ABBA is FINALLY Going BACK ON TOUR! (Well, Sort Of…)

One of the very first mega-offers I ever heard of was one allegedly worth (do it in your best Austin Powers voice) ONE BILLION DOLLARS for a series of shows by ABBA. They turned it down–and they’ve turned down every subsequent offer that’s come their way. The only time the four of them were seen performing together was earlier this year for a one-off private event.

Time to face facts: there will never be a proper ABBA reunion. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be one. It’s just be virtual.

Details are starting to drip out about a project involving Universal Music Group and musical svengali Simon Fuller (blame him for the Spice Girls and sooooo much more). This project is “a groundbreaking venture that will utilise the very latest in digital and virtual-reality technology … which will enable a new generation of fans to see, hear, and feel Abba in a way previously unimagined.”

ABBA is completely on board with the idea. Benny Andersson: “We’re inspired by the limitless possibilities of what the future holds and are loving being a part of creating something new and dramatic here. A time machine that captures the essence of who we were. And are.”

So what does this all mean? Dunno. More details are promised next year with the first shows (or whatever) to be staged in 2018.

PS: My wife was at a seminar the other day and one of the speakers–a dude connected with the O2 in London–said that by 2025, 30% of all concert revenues will come from virtual performances.

(Via The Guardian)