About My Blog

I created this blog to help share ABBA information with other fans and to show off my new collection items :)


Please note: Collection item photos are from my own personal collection. These are not stock photos. If you wish to use any of my photos elsewhere, please have the courtesy to ask first - Thank you :)

Sunday 13 March 2016

ABBA In Australia 13th March 1977 - Today It's Farewell to ABBA !





ON THIS Day – 13th March 1977

ABBA Live In Australia !

Well my friends, and fellow fans, today we farewell ABBA from Australia.

At 7.30pm ABBA boarded their plane at Perth airport and flew home to Sweden.
It was a very sad feeling to know that they were leaving our country – we had no idea it would be the last time we would see them here.

What an amazing time it was between 27th February and 13th March 1977.
Over 4300 kilometres travelled, 4 capital cities, 11 concerts, 160,000 tickets sold.

Australia had never experienced anything like this Tour before – it was the first of its kind for us.
And ABBA had never experienced anything like Australia before.
Neither ABBA, nor Australia, would see anything like this again.

We gave them everything Australia had to offer.
Torrential rain, gale force winds, thousands of insects, illness, injury – glorious sunshine, beautiful harbours and bays for sailing, unique wildlife (and no, I don’t mean the fans !) – harassing media,  pushy politicians, a bomb threat – and thousands upon thousands of screaming, maniacal, adoring fans wherever they went.

In return, ABBA gave us everything they had to offer – and they were truly magnificent.
They took everything we threw at them – with style, grace, humour and a fabulous level of energy.

When they came to Australia, it was mania in the true sense of the word. To say it was a crazy time is an understatement.
By the time they left here, that mania was evolving into a deep and true respect and admiration for this magnificent and phenomenal group of Swedes – and it continues to this day.

They gave us the time of our lives – nothing else would ever compare – and we thank you ABBA from the bottom of our hearts.

They came - they saw - they endured - they conquered !



































Saturday 12 March 2016

ABBA In Australia 12th March 1977 - The Last Concerts In Perth Today !


 

 ON THIS Day – 12th March 1977


ABBA Live In Australia !

Perth, Western Australia

Perth Entertainment Centre
Wellington Street, Perth

Show 1:  2.30pm
Show 2:  8.30pm

Today, the last day of the tour in Australia, ABBA would perform 2 shows at the Entertainment Centre.
Both shows were of course, sold out.

Talk about saturation media. Well, actually, I can’t – as there does not seem to be any media coverage of this day at all.
I have scoured scrapbooks, online newspaper archives, online library archives – blogs and websites – and I have come up with absolutely nothing !

I am stunned to stay the least.

We know ABBA were absolutely hounded by the Press in Australia – and there were masses of media at the airport when they arrived in Perth.
But it would appear that after the bomb scare on 9th March, all journalists stayed away.

It makes no sense that there is nothing to be found by way of reviews, articles or images by the media. Perhaps there are newspapers that have yet to be digitised – and hopefully at some stage they will emerge.

Interestingly, in all my years of collecting, I have never found any recordings of these shows.

Thankfully at least one fan took a few photos – and these can be seen in the comments below.
I have no information as to who actually took these photos unfortunately.

I have also added a few extra photos that I know were taken in Perth, but as I have no details on which concerts they are from, I decided to save them for today.

During the Perth leg of the tour, a local radio station in Perth put on an ABBA day for kids under 12.  They set up a dance floor with lights and played ABBA for the kids to dance. There was a competition and the prizes were ABBA t-shirts and posters. The children were also given an ice cream, a packet of chips and a drink. Sounds like great fun !
As far as I can ascertain, the radio station was 6PM. Nice one guys ! J

Now, I have come across a very interesting little tale in my searching – and I am in the process of trying to have this story substantiated.
I believe it is worth sharing in the meantime.
If it is true, it is something that no one has covered before.
If it is untrue, I find it very amusing that a particular person told the story, and that a prominent organisation has the story on their website.

A man named Kevin Owens was the Rear Commodore at the Mounts Bay Sailing Club in Perth at the time ABBA were there.
Mounts Bay is a subsidiary of, and right next to, the Royal Perth Yacht Club.
He has been involved in sailing for many decades and in 2013, he was awarded a Yachting Foundation Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution To Yachting.

‘Yachting Western Australia’ has a detailed article on their site about Mr Owen’s award and his history in the industry.

At the end of the article there is an extra little story which obviously comes directly from Mr Owens, as told by another person, and it goes like this:

“The popular group ABBA visited Perth and one fine day whilst Kevin Owens was taking his students from Hamilton High School for a sailing class at Point Walter, a large power boat stopped by. It was none other than the ABBA group who were on a river tour in a launch from Royal Perth Yacht Club. ABBA stopped to chat to the group of school kids and then one of the ABBA girls gave her shoes to a school girl in the group who was ecstatic. The school kids were absolutely thrilled as was Kevin but that is not the end of the story.

En route back to Royal Perth Yacht Club ABBA spotted the expansive green lawn at Mounts Bay Sailing Club and arranged to hire the place for a tour end party.

For security, the club grounds were cordoned off at a cost to ABBA and that night Rear Commodores Kevin Owens and Laurie Chivers hosted ABBA and had the party of their lives! Singing, dancing and partying with ABBA - what a memory…”.

Personally, I fail to see how such an event could have taken place without everyone knowing about it.
Even if it was kept very quiet at the time, someone would have talked at some point afterwards.
I also cannot imagine that no photos would have been taken, and they certainly would have surfaced along the way.
Plus, what venue in their right mind would not use such an amazing event to promote themselves later ?

And yet, there is no information to be found anywhere about this fabulous party – or about the school kids chatting with ABBA.
As for the girl who was supposedly given shoes by one of the ABBA ladies, I am pretty sure she would have been telling everyone – and media surely would have picked up on this whole thing. We know media were taking photos of ABBA during their cruise that day.

However, I cannot bring myself to totally dismiss this story.

Mr Owens was 83 at the time he received the medal – and I just can’t see that he would be the type to make up such a nonsense story – especially as others could dispute it.

It makes no sense at all though that this could have stayed under the radar all these years.

I am very keen to know the facts.

Is it really possible ?

If I get any further information about this, I will share it immediately.

If it is true, my guess is that it was Frida who gave away her shoes ! lol






















Friday 11 March 2016

ABBA In Australia 11th March 1977 - Pool Fun & Meeting Alice Cooper !


ON THIS Day – 11th March 1977

ABBA Live In Australia !

Perth, Western Australia

Perth Entertainment Centre
Wellington Street, Perth

Show: 9.00pm

Today ABBA would perform only one show at 9pm which left them free for the day to just relax, hang out with other hotel guests, have a swim – and I think they needed this time to get over the events of the night before – maybe even have a sleep in.

At the same time ABBA were touring Australia, a few other international artists were also here.
As luck would have it, many were staying at the same hotel as ABBA.

These artists included The Dubliners, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Stephane Grappeli, the Diz Disley Trio – and Alice Cooper. Alice would be performing at the Entertainment Centre on 14th and 15th.

There were, as usual, fans hanging around outside the hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of ABBA out on the balcony of their room.
They began chanting “ABBA ABBA ABBA”.

Alice recalls being in his room at the hotel and hearing this chanting.  However, with the sound slightly muffled, what he thought he heard was “Alice Alice Alice” !
He headed out on to his balcony quite pleased that there were fans calling out for him. The crowd was cheering and he began waving to them.
He finally realised that they were not saying ‘Alice’ – even though they were all looking up towards his balcony.
He leaned out a bit and looked down – and saw that ABBA were on the balcony below him. A little embarrassing I would think.

I felt a little sorry for him about this – but what can you do ? lol

At least they made it up to him by allowing him to join them for photos ! :D

It is difficult to find out who instigated the meeting of the artists at the hotel at the time, but there are group photos of not just ABBA and Alice Cooper, but some of the other artists as well.

I find the photos with Alice quite amusing – he was in a whole other category to ABBA wasn’t he ?
I really liked Alice Cooper by the way - although I am not sure how much I knew of him in 1977.





After this gathering of the famous for the media, ABBA then took to the grounds for a workout.
The images from this are very well known and were printed in a PIX/People magazine in Australia.
I have added these images below along with a few privately taken photos of this session.
I have also included the exercise routine from the magazine – so come on people, Get Fit With ABBA !

After the workout ABBA enjoyed a nice relaxing time by the pool – during which more photos were taken – and these are also below for your viewing pleasure.

During their relaxed time by the pool ABBA were visited and serenaded by an Aboriginal group from the New Era Fellowship.
The small group apparently played Bang A Boomerang for ABBA on didgeridoos by the pool !
 









All in all, a very interesting day at the Parmelia.












The 9pm show was sold out as with every other concert.
There were no bomb threats this time !

I am quite disappointed at my lack of detail for these concerts – no clippings or articles really.

Are there any readers here who were at the Perth shows ? Anyone with clippings from newspapers at the time ? It really would be great to see something or hear of your experience.