ABBA TRIBUTE BLOG
09/10/09 Abba's Angels Favourite Costumes
Today I'm making new costumes - adding new designs to allow even more costume changes and replacing some that are a little tired after their 10 year stint on the road! Half way through making the cat dresses - making the long versions so we can wear over the short white and gold dresses - see our costumes page to see pics of our favorite Abba costumes . Also very excited about the new cape designs I'm making soon - found a great picture on the web from the Abba Museum with a lot of close up detail - it's very rewarding getting as close to the original as possible when making these lovely outfits - Abba really did have some beautiful costumes
06/10/09 Favourite Abba Songs
I'm often asked "What is your favourite Abba song to sing?"I think most people expect you to say Dancing Queen but thats actually one of the hardest with such a vast range to cover that I prefer to sing "Thank you for the music". Did you know Agnetha was so heavily pregnant when she recorded that song that she had to sing it lying down! Amazing. The harmonies are so beautiful in that song - never the straight 3rd or 5th harmonies for Bjorn and Benny - they dart all over the place but the result is so lovely. It is also one of those songs that makes people want to join arms with each other and dance in circles - a strange phenomenon we have noticed over the years!
28/08/09 Strangest venues and locations we have performed at
This weekend sees Abba's Angels performing at the Clevedon Flower Show in Bristol of all things ! That got me thinking as to other memorable and diifferent venues we have performed at. Top of mind has to be Market Rasen Racecourse - not strange in itself but we were told to perform until the race started then stop the show abruptly ( ie mid song) , wait for the horses to pass then start up again. All this while trying to retain our dignity in high sided split dresses in strong winds in an open sided tent! Second most memorable must be the Lebanese Ski resort we sang at for New Years Eve 2001 - in a nightclub shaped like an igloo, with only one radio mic between us as they had forgot to stock up on batteries! Oopps
19/08/09 Join our Facebook Fan Page
Abba's Angels now has its very own Facebook Fan Page - please join up and then you can post pictures / videos / comments etc. This will also help us with marketing the band as all your freinds will see you've joined and mayeb some of them may like to book us for parties / anniversaries etc! See our Contact page for the sign up link
18/08/09 Famous people I've worked withh
Today we had an enquiry for Golden Wedding Party where also booked to perform are Chas and Dave! We've also been recently asked to perform at a festival next year where Will Young will also be singing. That got me thinking of all the famous names I've worked with and met in the past from the diva like Bay City Rollers (well Les Mckeon anyhow who was rather upset we couldn't pronounce his name and consequently told us to f- off out of his f- ing dressing room- charming! ) to the down to earth Troggs, Dave Dee Dozy Mick and Titch. I've also been lucky enough to attend the Brit awards in 2001 and met some lovely stars there who kindly let me have their picture taken with me - see here for the snaps! All but Tom Jones anyway who told his agent to move me along - oh well - his loss!
17/08/09 Abba Concert at Hyde Park - line up announced
What a shame I can't make it to the Abba Tribute concert in Hyde park on Sunday 13th September - must tune into Radio 2 for a listen though at 6.30pm. One of my favorite artists Chaka Khan ( the first concert I ever went to!) is performing Winner Takes it all - can't wait to hear her interpretation of that one. Lulu is down for Gimme Gimme Gimme and the Feeling with Knowing Me, Knowing You are the other 2 I'll be listening out for. Not sure I've heard of that many of the others ( apart from Jason Donovan, Marti Pellow and Elaine Paige) - seems to have a musical edge to it so maybe they are stars of the West End.
14/08/09 Top 5 most memorable changing rooms
Today I'm going for a list my top 5 most memorable changing rooms - for both good and bad reasons!
1) The BBC bless them - you know you've made it when your changing room mirror has lights all the way around it but mamma mia does it make the room heat up fast!
2) The opposite end of the spectrum - a cold store room at a Turkish restaurant in Wembley. Changing surrounded by cabbages and sprouts at 5 degrees was in part made up for by being able to finally say " Good Evening Wembley!!!!!!!!"
3) The drawing room at a Russian Oligarch's mansion in Surrey ( If I told you who I might be poisoned by plutonium and our website would be closed down probably !) Highlight was being surrounded by original artworks by Monet, Picasso and Manet worth millions of pounds
4) Santa's Grotto at a reindeer farm in the Midlands - lovely setting - pity about the over riding smell of reindeer pooh!
5) The Easter Egg store room. Say no more.
13/08/09 Bjorn Again and Again and Again ...
Another busmans holiday for me ( but great fun nonetheless) - a few weeks ago my cousin had her hen night at Newbury racecourse where Bjorn Again were performing. I saw them described recently as the "Juggernaut of the Abba Tribute world" and indeed they didn't disappoint. I have seen them about 5 times now over the last 10 years or so and I liked this line up the best. Their new Agnetha really looks like her and both girls sang like angels and looked fabulous. I loved the way Bjorn and Benny got quite involved in the showmanship also - Benny did a great rap take off part way through one song which all added to the humour / general campness of the show - great entertainment and the Tribute we all aspire to. I like the way they add little interesting touches into some of the songs - eg going into the Police version of SOS at the end of Abba's SOS ... Inspired me to have an idea to go into Bohemian Rhapsody in the middle of Mamma Mia ( ie the part where they sing mamma mia mamma mia let me go, magnifico etc how hilarious would that be! ) ... Going to book onto that music technology course in September then I will be able to splice / mix tracks etc to my hearts content!
12/08/09 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra do Abba
Today I thought I would muse on the concert I attended last weekend at Meyrick Park in Bournemouth. Bit of a busmans holiday but it was a friends birthday ! Very interesting to see Abba songs perfomed by a 60+ strong orchestra and can only imaginbe the time it must have taken to score it all up. There were 4 singers as well as the orchestra who did a great job I thought ( apart from the Benny forgetting the odd line or two - maybe only I noticed that though!) Great costumes - more inspired by Mamma Mia! than Abba's own costumes - Benny wore a pink shimmery jump suit with 3 tiers of frills from the knee down and frilled sleeves - would love to have these made for my team but I think the frills may get in the way of actually playing their instruments! ( I'm sure some of them would breath a sigh of relief at this if they saw the outfits I mean!)
All in all a great night out with friends and would recommend going to next years one if you get a chance. Last year Beatles , year before Queen - what next ? I'm guessing Michael Jackson!
11/08/09 I have a dream
A warm hello to anyone actually reading this! I thought it was about time Abba's Angels had its own blog page on our website and fortuitously had a rather strange dream last night to start my first ever post with.
Whereas a typical nightmare for most people might involve being chased by tigers / baddies etc or something that endangers your life at least, my Abba nightmare involved me going to watch the band ( as I often do its manager) and realizing that someone had tampered with the backing tracks - bizarely inserting short clips of 80's songs in between some of the Abba songs every now and then to the confusion of most of the band members ! How relieved was I on waking up from that one.
Anyway enough for one post ... must go an chase up that enquiry for Qatar over Christmas ... desert camp glamour, serious sunshine and 5 star hotel luxury - fingers crossed ! |
