Live Review: Bjorn Again

Crowds mostly consisting of loyal Bjorn Again fans, dressed up and ready to dance the night away, piled in for the tribute band's second year running at Twilight At Taronga. It drizzled with rain as the ferry pulled into Taronga Zoo. It was a lovely way to start the evening as the weather had dropped down a few degrees, leaving an icy cool breeze.

Bjorn Again began with Tiger, getting the crowd pumped early with their synchronised moves and matching outfits. The chemistry between the four was undeniable and most of the time it completely slipped the audience's minds that they were not, in fact, actually watching ABBA. They transitioned smoothly into Voulez-Vous, which warranted a crowd singalong as well as a mad rush to the 'mosh' (mainly made up of drunk mums and little children). Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) kept the momentum going; the musical textures built dramatically and the dance moves became even more forceful. The crowd was completely under Bjorn Again's spell once the acoustic guitar came out for Chiquitita. Hands flew up in a swaying motion as everyone got completely lost in this classic lullaby about friendship.

The intermission came and went before the group bounced back on stage with a newfound splash of energy, decked out in sparkling gold outfits. The costume changes were fascinating and really helped to keep things visually interesting. For Fernando a disco ball shone brightly onto the stage and audience, creating a luminous euphoria to go with their effortlessly beautiful harmonies.

There were some strange moments after the girls briefly exited and Bjorn Volvo-us and Benny Anderwear began playing a cover of Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer. It may have entertained the crowd — most of them seemed pretty fond of the '80s — but it really ruined the flow. After that they played Ring Ring, adding in a weird skit about Trump and Turnbull that made no sense in the context.

But after this they managed to redeem themselves with an amazing performance of Mamma Mia followed by encores of classic ABBA hits Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Thank You For The Music. Bjorn Again managed to reproduce Sweden's iconic ABBA without a hiccup. We've got to give them five stars for effort and their acting skills stole the show.