Meal.
The tribute show “Abbamania” tours the country in April and October. There are new songs by the Swedes – and even an ABBA studio guitarist.
It will still be almost three months before Maria Kristina Nissen embarks on her first “Abbamania” tour. But the anticipation is already palpable, mixed with a touch of nervousness: “I’ve never been through anything so big, especially working with an orchestra is something completely new for me,” admits the North Frisian. From April, Nissen slips into the role of Agnetha Fältskog and travels through the republic with the 14-piece orchestra, seven-piece band and Kerstin “Anni-Frid” Löcker.
In comparison to earlier versions of the ABBA Tribute program, the artistic director Hauke Wendt announces a “purified, refreshed, further developed show” in the best promotional language. Kerstin Löcker goes into more detail: “There will be new light and sound technology. In times when Helene Fischer goes on tour with a circus, you always have to change something to keep up.”
“Abbamania – The Show”: “Voyage” songs are included
But that’s not all. In order to score points in the hard-fought ABBA tribute market, the choice of songs is particularly important for the always critical fan community, in addition to the vocal performance. This will differ from previous Abbamania tours and will include the current album Voyage, released in November 2021. “But we don’t want to reveal which songs we sing about it just yet,” Nissen practices secrecy in an interview.
In addition to Hans Christian Petzoldt (“Benny”) and Kenneth Iain Duncan (“Björn”, ex-guitarist of the metalcore group We Butter The Bread With Butter), someone who actually played as Studio guitarist who worked with the Swedish pop giants. Nissen and Löcker got to know Janne Schaffer during a team trip to London last November. “He already has some interesting stories from back then. On the one hand, that’s very entertaining for us, but it also helps us to better understand the characters in the band,” says Nissen.
Ex-ABBA guitarist knows how it has to sound
The ensemble comes together again in mid-March, when they rehearse at high frequency. Kerstin Löcker is certain that the 77-year-old Schaffer will listen very carefully: “If he doesn’t like a little thing in our performance, he’ll probably say something. He just knows how it has to sound.” But nobody needs to be afraid of the veteran: “He heard us play a few songs in November and then nodded in a friendly manner. That’s a positive thing.”
Born in Carinthia and now living in Hamburg, she came into contact with ABBA’s music at an early age, “the records often played at Mum and Dad’s”. It was different with Maria Kristina Nissen: “For me it really only came about through my artistic training and stage engagements. For one on a cruise ship, I had to learn 27 ABBA songs in a matter of days. In addition to the really big hits, there was a lot of music that I didn’t know at all – but then I realized that I really like it,” says the native of Hamburg. Compared to back then, however, in “Abbamania” she slips into costumes that are true to the original – and everything will certainly be nicer, bigger and more colorful.
>>> INFO: “Abbamania – The Show” live:
Dates: 16.4. Oberhausen (8 p.m., Rudolf Weber Arena), 20.4. Cologne (8 p.m., Lanxess Arena). Tickets from around €50. Another “Abbamania” performance, but without an orchestra, is on October 24th. in Siegen (8 p.m., Siegerlandhalle). Tickets from around €52.
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