As Swedish as Ikea, Volvo and err Fosters.. (So You Win Again - Bjorn Again)

Member Name: pookie_rabbit

Product:	So You Win Again - Bjorn Again
Date:	29/08/01 (370 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The nearest you will get..., Great Atmosphere, You know ALL the songs

Disadvantages: None?

As a boy I had a dirty secret.
I had to keep this secret from around the age of 8 until leaving secondary school.
I didn't want to talk to my parents about it. I knew my mother would understand in the end but I was more worried about my dad. Apart from anything else people would find out and he too would have to live with it at work and socially. No man wanted a son like that.
School was no better. I knew nobody would pass to me in the football team and I would not be welcome in the communal shower.
But now its time to come out - I was an ABBA fan.

But here is the strange thing. All those years ago I wasn't the only one. In the last few years ABBA has been put back on the map, not just by wedding night disco's but by the likes of the film Murials Wedding, the show Mamma Mia and last but not least the tribute band Bjorn Again. Once again everyone is an ABBA fan.

The fact of the matter is Bjorn Again are not Swedish. They are Australian. As if to prove they were always going to be a light-hearted look at ABBA the band consists of the following members - Benny Anderwear, Frida Longstokin, Agnetha Falstart, Bjorn Volvo-Us with guest members drummer Ola Drumkitt and on guitar Rutger Sonofagunn. Enough said!

So it was then I found myself, the girlfriend and another couple of mates combining a camping trip to the South (South for us that is) in Grantham with an outdoor concert by Bjorn Again at Belvoir Castle. I point out the South bit merely for trying to understand the justification of the pronunciation of Belvoir Castle to 'Beaver' Castle as in the furry thing with goofy teeth.

We found ourselves then in a field with a stage in front of us at around 5:30PM on a potentially rain sodden evening ready for the evening to start at 7:30PM. As the crowd gathered the beer and wine began to flow. I however, as designated driver somehow, was unable to drink. This is important because I have never been known
to dance while sober. I say dance but I have also never been known to dance in its normal meaning when drunk either.

7:30 arrived and we where treated to the sounds of Bucks Fizz starring somehow none of the original members of the band. Apparently one of those has another Bucks Fizz. This Bucks Fizz starred David Van Day who was actually in Dollar. Confused? So was I. Not that it mattered this was more like an Asti Spumanti. Actually it wasn't a bad set and to the fair they had the early bad shift - by the time of 'The land of make believe' and 'Making your mind up' they had won the crowd over.

Next up where Boney M. Now I didn't know a great deal about Boney M apart from the fact they where somewhat surprisingly German and that they had around 5 good songs. Well this Boney M where about 30 years younger and the nearest to Germany they had been was more than likely a bottle of Holsten Pils. But they where good - very good. Not only that I was reminded that Boney M had in fact had around 10 really well known songs. And boy could that guy move - Oh those Russians!!! Even I was now jigging around a little by now.

And so finally at around half nine and now pretty much pitch black Bjorn Again arrived on stage to not surprisingly Waterloo. The crowd, and sober me, where now all on there feet dancing and attempting to dance (some like me naturally could not dance, others just drunk). This was of course followed by a host of other classics including Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and Does your mother know. Theres more than just ABBA from Bjorn again though. SOS was a case in point as it suddenly changed into the Police's Message in a bottle.
Finally the show appeared to come to an end but of course much to the crowds delight there was an encore. Again there was a surprise as the male members of the band gave a rendition of Bon Jovis Living on a Prayer before a return of all members for the final two songs - Mamma
Mia and Thankyou for the Music.

The show finished at 11PM and we all had to sit back down to get our breath back - what a show. If you get a chance to see Bjorn Again do it - remember how I missed ABBA the first time round.

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