ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2022 May - Aug

Well I played Voyage last night and I loved it all over again the 10 songs from start to finish the only down side is that it's to short. But I love all the songs I don't skip anything. Each song is wonderful in it's own way.

I saw a report today (Music Times) saying that the ABBA Voyage tickets are not selling well for the second tranche (Oct-Dec). This is something that could be verified by searching for tickets on Ticketmaster but I haven't done it. I expect there will a new surge of ticket sales once the publicity surrounding the launch gets underway but it does make you wonder whether there'll be a third phase of tickets. If they do go for a third quarter in London, this is motivation for ABBA to release new material in the Autumn to promote the early 2023 shows - perhaps that Voyage Deluxe edition with bonus tracks. I don't want to see a whole new album - I say ABBA have had a good and successful comeback, and let's leave it at that.

OK, I just had a skim through the last couple of pages of that thread. What I saw was a lot of falling out and not really much talk about the topic. In my post above, I was more interested in the implications of poor ticket sales if they continue - what it might motivate them to do. Myself, I think the sales will recover over the Summer, assuming the show is initially well-received. I guess once it's established, it may be self-sustaining, as I think the Mamma Mia musical was. Otherwise, to maintain the momentum, they may need regular pushes of one sort or another, which could include further releases. Or they could move the show to another location.

Yes 😀

Gamleman is right. Ticket sales are low for Oct to Dec. And no he's isn't being negative to raise this 😀.

Ticket sales seem to mirror the Voyage album's sales. Huge initial demand first week, respectable for a few more weeks then a big drop off.

Personally, I would be disappointed if they didn't pick up.

It's not a given they will. ABBA will have to promote the show. I sure they will and this will help to some extent.

It seems to me 3 issues.

1. People don't know what to expect. If it was ABBA, I am 100% convinced massive sellout.

2. Pricing. If you look there are some reasonably priced tickets in the autumn but you really have to search. Lots of expensive hotel packages and private booth tickets.

3. Location. As I said on that other post, location not ideal but realistic. The nature of the event means it had to be in specially made venue - so away from the West End and more casual tourist/theatre goers.


Let's hope too there's no technical hiccups and the show gets great reviews.


As for a new album, I am pretty happy we got Voyage. ABBA don't owe us anymore - and that includes deluxe set or releasing those two unfinished songs.

Possibly ABBA and their advisors got too carried away with Gold and the Mamma Mia films. These appeal to casual ABBA fans.

The 'real' ABBA fans are the ones who bought the Voyage album. Ticket sales are in that league ...so far.

The show could be promoted more as a Greatest Hits show to attract the more numerous casual fans. Someone here raised that - either Bennybjorn or Gamleman, I think.



Other opinions are available. 😘

Going beyond this year, then the Voyage concert would need general tourists who want to see a "show". More likely they'll go to the West End than the Olympic Park.

Prices have to be competitive too.

I'd say the first two are the main issues. Even being a huge ABBA fan, I didn't mean to see it before some reviews keep coming. And the casual fans are even less likely to pay so much if they don't know what to expect. I guess that if the show is a success (and I really believe it will be), it will attract much more "ordinary" people, who will go not only to hear the ABBA songs but also to see the technology.

Bow out on a high with Voyage.

I don't want a repeat of The Visitors album being followed by 6 songs that varied from just okay to meh. And the huge commercial failure too.

Disagreeing with Hometime. It would be horrible if ABBA released something substandard. Go out on a high.

Let's all be grateful for the Voyage album and hope the show is a success.

If ABBA want to finish on a high album-wise, they should not release another studio album - it could be a great success, but there is the risk of it being an anti-climax. If it didn't make No 1, I'm sure the press and perhaps the public would deem it a failure, here in the UK anyway. Both ABBA and the hardcore fans may see it differently, although I think B&B are conscious of success. Personally, I see "Voyage" as closure, not the start of a second phase of ABBA's career. I wouldn't object to further individual tracks released on a retrospective compilation as long as the quality is there - so I would like tracks of the quality of TDBYC and JLT and even Cassandra, not YOMO and IATC. I'll leave UA as somewhere in the middle

Agreed! I think some fans want new songs whatever the quality.

Of course, I’d love to hear more, I shouldn’t think many if any wouldn’t.
I know the subject has been touched on before, but alas they can’t go on and on and on to use a pun..It’s good to bow out at the top, and we’ve been lucky to see that.
So alas I do think this is the last studio album, I feel we might just get a couple more tracks that will inevitably end up on some compilation .
I feel that this is probably it, and in a funny way resigned myself to it.
whether the “Show” will throw up a few releases who knows, but somehow doubt it.

I’ve calmed down on my listens to ABBA recently, Voyage overkill..lol so need to get back in touch with the oldies and gradually mingle both ...

We are in for a few weeks more of hype from media, whether it’s good or bad and no doubt those TV old and new programmes will be shown again, we may see Voyage back in the UK charts and Gold rising yet again, so I tend to enjoy it while it lasts, as it’s going to fade a lot quicker than we think, especially if nothing new !!

I agree with this.

What does going out on an high mean? And whose high? And in whose opinion? It's music! That's why I occasionally get irritated when someone expresses their negative opinion about a piece of music as if it was objective fact. Yes, qualifying all the time what one says about songs with an "in my opinion" is unnecessary, but sometimes it's appropriate if sensitivity to context matters.

I'm still amazed, happy, and grateful that the Voyage album has appeared, even if my appreciation for some the songs, after my initial enthusiasm, has declined somewhat; and maybe I'd feel the same about a 50th Anniversary album. But I'd still love to see it appear and to hear it.

I assume musicians, generally, want to make music, provided they still feel capable of doing so. The assumption that ABBA might now be past it and it's probably best that they record no more, I find very negative, to say the least And maybe, artistically, a 50th Anniversary album could turn out to be better than Voyage - imo, of course. 😄

Richard, like Hometime you use the word "negative" to describe somebody with a different view. It's not helpful or constructive. It is denigrating. I stopped posting in the Concert thread for the adverse comments I got only to find them in here now. Yes, I like disagreements and have some with members on here but some are just nasty.
I really wish there was a block button but there isn't - despite what Hometime says.

I won't post more. It's not fun.

Hope this helps.

1. Click on the name of the member you wish to block.

2. On the right of your screen, you'll see a little down arrow. Click this and you'll have the option to block the member or give them a gift.

      

3. Repeat as often as necessary.

4. When you're logged in, you'll see posts from blocked members as follows - you have the choice to look behind the block or move on.