Bjorn Again

On Wednesday night I went to the Hexagon in Reading to see Abba tribute band Bjorn Again. They are not just any tribute band, they have been described by Abba themselves as the best of the very many tributes. They were originally formed in 1988 in Australia and have now been going for longer than Abba managed.

 

Despite their Australian origin they speak to the audience and each other in a comedy Swedish accent. Famous fans of Bjorn Again are said to include Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and he is rumoured to have paid a lot of money for a private performance.

 

The show was, as you would expect, largely made up of Abba numbers but every now and again they introduced a new or humorous element to the performance. This included “SOS” from the “Police” and Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”.

 

The Hexagon theatre was absolutely packed despite the current economic climate and I couldn’t see an empty seat in the place. I booked late and we were therefore right “up in the gods” at the back of the upper balcony but we still got a good view. Many people were dancing and clapping along to numbers like “Voulez Vous” and “Waterloo”, and yes, I did join in.

 

I have always liked Abba and the quality of Bjorn Again’s performance really did do justice to the original band. It is great news for all their fans around Reading that an additional show has been added in the Hexagon on 23 June this year. I suspect I will be going back again and I think a lot of others will too.