Abbababes

RICHARD BATSON

Coronation Hall, Mundesley (Mundesley Festival).

Glam pop's answer to the Opera Babes sparkled at a seaside village hall last night.

The Abbababes are a two-girl tribute to the 1970s Swedish sensation who took the European song contest, and then the pop world, by storm.

Abba has spawned a set of tribute bands paying homage to their catchy tunes and dazzling

costumes.

This is the “diet” version: sweet and sparkling but Bjorn-free and without any Benny.

Their bearded “musicians” are pre-recorded in a box. But this is not just cheap karaoke.

The girls lived their parts, keeping up Swedish accents throughout a warm repartee with the audience and even borrowing a couple of “husbands” from the audience.

Harmonies were as tight as the costumes as hit after hit flowed, from Waterloo and Mama Mia to Money Money Money and Dancing Queen.

The Abbababes are a busy act, flitting from holiday camps and corporate events to weddings and birthday parties to bring a soupçon of supergroup to the humblest of venues, with a dash of wit and humour.

They added a new twist to a week of festival entertainment which includes jazz, big bands and country music and runs until Saturday.

Their warm-up act was 16-year-old Guitar George, playing an entertaining mix of Shadows, Dire Straits, Chuck Berry and even Glenn Miller.