‘70s pop stars ABBA to be digitally recreated for virtual reality world tour

ABBA are planning to tour Australia — as holograms, or ABBA-tars. The ’70s pop superstars are being digitally recreated for a 2019 virtual reality world tour.

A digitally recreated version of ABBA is set to tour the world.

ABBA are planning to tour Australia — as holograms, or ABBA-tars.

The ’70s pop superstars are being digitally recreated as avatars for a 2019 virtual reality world tour.

FORTY YEARS AGO A ROGUE BOMB THREAT NEARLY DERAILED ABBA’S AUSTRALIAN TOUR

The hi-tech tour would be the first of its kind, with holograms usually reserved for dead musicians.

“It’s perfect,” ABBA’s Benny Andersson told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“We can be on stage while I’m home walking the dogs. I don’t have to leave my house. If this really works there’ll be a lot of artists wanting to do the same thing, even artists who are still young and still touring. It’s a very interesting project.”

ABBA perform at Sydney Showgrounds in 1977.

‘Molly’ Meldrum interviews ABBA on ‘Countdown’.

All four members of ABBA are involved, being digitally “cast” for the virtual reality tour, which was an idea pitched to them by Spice Girls manager and Idol creator Simon Fuller.

The band have spent a year having measurements taken to make the avatars as lifelike as possible. However, the holograms will be based on how Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Frida looked in 1979.

“We got hooked on it because it’s at the forefront of technology and what it’s possible to do nowadays,” Andersson said.

“To create the four of us digitally, it takes so much skill and so much time to do every hairline, every blink, every iris. If it’s good enough when we finish it’s probably ready to launch in the spring of 2019.”

ABBA in Australia in 1977.

ABBA’s Agnetha Faltskog in concert in Melbourne in 1977.

Andersson, 70, said the ABBA-tars will be projected in front of an actual live band.

“It’ll be like you’re in 1977, with a live band, live backing vocals, a great set design with lights and sound, everything will be like a live concert,” he said. “But we’ll be there in the form of holograms and digital avatars. Our voices will be taken from the records, or maybe some of the live vocals from the Australian tour of 1977. If you’re sitting in the arena you’ll see us up there. It’s quite exciting.”

Hologram tours by the likes of Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Michael Hutchence have long been rumoured as technology improves, but ABBA would be the first time major artists who are still alive are able to “tour” without leaving home.

ABBA at Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

ABBA band members Agnetha and Frida wear Carlton football jumpers.

HOLOGRAM ROCK

TUPAC

Late rapper Tupac Shakur ‘performed’ at the Coachella festival in 2012 as part of a set with the very live Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. The hologram cost around $500,000 and an electronics firm used old video vision to get ‘Pac back on stage.

MICHAEL JACKSON

In 2014, five years after his death, Michael Jackson sang and danced at the Billboard Music Awards — his hologram joining a live band and live dancers. The footage took months to prepare for a few mintues of airtime.

OL DIRTY BASTARD

The Wu Tang Clan got late member ODB back via digital trickery and his son (naturally called Young Dirty Bastard) wearing a motion capture suit. Late NWA rapper Eazy-E was also recreated via hologram for a show, with three of his children helping recreate his voice and image.