Let’s face it – tribute acts are rubbish. They really are. Set up by mostly talentless obsessives with the aim of paying homage to their idols, they invariably end up doing nothing of the sort; instead sullying the memory of respected musicians by clunking and screeching through their hits with all the grace and precision of a fat man falling down a flight of stairs.
Thankfully, this isn’t always the case. Making amends for the likes of ‘Non Jovi’, ‘The Rolling Clones’ and ‘Nearvana’, Australian Abba-saluting outfit Björn Again have taken the tribute act formula and turned it into an art form in its own right. So much so, that instead of dingy bars and village fetes, the ultra-camp quartet have become a regular fixture at music festivals across the world, and are expected to sell out Adnec by the time they arrive in the city on October 7. But what’s the secret of their success?
Almost unbelievably, the group have been going for 23 years (more than double the length of Abba’s career) and, for better or worse, their novelty appeal shows no sign of letting up. How have they defied convention and found fame comparable to that of their muse? And, more importantly, when does a tribute stop being a tribute?
For a start, they don’t take themselves too seriously. While other acts of their ilk treat their source material with a borderline religious respect, Björn Again are more than happy to poke fun at the undisputed kings and queens of Europop. You only have to glance at the group’s stage names to realise that this is not your usual self-indulgent hero-worship. Where once were Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad are now Agnetha Falstart, Björn Volvo-us, Benny Anderwear and Frida Longstokin, who work through their repertoire of synthy disco-pop with pidgin Swedish accents (‘Swinglish’, as they call it) and a healthy dose of parody. Okay, so it may not sound like a sophisticated show, but the numbers speak for themselves – according to their website, since its inception in 1988, the band have delivered 3,500 performances in 51 countries, raking in a staggering Dhs200 million.
It’s not just easily pleased nostalgia hounds turning out, though – believe it or not, Björn Again have a healthy roster of celebrity fans. Among those to book the group for private functions are Microsoft squillionaire Bill Gates, golf’s Colin Montgomerie and Russian president Vladimir Putin – they even performed at Russell Crowe’s wedding. More surprising still, they’ve also been championed by godfather of grunge and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who, after seeing them perform in Melbourne, demanded they appear with them at the 1992 Reading Festival. Possibly the most surreal moment in music history ensued, with Kurt and the boys whooping from the sidelines as the group played a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
With an open mind, then, it seems Björn Again’s unrivalled sense of fun has the power to charm anyone. But can they crack the steely ‘Dancing Queen’ detractors of Abu Dhabi? Find out when they bounce into town next week.
Björn Again play ADNEC on October 7. Tickets, priced from Dhs75, are available at www.timeouttickets.com
The world’s weirdest tribute bands
Thought Björn Again were kooky? Get a load of these niche musicians
AC/DShe
San Francisco-based all-girl tribute to everyone’s favourite Aussie rockers. Started up in 1997, they’re still tearing the roof off scuzzy metal bars to this day.
Lil G’n’R
Pre-pubescent kids roaring through ‘Welcome to the Jungle’? Believe it or not, these guys have been pretty big on the New York club scene during the past decade.
Metal Elvis
A genre-mashing combination of The King’s timeless ballads and face-melting power chords, complete with band members dressed as Slash and Catman from Kiss.
Gabba
A London five-piece playing Abba songs via the stripped-down punk ethos of The Ramones. There’s a market for it, apparently – to date, they’ve released three albums.
