Thank You for the Music at Adelphi Theatre

Evoking that typical charm of the 70s and early 80s, Thank You for the Music delivers a crowd-pleasing night of ABBA’s greatest hits. With strong performances and superb songs that ooze nostalgia, this tribute band is sure to guarantee an entertaining evening.

Like any tribute band, the one at the heart of Thank You is primarily powerful in the way it conjures up the experience of going to a real ABBA concert – from Dancing Queen to Waterloo and Mamma Mia, everything is there.

Naturally, the musicians aren’t the original. They’re not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just not quite like ABBA. However, they’re uncannily apt at seeming like they’re the real deal, with accents, outfits, mannerisms and generally the entire production – such as the stage design and lighting effects – could be straight out of the 70s. It all serves to engage the audience, who are there to receive just that: the feeling of being at an actual ABBA concert.

This is the crux of tribute bands: a lot of their success depends on the onlookers’ enthusiasm, all of whom clap and wave their arms or mobile phones to the rhythm right from the start. Indeed, the band stresses outright that audience participation is not only tolerated but encouraged –and so there are plenty of people on their feet by the end, dancing or swaying with fervour to Gimme Gimme Gimme or Fernando.

It’s all in good humour, of course, even if it does boil down to the fact that it is a feel-good show for ABBA fans, with a crazy amount of energy brought to the table not just by the band, but also by attendees, even before a single note has been played. In the absence of having access to the original, Thank You for the Music is the closest we can get to hearing the real deal – and it’s not even performed by holograms!

Michael Higgs

Thank You for the Music was at Adelphi Theatre on 21^st November 2023 and is now touring. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.