We Do Adventure

Abba are arguably one of the world’s most famous four-piece pop acts. Tonight in Mostar we were entertained by a six-piece tribute act to Sweden’s finest export after Ikea and Volvo! The venue was Oxygen, a smart subterranean space. We thought we’d arrived fashionably late only to discover our group was the first to show up; it is a little strange to walk into a completely empty nightclub! We passed a pleasant hour listening to an eclectic playlist from the DJ. Highlights included War of the Worlds, I Should Be so Lucky and Axel F! Finally ‘Abba’ took the stage. The music was a passable approximation of the original but the look was off, way off if we're honest. As the evening wore on the musicians each morphed, at least in our eyes, into a distinct comedy character. I hope they are as funny in type. The band leader seemed to be the bass player who reminded me of Ravi Shankar, although I don’t know if he actually bore any physical resemblance to him. What I do know is he was wearin...

There was something strangely surreal watching young people born at the end of the Bosnian conflict singing their hearts out to Abba Singstar. Blame my wife – I would never have suggested it but she’s making converts very quickly with her latest toy. I know Abba are, or were, huge but the average twelve year-ago could be forgiven for not being overly familiar with their back catalogue. Nevertheless, it was surprising how well they coped with what must be some of the wordiest of Sweden’s pop exports. I would love to type a true reflection of their pronunciation, but I wouldn’t do it justice. And so the globalising influence of Sony’s ubiquitous technology marches on.