Quote Of The Day

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake - Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower (1887-1956)"

Monday, August 01, 2022

Tonight we are going to see ABBA Voyage. But in 1979 I was lucky enough to see ABBA perform live. #AbbaVoyage #Abba

It was in early November at Wembley Arena. I went with my best mate from school Graham Piper who was even more of an ABBA nut than I was. 
 
We had written to Wembley Arena some time earlier applying for our two tickets; enclosing a postal order and a stamped self-address envelope. All very old school. 
 
If I remember correctly it was a dark Saturday night as we travelled up to London all by ourselves. There was a buzz in the air as we walked from the tube station. Lots of ABBA T-shirts. Some had obviously been to one (or more) of the shows earlier in the week. 
 
Just at the entrance we headed to one of the over-stuffed many merchandise stands. There I bought an ABBA scarf (bit flimsy), an ABBA soap on a rope (in a black picture box), and a second copy of ABBA: The Album (for some reason as I already had it). I clutched my ABBA booty to my chest as we moved to take our seats. 
 
 
Sitting near the front of the stalls in an aisle seat, row E, at 18 years old we were perhaps older than most.  There were mainly kids and their parents around us.  But we didn’t care.  We were here to see the best band in the world!
 
We loved the show. Although the sound wasn’t quite what we had heard on the records. Good though. 
 
ABBA were obviously enjoying themselves immensely too and the show was very slick. 
 
We heard all the hits, some of the new album tracks (they were promoting the disco tinged Voulez-Vous album), and a song we’d never heard before I’m Still Alive. 
 
Naturally a bunch of local school kids traipsed out on stage for I Have A Dream. Pah!
 
Sadly we weren’t allowed to stand/dance or take photos but the images of that night be be forever burned in my mind. 
 
The previous summer in 1978 while in Paris I had bought various ABBA singles that were only released in France (I think) not UK. They had picture covers. Eagle was my favourite. I actually bought two copies of it - one for playing and one for 'best’. I ended giving that second copy to Graham for his birthday the week after the Wembley gig as a thank you. He was overjoyed. Great memories. 
 
 
ABBA Set-list
 
Voulez-Vous
If It Wasn't for the Nights
As Good as New
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Rock Me
Not Bad at All (Tomas Ledin cover)
Chiquitita
Money, Money, Money
I Have a Dream
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
SOS
Fernando
The Name of the Game
Eagle
Thank You for the Music
Why Did It Have to Be Me?
Intermezzo No. 1
I'm Still Alive
Summer Night City
Take a Chance on Me
Does Your Mother Know
Hole in Your Soul
 
Encore:
The Way Old Friends Do
Dancing Queen









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