ABBA tribute band to do 20 of Swedish group’s biggest hits in Colorado Springs
There’s more to ABBA than its hit 1976 song “Dancing Queen.”
Such as the romance-novel arc of the famous Swedish group’s story offstage.
“They were two married couples,” said Alison Ward, who portrays singer Agnetha Fältskog in Mania — The ABBA Tribute band. “They went through babies and divorces and breakups. ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ — all the words of their songs are poignant to their lives. Some of the words of that song: Breaking up is never easy I know, but I have to go.’ There are a lot of life stories in there.”
Mania — The ABBA Tribute will perform Tuesday at Pikes Peak Center.
It’s hard to say how many ABBA tribute bands exist in the world, but Mania played its first shows in 2000. There are at least two touring versions of the group, one in the U.S. and one in the United Kingdom.
Ward’s been an on and off member since 2010, when the Liverpool singer joined the group in the U.K. In 2012, she stepped aside for a few years to do a show in Las Vegas, but has since returned for the two-hour performances that re-create an ABBA concert from the late ’70s. The foursome don lookalike costumes, channel their best Swedish accents, and do 20 of the group’s most beloved songs, including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Voulez Vous,” “Winner Takes It All,” “Waterloo,” “Fernando” and “Super Trouper.”
It’s hard to say how many ABBA tribute bands exist in the world, but Mania played its first shows in 2000. There are at least two touring versions of the group, one in the U.S. and one in the United Kingdom.
Ward’s been an on and off member since 2010, when the Liverpool singer joined the group in the U.K. In 2012, she stepped aside for a few years to do a show in Las Vegas, but has since returned for the two-hour performances that re-create an ABBA concert from the late ’70s. The foursome don lookalike costumes, channel their best Swedish accents, and do 20 of the group’s most beloved songs, including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Voulez Vous,” “Winner Takes It All,” “Waterloo,” “Fernando” and “Super Trouper.”
Around 1973, the foursome took on the name ABBA, an acronym of their first names and, in 1974, they released the hit single, “Waterloo,” as well as the album of the same name. Success followed, with a string of hits. And then Ulvaeus and Fältskog divorced in 1979, resulting in their 1980 album, “Super Trouper,” and its singles “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “The Winner Takes it All,” which featured lyrics such as: “But tell me, does she kiss/Like I used to kiss you?/Does it feel the same, When she calls your name?”
Andersson and Lyngstad divorced a couple of years later, and the group disbanded in 1982. They reunited in 2016 and spent the pandemic recording a new album, “Voyage,” that dropped in 2021.
Ward’s favorite moment of each performance, besides the pre-show part where she slips a blond wig over her brunette hair, is singing “The Winner Takes it All.”
“It’s one part in the show where the audience isn’t dancing like crazy,” she said. “We have them put on their flashlights on their phone. I look out, and it’s a big moment in the show. I’m honored to do it justice every night.”
