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ABBA LIVE IN WEMBLEY, November 1979: I Was There!
Can it really be 25 years ago since I witnessed ABBA live in concert at London's Wembley Arena - the date Wed 7th November! Even now I can just close my eyes and transport myself back to that cold damp November time in 1979 when as a 17 year old I saw the band live in concert and more importantly, so lucky to have been invited backstage at Wembley to meet Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Frida! To stand at the venue and see the sign ABBA IN CONCERT in big letters lit above the entrance made me feel proud to be an Abba fan, emotional and tearful and very nervous... Very nervous because this was the moment I had been waiting for 5 years and in my hand was the ticket to let me through the gates. I held onto it so tightly as I had done since I received it back in the early Summer. The security guard wanted to tear it in half but I wanted to keep it intact at all costs!! As I sat in my seat the lights went out and a classical into entitled Gammal Fabodpsalm played by Benny began proceedings. I was a physical wreck all my emotions of five years of fandom suddenly came out and my legs felt like jelly as I found it difficult to focus on the fact that for all these years ABBA were on my bedroom wall and now they were in front of me all four! Even now its difficult to describe, its one of life's emotions that just takes over your whole body.# Enough said... you've all read about and seen ABBA in concert the DVD to give you a picture of what it was like. Incidentally 2004's release of the DVD with the clip The Way Old Friends Do as extra footage, brought back all those feelings described above in my own lounge!! Anyway, having run my own ABBA fan club in the 70's did give me a privilege in that John Spalding (Bocu Music) invited me to join him backstage after the concert. I gave him my seat number and along with my good friend Duncan Powell who lived in Bristol and ran the ABBA Stockcupboard (for those of you who may remember him). At the end of the concert sure enough, he came to get us and we stood in a holding pen by the side of the stage until the coast was clear. I know that I was so lucky to have this opportunity as we were both led along the dark concrete corridor at Wembley. The adrenaline was flowing, my heart thumping thousands of beats a minute. God I felt sick could I cope with this...... I really had to bite my tongue hard to pull myself together. I kept saying to myself "don't blow it Vaughan this is your only chance."
"The girls are changing" said John, "but come and met Benny and Björn." We entered a hospitality room and already people were tucking into snacks laid out on a table to the left. Over in the corner on the right were two people that I had worshiped all these years...... John introduced me to Benny who immediately said hello. " Did you enjoy the concert? " he enquired. "Yes it was great" I said. " Yes I think it was one of our best nights at Wembley" he said. "Congratulations Benny on Chiquitita making the US charts at no 70 this week" I said. ""Oh really" he said quite surprised.
John then interrupted " come and meet Björn". As we walked across the room he was with a pretty blonde in a maroon trouser suit ( who he later introduced as Lena his girlfriend) " I really enjoyed the concert but I guess you must be exhausted" I said. "No not really, here let me sign your programmes. Then Frida came into the room and Benny immediately grabbed my camera and took a photo of the two of us. I can honestly say that the atmosphere backstage was wonderful. Then I noticed that Agnetha came in to get something to eat. We went over to her and Duncan had his photo taken with her before she made a hasty retreat out of the room. Still I did manage to kiss her!!!!! Out into the cold Wembley air I travelled back to London with my signed programmes and just relived that precious moment over and over in my head.... Come to think of it I still do and as a fan that will remain with me always! I appreciate that I was so lucky to have met my idols in their heyday and especially at the end of a fantastic concert and day. Yes Wednesday 7th November 1979 is the one day that I will always relive like an annual birthday each year and why not? Time to put the ABBA IN CONCERT 1979 DVD on I think.................................. |
