AAt first, we are skeptical. Traveling forty-five minutes from central London to see holograms of a group, admittedly legendary, singing in lip-synth its 40-year-old hits, it seems comical. What’s more, when you know that the members of ABBA are nicely and comfortably installed on their Kivik (1,000 euros in the latest IKEA catalog) watching The Voice Sverige, we say to ourselves that we have reached the limits of the society of the spectacle. “Money money money”. Except that this ABBA Travel is a masterpiece of technological animation, aesthetic staging and intergenerational communion.
ABBA has designed a virtual event where young Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid, (the “ABBAtars”) appear larger than life. The quality and precision of the hologram, the movements and the details on the videos projected on giant screens (the 15 chest hairs of Benny, the sputters of Agnetha, the folds of Frida’s dress) are simply stunning. . The room, built for the occasion, is a summary of modernity, accessibility and conviviality – it is all the same the most expensive production in history.
Folie disco
However, it is difficult to imagine seeing an hour and a half of visual illusion as the process can be boring. “Knowing me, knowing you”. This is where the genius of the group is expressed, which knew how to create a staging alternating the performances of these musical mirages, monologues by the stars, animation clips (we are almost at the cinema), archives, and interludes of the “band”, very real him. Throw in light effects and hits in spades (“Mamma Mia”, “Waterloo”, “SOS”, “Fernando”, “Want you”, “The Winner Takes It All”, etc.) and you get a madness disco from 7 to 77 years old whose apogee is reached on the mythical chorus of the year 1976. God save the “Dancing Queen”.
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ABBA Travel is a concert that is sung, danced and watched with the eyes (smartphones are prohibited). The marketing coup (the show runs until May 2023 at exorbitant prices) is nothing compared to the technical and artistic prowess: ABBA has produced a live show never seen before. We knew that his songs were timeless. They are now futuristic.
ABBA Travelat the ABBA Arena, London, seats from 70 pounds.