Recreating the music of Abba

Abba Forever vocalist Jane Ellis is well placed to judge.

“The success of the film really brought it up to the present day,” says Jane who brings the band to Worthing’s Pavilion Theatre on Friday, September 30 at 7.30pm.

“Before, I would say that the audiences tended to be from the age of 20s groups of hen night women through to the older end of the spectrum. Now we are getting younger children - and they all know the words.

“I do think that the music was still very popular with those that knew it, and it would never have died, but certainly the film has brought it up to the next generation.

“We have been doing this for 11 or 12 years. That’s when we started to put the band together. I have always loved Abba since being little with my dad and mum always putting it on around the house. I went into professional singing and dancing and for me, it was the obvious choice. I feel very very privileged to be able to do something that I enjoy so much.

“Abba were obviously very very good and a very hard act to follow, but we took it all very seriously, really studying and working it all out.”

Of course, there is a bit of chat and banter on stage, but for the music, they very much offer the real deal.

Jane admits that there are plenty of Abba tribute bands out there: “Our edge, we think, is that we are all live. All the singing is live. All the music is live.

“We don’t really come into contact with the other Abba shows out there. Everybody is just striving to be the best, but we have got our edge. There can be some saturation (of the market) out there, but we just let them get on with it and we try to be the best that we can.”

And with a two-hour show, Jane and the band have the luxury to explore a few of the lesser-known Abba tracks which they like to rotate: “It keeps it all fresh for us and gives something for the die-hard Abba fans who will know all the album tracks.”

The night offers a six-piece band featuring electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, drums and bass guitar.

Tickets on 01903 206206.