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Post by ladidah on Jan 30, 2023 11:17:56 GMT
Attendance was good, and lots of dancing. I would rather Sandra's 60th near me than a bored husband anyday.
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Post by distantcousin on Jan 30, 2023 11:30:43 GMT
Attendance was good, and lots of dancing. I would rather Sandra's 60th near me than a bored husband anyday.
Oh for sure. I've lost count of the amount of joyless heterosexual men I've seen at pop concerts, dragged along by their partners (I assume they have no one else to go with who actually likes the artist in question)
They are black holes of negative energy at concerts - why do people insist on bringing them?!/  |
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Post by distantcousin on Jan 30, 2023 11:31:37 GMT
How have crowds been recently? Had a great time in May with a young/diverse audience who were completely up for it - but a bit cautious about reports of subdued audiences. Must admit that every time I go past Pudding Mill Lane on DLR around showtime it looks like huge groups out for Sandra/Tracey's 60th with bottles of Kylie Prosecco in tow...
Middle Aged "Hun Central" - and I'm here for it!
I get what you're saying though. I can only assume the older crowd I experienced this month was due to the matinee (which we only chose for a variety of practical reasons as we all live way out of London).
When I go back, it'll definitely be on a Fri or Sat night.
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Post by ladidah on Jan 30, 2023 11:40:56 GMT
I agree, I couldn't bear to go with someone just standing there frowning.
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Post by danb on Jan 30, 2023 15:23:47 GMT
Attendance was good, and lots of dancing. I would rather Sandra's 60th near me than a bored husband anyday.
Oh for sure. I've lost count of the amount of joyless heterosexual men I've seen at pop concerts, dragged along by their partners (I assume they have no one else to go with who actually likes the artist in question)
They are black holes of negative energy at concerts - why do people insist on bringing them?!/ Nice bit of unnecessary stereotyping there. Your assumption that there aren’t large swathes of miserable gays hating it or swarms of straights thoroughly enjoying it, is the sort of comment that would be lambasted were it the other way round. How about “some enjoyed it, some didn’t.” It doesn’t need attributing. |
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Post by anthony40 on Jan 30, 2023 15:45:13 GMT
(Just as a general observation) there are four embers if the band. Now, for whatever reason, and regardless of the reason, someone always thought one of them their favourite.
Agnetha was always hot.
Now, I don't know what this says about me but, even as an Abbator, she's still hot!
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Post by mrnutz on Jan 30, 2023 16:32:28 GMT
Joyful heterosexual husband here who was dancing harder than most. 👋
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Post by alece10 on Jan 30, 2023 16:56:08 GMT
My neighbours went on Saturday for their 3rd visit and took a group of friend's (they are all in their mid 30s). Before they went I guess they bad a few drinks and a singalong and when they returned continued into the night. Put my earplugs in and I slept OK.
Couldn't say anything as they were having so much fun plus it was my suggestion in the first place to see the show.
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Post by danb on Jan 30, 2023 17:46:51 GMT
I would say that Abba have transcended all boundaries by now. It’s just a good night out where you’ll hear some familiar tunes in a joyful room that I felt lacked any ‘types’ or ‘judgement’ the day that we went. Just ‘people’ enjoying themselves. (And this joyless straight squealed several times when he got a little unexpected treat and filled up in the new ones; they’re just so melancholic).
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Jan 30, 2023 23:04:06 GMT
I agree, I couldn't bear to go with someone just standing there frowning. That would be me!  I even went and sat in the foyer as Dancing Queen started.
It was a bit like watching MTV at a house party that had a fancy TV, great sound and amazing lighting. And I hate house parties lol
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Post by ladidah on Jan 31, 2023 10:48:25 GMT
I agree, I couldn't bear to go with someone just standing there frowning. That would be me! I even went and sat in the foyer as Dancing Queen started. It was a bit like watching MTV at a house party that had a fancy TV, great sound and amazing lighting. And I hate house parties lol
Sacrilege! |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Feb 3, 2023 19:14:44 GMT
Is this maybe not selling as well as it was? Just seem to be bombarded with the TV advert for it at the moment
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Post by ladidah on Feb 6, 2023 9:29:13 GMT
I had read they are showing more of what it looks like, to encourage people who imagine its just like a cinema screen.
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Post by distantcousin on Feb 7, 2023 9:24:29 GMT
Is this maybe not selling as well as it was? Just seem to be bombarded with the TV advert for it at the moment
I wondered that too. Shelling out on a TV campaign is big bucks.
Anecdotally I know a LOT of people who still haven't booked, saying they've heard great things about it but are still clearly sitting on the fence.
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Post by alece10 on Feb 7, 2023 9:29:52 GMT
Loads of west end musicals have adverts on TV especially in the London area so don't think we should read anything into it. If you look at future availability it's very well sold (especially as it's not cheap) and most west end shows would be very envious of their booking levels.
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Post by joni89 on Feb 7, 2023 9:39:16 GMT
What is the capacity of the venue?
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Post by anthony40 on Feb 8, 2023 9:29:41 GMT
What is the capacity of the venue? (I think) 3,000 |
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Post by alece10 on Mar 26, 2023 18:43:58 GMT
Thus was in an e mail I received for my upcoming visit to ABBA. Don't remember getting these instructions the first 2 times.
They were called curly perms in my day.......
Many of our guests will want to get in the spirit of the show by dressing up for their visit, which is welcome of course. However, we would kindly ask the following very specific things to ensure that you respect both your fellow audience members and the team at ABBA Voyage:
Please do not wear so-called ‘Afro’ wigs
These wigs are culturally insensitive and not appropriate to be worn as fancy dress. If any guests are wearing this style of wig they will be respectfully asked to remove them as a condition of entry to the arena.
Please do not wear anything that lights up
Flashing lights, glowing headbands and portable neon wear can be distracting and cause irritation for others. Please leave these at home, the concert has enough lights already!
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Mar 26, 2023 20:27:51 GMT
They've covered this on the Daily Fail. Looking at pics of ABBA from 1970's - I just see curly hair?
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 27, 2023 10:05:07 GMT
Interesting. For some people who are not very discerning "70's fancy dress" is a huge catch-all and I expect Afro's are seen as one of those stock items of that fancy dress wardrobe.
I expect a reason for them doing it, is the Arena is in a highly multicultural area of London, and from my observations the majority of the Front of House staff are BAME. So they're taking their staff into consideration on this.
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Post by harry on Mar 28, 2023 22:26:56 GMT
I made my first paying visit yesterday having managed to get a dress rehearsal ticket last year. The show seems pretty much the same. When I saw it before the band appeared on the side screens during Does Your Mother Know but not last night - I guess either because personnel changes mean the film and the live band no longer match up, or maybe they decided it never really looked like a live feed (it didn’t) and so didn’t really match the way the other side screen elements during the ABBA performances mirror exactly what is “really” happening.
If memory serves, I also think that the use of the front projection cloth to show larger images during Don’t Shut Me Down and Thank You For The Music were new compared to 10months ago but that might just be my ropey memory.
It was extremely full - couldn’t see any empties and the dance floor was very busy. The crowd seemed to love it, if maybe in a Monday night-y kind of way (lots of clapping after each number and joining the the joiny in clap along, sway and wave your arms bits, but a few of the pauses while the band wait for cheers to die down felt a little too long!)
As for the show itself, it’s still mightily impressive and audacious and I probably had as much fun going in knowing what to expect and looking out for the little tell-tales as much as the first time when I probably obsessed far too much figuring out what was going on.
…which brings me back to that word “audacious”. There are 2 moments - one at the start of the first chorus of Mamma Mia and one during the transition between Lay All Your Love On Me and Summer Night City where the “magic trick” is revealed so blatantly and unashamedly that I was astonished to get to the end and find friends and family I was with (who were seeing it for the first time) insisting that they had no idea how it was done but it “MUST involve real people onstage” (aside from the live band). Which just goes to show how impressive an effect it really is.
What struck me most on a second visit was that there’s a whole middle section (between the two “audacious” moments mentioned above where the illusion is first shattered in a moment and then secondly created in seconds in front of our eyes) where it hardly pretends to be anything other than a party with music videos on big screens… and yet when the final third of the show goes back to the “this is a normal concert with four people performing for you onstage” vibe, we believe it as much if not more than at the start.
So yes I’m ABBeliever(!) It feels like the go-to thing to suggest to out of town friends looking for a great fun show, and I’m I’ll sure I’ll go again in another year or so. And again when they mix up the set list and change five of the songs. Bring on the Return Voyage!
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Post by alece10 on Apr 2, 2023 15:36:22 GMT
Made my third visit this afternoon and it still thrills me as much as the first 2 times. I also like taking friends who have never seen it before.
It's like going back to my 20s for a couple of hours which were very happy times.
Packed 1pm performance and still lots of people dressed up (no afro wigs!!)
Great audience who seemed to love it. I would add that the first time I went,which was about the 4th performance after it opened, the audience were insane but that's probably as it was the hard core fans who wanted to see it at the beginning.
Now have to plan my next visit as another friend wants to go.
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Post by intoanewlife on Apr 2, 2023 16:09:12 GMT
I am off again in May (my forth visit) with a contingent of rowdy Aussies.
I was hoping there'd have been some new stuff added before I next went but it doesn't sound like that's happened yet.
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Post by alece10 on Apr 2, 2023 16:21:26 GMT
I am off again in May (my forth visit) with a contingent of rowdy Aussies. I was hoping there'd have been some new stuff added before I next went but it doesn't sound like that's happened yet. Same show today. Wonder I'd they will wait until the 1st anniversary in June and then make some changes. They were playing a few songs not on the set list over the speakers as we were walking out. |
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Post by distantcousin on Apr 2, 2023 17:32:17 GMT
I am off again in May (my forth visit) with a contingent of rowdy Aussies. I was hoping there'd have been some new stuff added before I next went but it doesn't sound like that's happened yet. Same show today. Wonder I'd they will wait until the 1st anniversary in June and then make some changes. They were playing a few songs not on the set list over the speakers as we were walking out.
I noticed that too - we were waiting a while for our group to get coats/merchandise/go to the loo, and every track playing in the foyer was not in the show (and they were all singles)
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I even went and sat in the foyer as Dancing Queen started.
