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Post by unomusette on Sept 23, 2021 19:17:34 GMT
This is brilliant though! Loved all the little cameos from famous people, and of course Rik Mayall doing what he did best, sniffle.
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Post by lasttrain929 on Sept 23, 2021 21:03:47 GMT
This is brilliant though! Loved all the little cameos from famous people, and of course Rik Mayall doing what he did best, sniffle. Hard to believe Rik is no longer with us. A very likeable and funny man.
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Post by orioles70 on Oct 31, 2021 13:45:49 GMT
I've not seen a lot of detail about this but aren't the ABBATARs going to be of them in their youth? Personally I'd like to see them as they are now, they've all aged pretty well so why try and pretend they are preserved as younger versions? But if the ticket prices are reasonable it seems like an interesting night out, looking forward to reading your review nickheynes one of their new songs has an almost ELOish title: Don't Shut Me Down and the lyrics sound like the plot to Jeff's TIME album ABBA wrote a song poking fun at their own avatars, but it fits so well with the TIME character - bewildered by the computer in a jumpsuit. I believe it's fair to say - You look bewildered. (by) the shape and form I appear now and now you see another me, I've been reloaded I'm fired up, don't shut me down. I'm like a dream within a dream that's been decoded. I'm not the one you knew. I'm now and then combined. I'm asking you to have an open mind. and I won't be the same ...
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Post by nickheynes on May 31, 2022 13:24:06 GMT
So I've dove in to the holo/ABBATAR world and bought tickets to ABBA Voyage next May. I've not seen any shows like this before and am going in the main for curiosity. My daughter is a big Abba fan and suggested we go. The tickets were £50 so perhaps a quite a bit cheaper than going to see a "real" performer. I wouldn't have been prepared to spend much more. I believe that it was in excess of £100 to see Diana Ross at the o2 and that was for seats up in the gods! I wouldn't have paid that either. They're being quite careful about saying that they're not holograms in the traditional sense ( who ever would have thought that the words "traditional" and "hologram" would be used together!) involved, It's motion capture of ABBA and obviously all four members are still with us. Here's a thought tho'. Elvis , Roy, buddy ( I know he had the crickets but hear me out) were solo performers. ABBA is a band, this show could go on for ever. It's being played in a purpose built arena. what happens when one of them dies? They're all in their 70's. Is the show going to carry on? That is a creepy thought to me! Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd recommend not reading on if you're planning on seeing the show . Mrsnickheynes,our25yo daughter and I attended last night. Firstly the venue. Well it's not on the Olympic Park. It's a good 10-15 minute walk from Westfield opposite Pudding Mill Station. From the outside it looks like a strange shaped warehouse. Inside , its all wood and minimalist. Very Scandi. Very nice. Now I like to get to gigs early but Mrsnickheynes doesn't so we compromised and got there just in time for a drink (my wallet was bled dry at that point!) before going into the arena. It's like the TARDIS it doesn't look big out side but there were 3000 of us in there. Now the Gig. It's not a gig. It's not a concert either . It's an immersive experience. It took a couple of songs for us to get used to what we were seeing. I was looking at some audience members of all ages who were open mouthed. Then we really started to have fun. And it does seem a bit strange initially to clap performers who aren't there. There is a 13 piece real live band. They're fantastic and located on a hydraulic platform to the left of the stage where we were standing. That is until we get to "Does your Mother know" where the two guitarists and the three vocalists take centre stage. There was plenty of space to move and dance and Mrsnickheynes who is only 5' could see perfectly. Here's the tricky bit . How do explain Abba? The "Abbatars" are not holograms, and it's not 3d. So they're on a screen . Got it. But you cant see where it starts and ends. They move around each other . They stand in the shadows. There's depth of field. I was standing stage left and you can see it .Beams of tiny light dance of the glittery costumes , Benny's keyboards reflect the light shone on to them into the auditorium. The Abbatars are not completely photorealistic however They're amazing, really amazing. You can see individual strands of hair, freckles. A tiny mole on Agnetha's neck. The arena lights (real) shine down upon them.(How the hell....?!) and their movements on stage are perfectly co ordinated on the huge screens on either side. But.......... They're better during some songs than others as if they were being developed as the show itself was being developed. In some songs they have mics. In others they don't. And in a couple (Eagle being one)they're not on stage at all and we're watching a very Scandinavian, very good animation .And, obviously, despite each member of the band talking to the audience there's no interaction. I suppose even ILM cant make that happen ....yet. The sound and light are amazing It's loud but clear. In effect the whole arena is the stage with lasers being fired off all over the place, Huge screens dropping down in front of the band and strips of brightly coloured balls moving up and down above your head tempting you to reach up and touch them to check if they're really there, or if the blurred lines in between reality and make believe involve them too. We loved it and whether you're a fan or not. I'd heartily recommend it . Can it replace the traditional concert experience? Of course not but it has it's place, and I can see other performers doing it. I think there's room near the Copperbox for a 3000 capacity spaceship!! The Visitors Hole In Your Soul SOS Knowing Me, Knowing You Chiquitita Fernando Mamma Mia Does Your Mother Know? Eagle Lay All Your Love On Me Summer Night City Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) Voulez-Vous When All Is Said And Done Don't Shut Me Down I Still Have Faith In You Waterloo Thank You For The Music Dancing Queen The Winner Takes It All
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Post by Timeblue on May 31, 2022 16:14:13 GMT
This could be our best bet for a magnificent seven reunion, Orcatars! Since the ABBA figures were based on their 1977 personas, surely they could do the same with ELO! Any computer wizards out there?
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Post by orioles70 on Jun 1, 2022 13:06:41 GMT
This could be our best bet for a magnificent seven reunion, Orcatars! Since the ABBA figures were based on their 1977 personas, surely they could do the same with ELO! Any computer wizards out there? Would Jeff allow Kelly & Bev avatars to share the stage with his own? Computer wizards beware of lawsuits!
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Post by Timeblue on Jun 1, 2022 15:36:02 GMT
This could be our best bet for a magnificent seven reunion, Orcatars! Since the ABBA figures were based on their 1977 personas, surely they could do the same with ELO! Any computer wizards out there? Would Jeff allow Kelly & Bev avatars to share the stage with his own? Computer wizards beware of lawsuits! Surely Jeff wouldn't mind that, it's not as though he has to interact or talk to them or anything! (just like an actual show from the 70s in fact...)
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Post by Spin on Jun 1, 2022 19:18:28 GMT
I'm not paying to see a fu**ing hologram.
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Post by nickheynes on Jun 2, 2022 8:15:14 GMT
I'm not paying to see a fu**ing hologram. Lol me neither normally but did you read my review? Let's face it at most big gigs you're looking at a screen alone of the time anyway!
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Post by Timeblue on Jun 2, 2022 8:47:57 GMT
Big screens have their place especially in big stadiums when you are at the back in the cheap seats. When I was at Wembley in 86 our seats were poor you would have needed binoculars to see the band! The pics that I took that day were of the screens otherwise you wouldn't have known who was playing.
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Post by unomusette on Jun 6, 2022 21:21:30 GMT
Thanks nickheynes for that interesting and detailed review Been wondering what it was like, good to hear from a fellow music fan rather than a tired old music hack.
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Post by BSJ on Jun 7, 2022 17:02:32 GMT
Thanks for the write up nickheynes. I agree with me ninja twiin!
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