The hope of many fans for an ABBA reunion is already low, but the words of Björn Ulvaeus silence even the last optimist. The band will never give a concert again, he explains in an interview. If you still want to see the megastars, you still have many years of opportunity in London.
In an interview with "Welt am Sonntag", Björn Ulvaeus made it clear that there is no going back on stage for ABBA. "No, we won't give any more concerts. That's what we've always said, and that's how it stays," explains the Swedish musician, who once celebrated success with Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. "Even if it were just one, it would be a huge thing. We just don't want to. Why should we? It's over," adds Ulvaeus. "But our avatars will sing forever, they will outlive us."
The members have now handed over their ABBA tasks to digital avatars. In May 2022, the "Abba Voyage" show started in London, with which the four Swedes celebrated their virtual comeback. It's strange to see yourself as an artist on stage, says Ulvaeus. "Above all, observing how people connect. I see him as a young man, that is me, in my early 30s at the time, and at the same time the audience, who re- and interact. A crazy reflection." He has seen the show "maybe seven times" so far.
He is very satisfied with his avatar, Ulvaeus continues. "Everything is exactly what I expected, actually even better. I don't know what they did, but my hair falls even better than it did then." In all these years he has seen himself in photos or videos almost every day. "I was constantly reminded of this young man. And I'm no stranger to him either. I say him or him because he's already like someone else to me," explains the musician. He doesn't have a name for him, "not yet, at least. But I found a way to tell my story by telling his story - that of this guy from the 70s."
The group has four and a half years for the show in London, "and if it's a success, hopefully they'll want us to stay there," says the ABBA star. You can't tour with a show like that, but you could build arenas in other places. "We're thinking about Singapore, Las Vegas and a city in Europe," reveals Ulvaeus. Berlin is not an option. You have to commit for many years and you need a very large audience. "That would mean an enormous influx of tourists or very, very many people who live in this area. Berlin doesn't fulfill that."
(This article was first published on Sunday, January 29, 2023.)
