ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2023-24

Agnetha's choice not to attend last night is more of a "business as usual" situation, really. That kind of return to "normality" is pretty good way of getting us to manage our expectations. Can you imagine the speculation about what it might have meant if Agnetha had been there? Sure, it was great that they marked the anniversary but, apart from the gorgeous new book (I want!), there was nothing different about last night. No setlist revisions, no announcements, no new music. All four members of ABBA returned to form.

As for Benny facing any heat for his comments? Nah. This forum represents the tiniest cross-section of fandom. I haven't seen any complaining anywhere else. The average punter would have seen the appearance last night by 75% of ABBA as a treat, I think.

I agree with hometime. I love Agnetha for doing things her way and making her own choices. She was there when it mattered last year. Some fans are upset and angry when she doesn't show up. get a life.

Some fantastic videos doing the rounds of Frida chatting with fans after the concert. She is in superb, adorable form.

fb.watch/kQKj_j9eZT/

I was at the anniversary performance and I was delighted that the three ABBA members were present. It was known that Björn and Benny would attend the concert and I was hoping for at least one of the ladies to turn up. And it happened! Of course, it would have been sensational if all four were there but I did not expect it.

Another thing is, as @alan rightly pointed out, that they made a big deal of the first anniversary and nothing special actually happened, except for new merchandise going on sale (the new programme is fantastic and there is a really cool jeans jacket). But not having seen it for a year, I enjoyed the show even when it was exactly the same. And I enjoyed being in London again. I'm flying back home today and already thinking about an excuse to come back next spring 😄

Did ABBA make a big deal of the first anniversary or were fans' imaginations getting the better off them with regards changing set list? I think the latter.

3 of the 4 members did attend so that was something.

Perhaps for the 50th Anniversary of Waterloo they will simply attend tge Voyage show again rather than mske a guest appearance at ESC.

I am sure there will be some reference to ABBA.

Perhaps by attending Voyage and not ESC ABBA can plug their own show and not overshadow whoever wins tge ESC

I have booked and will be going early July. I got a weekday ticket. So not long to go now.

I live near London so no over-night stay or long travelling

p's'
Btw i just read that ticket sales for VOYAGE are now have overpassed the million getting 1,3 million sold!According to a Bobby's brother newly uploaded vid,Many celebs attented the aniversary gig with Rolling Stone's member Ronnie Wood,Naomi Cambel and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour being there. Here it is.

foreverfan,thank you...
There's no way to step back and miss this!I won't miss this.Even if the airplane can't fly to London i'm gonna 'spread my wings' to get there!!
1,3 million viewres can't be wrong.There's a reason.And i don't care if it's an ilusive thing or not,i wanna live the experience.As another guy wrote 'reality fills fantasy".

This is a response to Gary's most recent post in the 'Listening To' thread in the Everything Else section of this forum.

There was a bit of discussion of AI and music, Gary, in the this thread, a few pages back.

Indeed, I remember your saying that you hoped the new - and inevitable ?, I'm wondering - AI-fabricated 'ABBA' songs might be superior than the actual songs on the Voyage album.
I, for one, will be both intrigued and have misgivings about such developments.

But in what way, l wonder, is the ABBA show, with the phony avatars based on the real, but much younger, ABBA members, more valid than new phony ABBA songs based on the template of actual ABBA songs but produced by an AI music composing program?

It's a deliberately provocative question because AI will, I'm convinced, turn out to be mostly a bad thing.

I really can't stand this kind of "Review"of someone who obviously didn't see the show.

And what I find absolutely disgusting is this constant comparision between ABBA and other Artists in reference to live concerts.
If Mick Jagger is joyfully jogging over the stage with 80 it's fine for him and his fans. But if ABBA Björn or ABBA Frida don't want to do it, who gives others the rights to critisize this??
Elton John seems to feel so comfortable playing live, wonderful!! Let him play!
If one of the ABBA members doesn't feel that comfortable, one has to accept that!
And I don't see any live Concert being cancelled because of this Show.
This show ist an amazing addition to Entertainment, it is not a replacement (which very few could afford to produce anyhow)

Well, yes. I've been thinking about it from the moment I heard about it. But I will really need a very strong argument to justify going to London again. It's extremely expensive and it's a small wonder that my wife has already let me go twice without objecting too much... 

www.musicweek.com/labels/read/one-year-on-how-avatar-concert-abba-voyage-is-powering-the-group-s-classic-catalogue/088129

That Music Week article is interesting. It’s a shame they can’t find a way of selling ABBA’s studio albums. There are a lot of people missing out on a lot of good music!

Discussion of potential new songs in 2024 has been moved to its own topic:

abbachat.boards.net/thread/1623/more-songs-voyage-sessions-2024

Speculation on how new songs may be presented:

abbachat.boards.net/thread/1622/album-home-new-songs