SEPTEMBER 15, 1979
The date was Sep. 15, 1979 and at 8:20 pm the lights went down at the Pacific Coliseum to reveal the first (and last) appearance of ABBA in Vancouver. It was electrifying. Highlights for me were Bjorn referring to his ex-wife as being "As Good As New" (I was perhaps too young at 13 to fully realise how tacky this might have seemed). I remember Frida kneeling at the front of the stage to sing "I Have A Dream," and I remember being envious of the children (from the Vancouver Children`s Choir) who came on to sing with ABBA. I remember the atmosphere and the flickering lights from the audience when Agnetha sang "I`m Still Alive," and I recall with great glee the roar that came up when Frida emerged wearing her Vancouver Whitecaps tee-shirt for the raunchy "Why Did It Have To Be Me." I was already head over heels in love with her, and after her great duet with Bjorn I was completely devoted to her. One of my favourite parts of the concert was when Frida sang "Fernando" at the front of the stage -- I broke free from my mother in the upper seats (I was not on the main floor where I should have been) and convinced a security guard that I needed to take photographs with my Instamatic (they didn`t turn out). I squeezed my way to the front of the crowd and took photos and even managed to convince myself that when Frida smiled down at me she was looking straight at me.Anyway, I received many photos from the Vancouver concert months later when I was introduced to a professional photographer who was present at the show. I remember the electricity in the air when "Dancing Queen" was finally sung at the end. Even my mother was boogying. I think this was the first time I had ever been in the presence of marijuana too, as I remember asking my mum what the strange smell was. I do recall being disappointed that "Waterloo" was not sung during the encore; I assume there was not enough energy coming from the crowd to bring them back for one more encore, but all in all I was ecstatic to be there and be a part of history. "Hole in Your Soul" was fully charged and we were all on our feet. The flashing A-B-B-A letters behind the FABB four were mammoth, and it seemed to me that the 17,000 people attending this show were all dedicated ABBA fans. The new song before they left the stage for the last time, "The Way Old Friends Do," with its powerful crescendo, wrapped up the evening poignantly. Never again would I see these four standing on stage together.
The colourful costumes the girls wore made them look like Nordic angels up there, and so damned sexy too. I remember being a little bored during the backing band's rendition of "Not Bad At All," because I just wanted to see Agnetha & Frida singing, nobody else. I was thrilled when they sang "Eagle," and I remember people clapping along to "Chiquitita." I tried so hard to make the night last forever and for days after the show I clung desperately to vivid memories of each song. It was a glorious event, and my fate as a fan was sealed from that moment on. This was the first rock concert I had attended, and this was after three years of loving ABBA, so you can imagine how giddy I was.
I was very nearly prevented from going to the show, because I had been cheeky that morning, and my mum said I was not allowed to attend the concert with her. Luckily for me, she changed her mind and I experienced, as one fan in ABBA in Concert proclaimed, "the most orgasmic night of my life." Any other concert I saw after that night paled in comparison to the hallowed eve I saw the four Swedes performing. I bought a couple of tee-shirts, a programme, an official '79 tour photo (I later ordered baseball caps and fan club materials), and left the Coliseum walking on a cloud of ABBA love. I still float along on the high that I felt during that night, and I have never been the same since.
Thank you Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and especially Frida, for the most magical night of my life.
Thank you Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and especially Frida, for the most magical night of my life.
posted by MadAboutMillay @ 2:02 PM
0 comments
