26 Years

Thursday saw us complete our 26th year of married life. That is quite impressive for some people, when it is 'so easy' to walk away, but that's not how I see it. Vows are 'till-death-us-do-part. In the good times they don't matter, in the hard times you have to fight to keep them. This is not meant to be a reflection on marriage though.

We were given tickets to Mama Mia! night at Stock Brook Manor. Better than that our son, who works there, had organised champagne for us, and looked after us at the reception. The evening was a three course meal (see menu) followed by a st from the band. There were about 150 people there. Apart from a small hiccup with the serving order, Stock Brook Manor did their usual excellent job. The food was very good - lots of things I'm not supposed to eat - but it's only the one night.

Abbalicious were the tribute band. One of the first songs they did was Super Trooper, which refers to the large lights used at a concert. It was then I realised that there was more light behind them than in front of them. It made them difficult to see. I was also unsure during the first songs whether the men were actually playing or just miming to a backing track. Backing tracks were certainly used, as they missed their cue on one occasion. Jo summed it up nicely 'a bit amateurish for Stock Brook'. Mostly the singing was good, and as I have never seen Abba live, I can't really compare. The only song they really didn't get was Waterloo, the song that launched Abba's stardom. Agnetha and Freda both had unusual voices and an extended range, so it is a lot to expect of even a good singer, but I was expecting more, particularly from the girl who played Freda. I also didn't think their sense of humour quite hit the mark - check out their web site to see what I mean. Just too hard hitting for something you are trying to make your money out of.

The set seemed rushed, and they didn't get a standing ovation at the end. I would have preferred that they kept their 'nordic voices' and humour for between the songs, not during them, and perhaps work it into an act.

Over all it was a good evening, but it could have been SO much better.