One of the challenges of buying Christmas presents is finding something that will create a memory rather than simply take up space in a cupboard. Over the years I’ve become increasingly convinced that experiences are usually a better investment than things, so for Christmas I decided to take Emma to see an ABBA tribute show.
Now, I should probably admit that this wasn’t entirely a selfless gesture. After years of Emma accompanying me to gigs featuring obscure indie bands, psychedelic experiments, singer-songwriters and assorted musical oddities, it seemed only fair to take her to something that I knew she would enjoy from the outset.
The enduring popularity of ABBA is one of the more remarkable stories in music. Decades after the original band dominated the charts, their songs continue to fill dance floors, theatres and concert halls around the world. Whether it’s Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Waterloo or The Winner Takes It All, the catalogue is packed with songs that seem to have become part of everyday life.
Tribute acts often have a difficult task. The audience already knows every song and arrives with very high expectations. Fortunately, this particular group understood exactly what people wanted. Rather than trying to reinvent the material, they celebrated it, delivering the hits with enthusiasm, energy and enough sparkle to keep the crowd thoroughly entertained throughout the evening.
One of the things I enjoy about shows like this is the atmosphere. People arrive determined to have a good time and the performers are given the rare gift of playing songs that audiences genuinely love. It creates a different feeling from many concerts. Instead of people standing with folded arms analysing every note, everyone simply relaxes and enjoys themselves.
Emma certainly did.
Watching her sing along to songs she had known for years was almost as entertaining as watching the performance itself. That’s one of the pleasures of giving experiences as gifts. Long after the wrapping paper has been thrown away and the chocolates have disappeared, the memories remain.
Looking back, the evening achieved exactly what I had hoped it would. It provided a fun night out, plenty of laughs and another shared experience to add to our growing catalogue of concert adventures. Not every gig needs to be life-changing. Sometimes it’s enough to spend an evening listening to great songs and enjoying yourself.
The video blog below captures some of the highlights from a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas outing. Whether you’re a lifelong ABBA fan or simply someone who enjoys a good night out, it’s hard not to be swept along by music that has been making people happy for nearly fifty years.
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