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Agnetha, played by Bride Pamment and Frida, played by Jessie Phillippi
Calling all dancing queens: Airlie Beach Hotel is soon to be host to SOS The Australian ABBA Tribute Show, bringing back the hits that have had crowds singing along since the ’70s.
In more than 15 years on stage, SOS has seen a few new faces come and go, but the band’s love for ABBA has stayed the same. For Sam Bennett, who plays Björn and handles guitar duties, it all started in the ’90s, when his parents played their ABBA Gold CD to death.
“I think we love ABBA because it just can reach everyone,” Bennett said.
“Everyone’s got a story about ABBA and their connection to ABBA.”
Joining him on stage are Jason Coe as Benny, Bride Pamment as Agnetha and Jessie Phillippi as Frida, and drummer TJ Cappola, who goes by IKEA, rounding out the lineup.
A Swedish accent and a bit of prancing around help Bennett and the band get into character, but it’s tapping into ABBA’s iconic style that unlocks the full talent.
“Once you put that costume on, oh, you are ready to start on stage,” Bennett said.
The crowd can expect all the hits. “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia” and “Waterloo” are all surefire ways to get the crowd singing.
SOS also likes to slip in a few lesser-known favourites when they get the chance, including “Hole in Your Soul” and “When All Is Said and Done”.
The band has played in Airlie plenty of times before, which for Bennett, shows the timelessness of ABBA, routinely seeing locals back on the dance floor.
“We have a lot of friends of the show up in Airlie Beach that come to all of our shows,” Bennett said.
“It’s really different seeing this music performed live as opposed to just listening to it on your own.
“When you’re experiencing that with other people, it’s just such great group music.”
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