Tribute acts have been around for years, but their popularity is growing faster than ever. Nostalgia sells. And audiences are paying good money for it — tickets over 100 euro are no longer an exception.
What does it look like from the inside? Four Australian tribute acts offer a look behind the scenes.
Bjorn Again — ABBA tribute
Founder John Tyrell didn't like ABBA at all in 1988. But a friend convinced him: "That's not the point." Bjorn Again now plays 300 to 400 times a year, in about 120 countries. Glastonbury, Wembley, Sydney Opera House — they've played them all. Dave Grohl is a fan. Russell Crowe booked them for his wedding. Vladimir Putin for a private show in Moscow.
Tyrell: "We are not driven by money. We were just doing it for fun."
The Dolly Show — Dolly Parton tribute
Out of costume, Kelly O'Brien doesn't look like Dolly Parton at all. But she's willing to do anything for it. In 2007, she took out a £10,000 loan for prosthetics, wigs, costumes, and corsets. Every show: six costume changes and two hours of makeup. For three months, she studied every Parton video to perfectly mimic her laugh. Result: 75 to 100 shows a year and a shortlist for a Broadway production about Parton's life.
The Australian Bee Gees Show
More than 10,000 shows played. Six regular shows a week in Las Vegas. Wigs, fake teeth, makeup — they went to great lengths to resemble the real Bee Gees.
What all acts have in common
Passion and dedication. Not for the money, but for the feeling of sending a hall full of people home with a smile. That's what brings these artists to the stage time and time again.
Would you like to experience ABBA live at your event? Tributeworld books The Music Of ABBA — the professional ABBA tribute act for festivals, theatres, and events in the Netherlands and Belgium.