gospel'. ‘The people in Glasgow were very-7 hot.‘ says Frida. ‘They loved us and we loved them.‘ They noticed one big difference between the Australian audiences and the Glasgow ones. ‘They speak differently.‘ says Agnetha. nodding firmly. ‘lt‘s funny. we like it.‘
Last November. they tell me. they went to Sweden so that they could ‘find some of their j past‘. found a Swedish linguist who insisted I that their accents were genuine and went 5 down well enough to be invited back for another three-week tour. While there. they I received a communication which stirred up a l collective confusion.
'You know. we had a mysterious telegram i from somebody called Bjorn Ulvaeus.’ admits the Bjorn sitting in front of me. ‘l le ! wished us luck and said that anyone who looked like him deserved success.‘ The identity ofthe mysterious fan remains unclear. Perhaps he‘s Roxette‘s bassist‘.’
Agnetha says that they had no problems
re-creating the old Abba look. ‘lt just came I naturally.‘ she says. ‘I do not know what we are re-creating. These are our fashions. They are clothes for the 90s. It is purely coincidence that they are also fashions from the 7(ls.‘
But looking at the obvious wigs. it‘s hard to resist the urge to tug at Agnetha‘s pony tail. They must surely have some problems with hair falling out. Frida looks at Agnetha. in puzzlement. They decide to humour me. Agnetha smiles at me again. and blinks through her long eyelashes. ‘Bjorn has a few problems.‘ she says. ‘but not the rest of us.‘
So just what happened in that helicopter? Maybe we’ll never know. and maybe we shouldn‘t ask too much and just say Thank You For The Music. It is clear that they are not going to give anything away about their previous lives. But later. a glimpse behind the stage reveals a discarded silver mop. Beside it stands Bjorn. Briefly. very briefly. his shiny bald patch can be seen. He smiles j
i and waves goodbye. ‘Thanks. mate.‘ he 5 says. in an accent straight out of King/zooms. I Makeofthis what you will. l
I Bjorn x’lgamp/uy The Pavilion. (i/us‘gon'mz Sun I.
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The list 30 August l.‘ Sc itcmbcr l‘Nl 11 . l