FORTY years since Abba formed they now appear to have more tribute shows than Elvis with numerous productions visiting Bournemouth alone this summer.

So it was with some reservation I trundled to the Pavilion to join a remarkably enthusiastic sparkly audience full of Abba fans who had dressed up to look like their glam rock idols.

Spangled mini dresses, metallic platform boots and blue eye-shadow...and that was just some of the men!

To my delight from the moment the concert-style show began I remembered exactly why the Swedish foursome had hit after hit; I like everyone else was able to sing along word perfect to songs ingrained indelibly in our minds.

The band looked remarkably like the originals: Carley Broom as curvaceous blonde Agnetha and Katy Summer as brunette Anni-Frid were far more than convincing lookalikes in their nostalgic authentic costumes.

Yes, they were sexy, sassy and had all the well-known dance moves. But what impressed me more were their vocal talents and the accuracy of the sound. Like Abba who created a wall of sound by overdubbing the girls’ voices in multiple harmonies, this twosome worked hand-in-glove with the talented musicians with Mark Thomas as Bjorn (guitar) and Phil Hawkes as Benny (keyboards).

The tunes were undeniably infectious, from Waterloo to Mamma Mia!, Dancing Queen to SOS. The urge to party proved impossible to ignore and the entire audience was up dancing, swaying, clapping and even finger-pointing!

Local children from Stagewise theatre school received a standing ovation for their impeccable vocals after joining the band on Fernando and I Have a Dream.

This original West End production, back in the UK after touring the USA and Hong Kong last year, and set to return to Bournemouth in September, is a platform booted trip down memory lane not to be missed.