difficult the technology makes it to alter the setlist. With the songs seemingly tied to costumes and, as such, to "suites" of other songs, a completely rejigged running order looks impossible right now. As wary as I am about the whole AI phenomenon, I'd do a gleeful l'il air punch if it allowed for the extension of the show and the inclusion of some of my more personal favourites.

I for one loved the inclusion and performance of WAISAD. I didn't find it lacklustre at all but one of the highlights.

Bobby's Brother posted an interesting view of the animated films and the set list.

 I went to my 3rd Voyage concert 2 weeks ago (review is on other thread) . Like 'Johnny' has said it wouldn't do the show any harm by adding in a couple of extra songs like TACOM and ST hence increasing the show length. I noticed most of the songs got a good audience reaction with ISHFIY the better out of the 2 new ones. I personally wouldn't change that much maybe replace HIYS, make VV an abbatar performance and give the band another song instead of DYMK to sing.

Stefan makes points about 3 unfamiliar songs in a row and his perception of not many gay people at the concert. No comments. I pick up on these get responses...

Perhaps the unfamiliar songs in a row will be an unofficial toilet break for the leather and jumper crowd. I'll need a release from the excruitiating monotonous trio of songs. I might try my hand at something new..."It's only Gay if you sound like Alan Carr" (Lads and Dads page 4)

I'm not sure a lack of continuity in the costumes matter that much. It's (Spolier Alert) not a real performance, by the way. There would be a lof of people, too busy making out on the dance floor to notice. For someone who hasn't been yet Evilincarnate knows exactly what goes on. It must be viral on the internet.

Its great to hear all different opinions here.
I really would like to be able to listen and watch the show again several times to really be able to reflect upon all the aspects concerning the vocals, the clothes, the performance and my own reactions for each song. Escpecially with WAISAD as it is the song with the most different version. And as i wrote it is one of my favourite songs. As can understand that it fits with the new songs since its the grown up ABBA and i guess also ST would fit weill with the new songs. 
I wonder why they choose not to perform ST and MMM or TACOM. Maybe because they all could be seen as very repetitive and not so engaging to perform.
I just noticed that Mamma Mia was not performed at either 1977 or 1979 tour even though it was one of their greatest hits. Now i guess they put it in the show because of its fame from the Mamma mia movie. Still i think it is a masterpiece song.
Also I see no problem in having up to 25 songs in the show since they hade 24 on their tours.
I also think that for the real tours they choose not to perform songs that was hard to perform vocally. I guess TWTIA would have been a challenge. Also I remember they tried to do OMOW for one or two concert but took it away. Seems lika a hard song to do live.
About the vocals i didnt manage to find out if the vocals you hear during the voyage performance is only the leads by Frida and Agnetha or the harmonizing by the group but does it also include all the overdubs that they are so famous for. Or is it the singers in the band that are doing that work.
As i wrote before it really sounds ABBA so i cant find out how much you really hear the members of the band and if their are overdubs from ABBa themselves.

Stefan, I also think they could add a few songs to the setlist without it being overlong.

Mamma Mia was sung at the 1977 tour but not 1979. I guess for 1979 they also wanted songs from Voulez Vous and As Good as New was a bit Mamma Mia-ish.


The Winner Takes it All was to early of course for the 1979 tour. Or Japan 1980. In the Dick Cavett they performed 9 songs so that meant excluding many big hits.

They already had a break up song with Knowing Me Knowing You and Agnetha singing lead on Slipping Through My Finger which was a brand new song at the time. The Winner Tales it All may have simply just have been another Break Up song or Agnetha ballad.

Interestingly they had SNC in both the 1979 tour - and a brilliant performance and also in the Dick Cavett show and now the Voyage show. But not on Voulez Vous, Gold or either Mamma Mia movie. They clearly like performing that song. I am glad it is getting recognition now.

Just speculating here but perhaps because ABBA don't think SNC is one of their best it gives them more freedom to be more adventerous - as the case in both 1979 and now with Voyage.

BAAB, in England and Wales about 3% say they are LGB. However, 7% don't state their sexuality. I would imagine the real figure is higher but still under 10%. I'd imagine youg people far more likely to say they are LGB

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/06/england-and-wales-census-counts-trans-and-non-binary-people-for-first-time



I posted on here sometime ago a report that showed a little under 30% of the tickets for Voyage were outside the UK. Of course it's not just Brits. Fortunately ABBA fans in Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and Ireland don't have too far too go. I am not persuaded the show will go to Australia. When ticket sales were 300k the percentage from outside the UK was 28%.

www.theticketingbusiness.com/2021/11/23/more-than-a-quarter-of-ticket-sales-for-abba-voyage-from-outside-the-uk/


Maybe there won't be a change in the setlist especially if it's a sell out and people are spending a lot of money. That's not to say we can't have little discissions about making a great show perfect. 😃

One of Us was a big hit in the UK. Although not a #1 in sold over half a million copies here. It would go down well, I think. A singalong ballad. I prefer this to other Agnetha 80s leads ie TWTIA from the previous year and TDBYC from the following year.

Who is knocking TWTIA? Not me, preferring OOU is not the same as knocking TWTIA. I appreciated the audience reaction to the song. OOU probably would have got a slightly better reception than DSMD, if only because it is better well known, appearing on GOLD and Mamma Mia Here We Go Again. But I doubt as good a reception as TWTIA or other big hits.

richard ,yes, it would be interesting in back in 1979 if there would have been such a discussion about the set list. I suspect not. I think during their original career people would have expected a tour to contain from their current album. There are two songs from Voyage album (and I hate both the album and show have the same name) but I guess most people would want it to be more a Greatest Hits show.

Song preferences aside, what songs visually looked better?

I'd say, SOS, Summer Night City, LAYLOM, KMKY and TWTIA. You can see why the promotions featured SOS and SNC with ABBA in the Tron suits for the latter. ISHFIY looked pretty good too.

The ones that didn't work so well, Eagle and Voulez Vous because they were cartoons. WAISAD and DSMD were a bit dull. And Waterloo was only old footage. The screen over the screen didn't work and especially for Thank you for the Music where the ABBAtars were on the first screen but you could see through to a second screen.

 I like OOU, its an easy listen think it could only replace one of the Voyage songs, can't see where else it would fit in. When I went a few weeks back I got chatting with some ladies from Australia who said the show might be coming down under. If that were to happen plus say in USA and the songs were different to London, I would feel a bit miffed unless their plan is to change things around at same time with any possible voyage expansion.

It seems the plans to go to Australia get real:

As I've mentioned before, I think that nowadays - indeed for very long time - DQ and TWTIA have been generally regarded as ABBA's two most iconic songs; and I can easily understand that TWTIA has been wonderfully received at the Voyage show. So no way would I dare to suggest that OOU should replace TWTIA!

However, I might as well admit to at least 'knocking' the lyrics of TWTIA. Comparing a relationship break-up and divorce to a card game, I find inappropriate and unconvincing, and they don't do anything for me at all. Musically and lyrically, I enjoy listening to OOU far more. 

Just my personal taste, of course. And I'm sure most would beg to differ big-time!

It's available since 26th May - they were sold before the 1st anniversary concert for the first time. There are five different versions - the one shown here plus four featuring individual Avatars on the cover.