ABBA Voyage
What can virtual concerts mean to people who know how to convert a document into a PDF? In an age where nostalgia meets cutting-edge technology, ABBA's Voyage virtual concert serves as a time machine for all generations eager to experience a past they never knew. Attending a concert where digital avatars replace live performers might sound odd, but at the ABBA Arena in London, it’s a game-changer. ABBA's timeless hits, combined with innovative tech, redefine the live music experience for a new generation.
“All Born in The Right Generation” - this is what I thought while realizing the considerable number of young people attending, just like me, the ABBA’s virtual concert residency at the ABBA Arena in London. I know it sounds like something I should have taken for granted, but honestly, from the moment you buy your ticket to attend the show, you don’t really know what to expect from the whole experience due to her maintained secrecy. I was slightly nervous about the entire concept of seeing digital avatars “performing” live and calling it a day.
The fact is that I already knew that I would have loved hearing ABBA’s music live because of my undeniable bias that would have certainly affected my opinion (my love for their music), but that wasn’t enough to completely shake off my concerns about this whole thing of holographic and virtual music performances.
My concerns began when this format was first used to make deceased artists appear in live performances and tours, thanks to these virtual technologies. 2Pac, Frank Zappa, Roy Orbison… The idea of profiting from deceased musicians’ art didn’t really sit right with me, regardless of their estates’ intentions. But I’m not in the mood to discuss delicate topics such as music copyright and its expiration. My main worry was that the outcome of these virtual projects wasn’t controlled by their creators, which would mean potentially not doing justice to it and ruining its authenticity.
By the way, all this overthinking has been shaken away over the years when learning about the potential of integrating technology into art and its consumption, with the relief in considering the artists in the equation of the project, which is something ABBA managed to achieve (by a whisker, luckily)! ABBA Voyage was created in collaboration with George Lucas’s VFX company, Industrial Light & Magic, and Swedish Pophouse Entertainment. Using motion-capture and performance techniques, the four band members were transformed into digital performers, paired with their originally recorded vocals, and accompanied by a live instrumental band at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena, a purpose-built venue enriched by a visually immersive environment (which did the trick for me).
Stills from The ABBA Voyage Concert, Photographed by JOHAN PERSSON Via ABBA VOYAGE
Watching the screen that projected the group from different angles felt like looking at a video game. Simple as that. But what would trick your mind is how the live band’s electric performance blends with the vibrant light and screen choreography. With a hits-stricken and lesser-known songs balanced setlist, while dancing and singing through them, my sight was often caught by many from the Gen-Z and Millennials who were doing the same and were peeking through a more mature demographic just as wild as them.
ABBA split up in 1982. Nevertheless, most of the attendees were not alive when that happened, and their appreciation for ABBA might have come through various means, as it had happened to me: through a beloved relative, the musical Mamma Mia and its movie adaptation, or the timeless songs that went viral on TikTok in the past years.
Abba in London, United Kingdom, 1975. Courtesy of Getty Images via Vogue
It is no secret that Gen-Z and Millennials often find themselves in a deep nostalgia state, damning their destiny for not letting them live in the 18th century to have the chance of wearing tight corsets as an everyday garment. So at the end of the day, maybe these virtual residencies are the only way this generation can experience ABBA, and maybe even other bands and artists could find a way to preserve their legacy like this (while still alive, I beg you) and let it live on.
Would this be any different from attending a theater performance of an opera by a composer who died over 200 years ago? After all, ABBA began encapsulating their legacy in a musical that is still brought to the scene by companies in theatres around the world, all while a third movie from the Mamma Mia installment has been officially announced.
So if rocking an outfit from a B-Side Eras Tour to channel your inner Donna or Harry Bright in a futuristic arena is how we celebrate and relive a historic band on a screen, then that now seems like the most natural thing to do.
