The ABBA Voyage live performance expertise brings to life once more the timeless music of one of many 70s’ greatest pop teams, ABBA. The Swedish foursome referred to as it a day again in 1982, although in 2021 they did reunite on file for one final hurrah which culminated within the album Voyage.

Then the next yr, the group was again on the live performance stage albeit in digital type or as they’ve now change into often called, ABBA-tars. And to explain the ABBA-tars as holograms is inaccurate; they’re digital variations of ABBA created via innovative movement seize efficiency methods by video results firm, Industrial Gentle & Magic – the corporate behind a few of the most unimaginable Hollywood particular results of the final 5 a long time.

The Voyage live performance is held within the purposely constructed ABBA Area in London and includes a 10-piece reside band, with the dual guitar staff of Fernando Sanchez and Christian Mendoza tasked with replicating reside all of the intricacies of the guitar elements on the unique ABBA recordings.

However ABBA Voyage is not any bizarre present. It’s a live performance the place the technicalities concerned are multi-levelled, particularly in relation to the reside band who, every evening, face the problem of bringing ABBA’s memorable music to life for twenty first century audiences.

“We attempt to stick as a lot as we are able to to the unique half and to the preparations that we’ve been instructed to play,” explains Sanchez who first auditioned for the gig in June 2025 and made his reside debut with the Voyage band in December, 2025. “Nevertheless, as a result of we’re taking part in each evening and doing a number of exhibits, you’re on this little bubble and so, you begin including somewhat observe right here, and including on one thing there. However after I try this personally, the subsequent day I strive to return to the unique so I don’t lose monitor of what I’m speculated to be taking part in. We all know as musicians we are able to do different issues and perhaps embellish it or do one thing, however I all the time strive to return to the unique the subsequent day.”

“I might say that this isn’t a job for me to place a lot of a stamp on what I need or what I might assume could be wanted,” provides Mendoza, who’s now in his third season with the Voyage troupe after having first auditioned again in December 2023, and made his reside debut in April, 2024. “These are timeless classics and to go and alter like a lead half as a result of I wish to do one thing, isn’t on. I feel the aim of us is to recreate this music and have individuals hear these strains and be excited that they’re listening to the stuff that they have been enthusiastic about once they have been younger or first heard it.”

Reconstruction Employees

From day one the modus operandi for all of the musicians concerned with the live performance was to reconstruct the sonic facets to the unique recordings in minute element. So as to assist the musicians alongside within the strategy of studying the fabric, charts have been additionally supplied up.

“It’s not essentially a gig the place it’s important to learn music, however it’s clearly a large plus in case you do,” explains Sanchez. “I do learn music. So, in my case, I acquired despatched the charts and I needed to be taught the songs earlier than we went into rehearsals. After which in rehearsals we now have our MD who’s guiding us via it, so if we’re taking part in an element that isn’t being performed accurately, he’ll come and allow you to know what we’re speculated to be principally doing.”

And early on within the course of, the musicians acquired some steerage from ABBA’s piano taking part in maestro Benny Andersson.

“After I joined, Benny was at a few of the rehearsals and there have been a number of issues like if he heard one thing that he perhaps wished extra nearer to on the file, he would point out it,” recollects Mendoza.

“Like with the lead line in Figuring out Me, Figuring out You. It was humorous as a result of he mentioned, ‘I don’t know what’s on the paper because it doesn’t matter, as a result of what’s on the file is that this’. And he then sang the road to us. So, he is aware of that typically liberties perhaps get taken in the way in which that stuff will get written, however that was an instance of one thing the place he felt strongly, ‘Let’s do it like the way in which it was’.

“However he was very gracious. I imagine that at that time had we been taking part in one thing very in another way, I really feel like that wouldn’t have occurred as a result of they’d’ve made positive that earlier than Benny got here to the rehearsals, we have been taking part in the music the way in which it’s meant.”

In The Pocket

One of many difficulties each guitarists and the band face every evening are the occasional alternating tempos of the unique recordings which have been recorded within the pre-digital age the place click on tracks weren’t a typical apply within the studio as they’re at this time.

“Among the tracks are usually not precisely to the grid,” says Sanchez. “Individuals file to a click on monitor at this time, however a few of the avatar’s devices are to not a click on so, we now have to concentrate. For instance, in Chiquitta, there’s an element the place Christian and I are taking part in the very same factor and we have to take heed to the monitor intently as a result of it form of strikes across the click on. And if we’re not taking part in precisely to that half, it’ll simply sound a bit messy.”

“There’s a click on in our tracks, however they [ABBA] didn’t put the music to a grid, so it’s going to maneuver,” provides Mendoza. “In Chiquitta, as a result of every thing goes quiet at one level, the press clearly is louder in our ears than usually, however as a result of the piano half is slower, we form of need to ignore the press in that half at the start and simply play to the piano, despite the fact that the press remains to be there.

“We now have to play collectively to this piano half and ignore the press to form of know when to come back in. It’s just for a few bars, however these are little challenges we face. Generally intros too like on Thank You for the Music the press is barely given to us within the intro after which we don’t have a click on. So, the drummer has to play to the vocals and we now have to match his beats to the vocals. However that’s loads simpler to really feel, as you’re taking part in in time following the drums.”

Figuring out Me, Figuring out Tubes

Maybe surprisingly given the technological nature of the present, each guitarists are operating actual tube amps for the present. Each make use of Mesa/Boogie California Tweed amps, with Mendoza primarily utilizing a Fender Telecaster for almost all of the live performance, and a Fender Strat for a number of choose numbers, whereas Sanchez makes use of a Fender Stratocaster for the complete efficiency. Simply as necessary is the collection of tones for the guitars, which too, needs to be matched to the tones on the recordings.

“I constructed my pedalboard to what I knew and in addition after listening to the music, sure overdrives as a result of the gig doesn’t actually essentially want a lot distortion,” explains Mendoza. “I attempt to get near it with simply an overdrive tone, not a lot 80s distortion or no matter. I acquired a Part 90 too due to the funky elements and all that form of stuff. I bear in mind after I auditioned, there was someone who got here in with a type of extra of a heavy steel tone they usually have been taking part in proper, however I bear in mind they have been requested, ‘You assume you can put much less drive in your sound because it’s not fairly in context with the fashion.’

“I acquired given the pedalboard that the earlier guitarist had chosen for the gig,” interjects Sanchez. “So, for me, the problem was to rearrange the way in which I wished to make use of the pedal board, as a result of clearly the opposite guitarist was utilizing it differently. So which may have affected the tone. I needed to attempt to change a number of issues, nevertheless it was a dialog that we needed to have with the blokes, in order that I didn’t change the tone a lot as a result of it’s a really particular factor for the present.”

With a number of performances per week, typically with two in a day, how do the pair address the stress to ship the products evening after evening.

“As a result of it’s a reside band and we’re on stage on a regular basis, for me that will get me buzzing with the viewers,” affirms Sanchez. “It’s not like different stage exhibits the place you’re sat in a pit and it’s very small. I get excited if I’m happening stage to play to three,000 individuals each evening and despite the fact that we’re taking part in the identical factor, there are implausible preparations, and the band that we’re taking part in with is wonderful. And we now have sure freedom to work together with one another on stage, too, which makes it extra fascinating.”

“I’m what they name a street canine,” concurs Mendoza. “So, I’m more than pleased for me as a musician personally. A day performed, is healthier than a day you haven’t performed. And I began out with my first paid gig, after I was 15 years previous taking part in weddings with my dad and mom. My dad and mom are musicians and I performed golf equipment 5 days every week and three one-hour units again in my residence nation of Mexico. So, I’m used to very late nights and taking part in and that’s simply what I reside for.”