Abba!

It's amazing how many things we do now that we used to be too sophisticated to even discuss. What is even more amazing is that those events that we thought were too kitsch or tacky are now things we actually enjoy doing. Are we going senile? Have we joined the human race, or is it one of those things you do if your kids like it? That's it! Dan absolutely loves this stuff so we have a good time too.

I'm talking about Tribute Bands; fake versions of famous groups such as The Shadows and Queen and impersonators of stars like Michael Jackson. When they were around, I liked the Beatles but none of the others. This year we have seen and enjoyed all of the above and last night we saw Abba.

There are several Abba tribute bands around but I'm guessing that the one we saw was up there with the best of them. The "Abba Reunion" band was formed around a West End London show called Abba Mania and then taken on tour. They are highly polished without being slick, so they connected with the audience at Peterborough's Key Theatre from the start by talking directly to individuals in the stalls and getting us to clap, sing and dance early on.

The theatre was packed with an audience that was really up-for it. 'Lots of grey hair, quite a few young adults with learning difficulties and most types in between. If the show had been in Cambridge I guess we would have seen a few more self-aware "camped-up" revellers, or possibly a more sophisticated audience that would have been hard work to crack. In Peterborough we just had a good party with no hang-ups.

The opening song is absolutely crucial for a show like this. We started off in pitch darkness and the sound of an approaching helicopter that circled around the building and landed in the car park outside. A huge crowd chanted Abba, Abba, Abba and we all joined in. The sound was spot on, the lighting worked perfectly and we had smoke and fireworks; just for starters. I can't actually remember which song they started on, but we knew from the "off" that we were in safe hands and could belt out all the old songs. I was surprised and a bit shocked to find out how many of the words I knew.

Is there a Jimi Hendrix tribute act?  I guess it's not Dan's cup of tea. As a teen in South Wales I used to follow a band called "Love Sculpture" around. They were basically a Hendrix tribute act that branched out from there. Dave Edmunds was the leader and  he became a really great guitarist.