Originally published at: ABBA returns after almost 40 years with a new album and ILM-created concert | Boing Boing
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I’m confused, is it a one off live show with digital ABBA that they’re going to record or is it a touring digital show?
In another time I’d go see a digital ABBA show but unless there’s a drastic improvement in the virus situation I’m gonna miss.
They didn’t ask me but my vote is for a well marketed and hyped pay for view.
My 55" screen with the audio system I would buy just for this show would be awesome.
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It appears to be like an amusement ride. A purpose built arena in London. Not touring but playing in the same place, akin to a Broadway or (in this case) West End show.
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ABBA, I have always adored this band, it was very un-cool back in the day, but play their music at a party, and somebody will dance, if not everybody, I do.
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There’s always someone!
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I have so many mixed feelings about this.
On one hand it’s great to get some new music out of them.
On the other - I wonder how this might become precedent-setting for older artists who don’t want people to see how they’ve aged.
I’m sure it will be a slick production. Jesus - building a bespoke arena for this in downtown London must cost a ridiculous amount of money for what essentially amounts to an amusement ride.
I need to go away and drink/think on this…
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That’s a good point. In a similar vein, I’m not a Kiss fan but I always thought the makeup shtick was a smart move. It hides the wrinkles, allowing them to look pretty similar to their prime era, circa 1978.
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Oh, in that case, maybe when this whole virus thing passes I may have to fly to London unless it’s successful and they set up shop in America.
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Keith Richards is still a rock god and he’s basically a 3000-year-old mummy.
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It has it’s own venue in London.
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I rather like the other song they released:
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It turned me off them right from the start. Corny ass makeup.
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ILM thought they said JABBA, and said why not.
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All well and good for skinny men. I don’t imagine we’ll be seeing much at all of the current appearance of ABBA’s two women.
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So at the end of that video where they appear young and singing the new song live, is that the digital them?
It doesn’t take much to confuse me.
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Of course you don’t get to see their actual bods - just their digitised movements. But that is the problem. 60 year old bods don’t move as easily as 20 year old ones do. I’m imagining their avatars will move somewhat like rusty 20 year olds.
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The technology has been around since Tupac at Cochella in 2012. There’s been a few other attempts, but it doesn’t seem like there are many markets for this (outside of film…which isn’t all that big). The tech has improved a bit, but there seems to still be a lot of manual work do to this. I can’t see the cost being worth it or changing anytime soon.
Depending on the kind of performance, one glaring issue is older people don’t move the same. I think this stood out with De Niro in the Irishman.
When I got into ABBA in my late 20’s, I couldn’t tell if they had become more cool with age, or if I had become less cool with age.
It was probably a bit of both.
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