Björn Again
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| Björn Again | |
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 Björn Again - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Feb 2009
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Pop, Europop, Disco |
| Years active | 1988-Present |
| Associated acts | ABBA |
| Website | http://www.bjornagain.com.au |
Björn Again is a satirical show which parodies ABBA, and takes its name from Björn Ulvaeus, a member of ABBA, and a pun on the phrase "born again".
This show has become so successful that as of 2007 there are five Björn Agains performing in various parts of the world.Its twenty-year existence exceeds that of the original ABBA.
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[edit] Character of the Show
Björn Again is light-hearted in its approach to portraying ABBA.[1] While keeping somewhat faithful to the songs, the rest of the performance is delivered in the style of a send-up or parody. The cast talk among themselves and to the audience in faux-Swedish 'Swenglish' accents, and have been given stage names that playfully and humourously resemble the names of the original band members: Agnetha Falstart, Benny Anderwear, Frida Longstokin, and Björn Volvo-us. Björn Again also has a bass guitarist Rutger Sonofagunn and the drummer Ola Drumkitt (from long-time ABBA session musicians Rutger Gunnarsson and Ola Brunkert).
[edit] History
Björn Again was created in 1988 in Melbourne Australia by Rod Woolley (then Rod Leissle, now Rod Stephen). After the first Björn Again show at a small pub in Melbourne called The Tote Hotel on May 6th 1989 the show's popularity increased quickly, which took it Australia-wide then overseas to international acclaim. Björn Again is now regarded as the most successful show of its type ever and one of Australia's most successful musical exports.[citation needed]
Björn Again has also occasionally covered songs by other artists. When Erasure produced an EP of ABBA covers called Abba-esque, Björn Again responded with an EP of covers of Erasure songs done in the style of ABBA, called Erasure-ish. The EP included the songs 'Stop!' and 'A Little Respect' that achieved Number 25 on the UK charts in September 1992.[2] In August 2009 the band covered Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' during their set at the Sonisphere Festival in tribute to the headlining act. [3] Björn Again has performed at many of the large rock festivals worldwide including Reading and Glastonbury,[4] plus has sold out shows at The Royal Albert Hall and The Sydney Opera House and State Theatre in Sydney, the SECC in Glasgow Scotland, and Irving Plaza in New York. The band is also in high demand for private shows - having played at parties for top UK golfer Colin Montgomerie, Microsoft's Bill Gates, comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean), and at Russell Crowe's Wedding in Australia in 2003 making world headlines.
To date the various franchises of Björn Again have performed around 5,000 shows in more than 70 countries, and there seems to be sign that the band's popularity is diminishing.
In 1996, three of the original Australian group members Janette Stuart (Agnetha). Peter Ryan (Benny),and Gavin Charles (Björn) left the band and returned to Australia permanently, but they were quickly replaced to continue the success. The act's original 'Frida', Dorina Morelli, originally left the band before the other original three, and was replaced by Susie Webb. When Janette left, Susie drafted in her friend Zoe Nicholas as Agnetha. The girls made a great team, but were sacked from the band after a short period, and made their own ABBA Tribute band "FABBA". Not long after that they struck out together as "The FABBA Girls" and perform under that title to this day. At this point, Dorina Morelli returned as Frida, alongside Aileen McLaughlin as a very convincing Agnetha. Dorina stopped performing in the band in 2004. Now there are several Björn Again groups across the globe to cater to the demand.
Vladimir Putin is said to be a fan of Björn Again and reportedly requested a performance at the resort on Valdai Lake.[5] However, Mr Putin's representatives deny that he was a visitor at Björn Again's secret gig at the resort.[6]
In 2009, the band were controversially booked to play the United Kingdom's leg of Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth, which consisted of a much 'heavier' fan base. As a result of this, the band played their set with a slightly more beefed up sound, more guitars and a tongue-in-cheek rock style adaptation of their costumes. Current UK performers in the band consist of Diana Edwards (Agnetha), Sarah Fearnley (Frida), George Hutchison (Bjorn), Robin Scott (Benny) and lots of other performers.
In 1999 Bjorn Again took part in a documentary for Channel 5 entitled "ABBA: Bjorn Again!", this included following the band as they toured the UK. The former performers in this documentary being Aileen McLaughlin as "Agnetha", Joanne Rowden as "Frida", Robin Scott as "Benny" and Toby Boyle as "Bjorn". The documentary explored the history of the band with founder Rod Stephen. Throughout the programme the band spoke in their "Swedish" accents.
