35 Comments
Apr 25Liked by Kate Darracott

Love Xanadu and the music video for it!

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My childhood dog was named Xanadu---and it's still the password my parents use for EVERY account they have!

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author

I love that so much! 👏👏👏

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Amazing!

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That concert sounds fab!! I would love to go if they venture to Seattle.

Did you ever see “Muriel’s Wedding?”

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author

I would imagine, over time, venues like the ABBA Arena will pop up all over the world and they’ll just ‘change the tape’ every few weeks to a different artist.

That would be fab!

And yes, loved Muriel’s Wedding! 👏😘

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Apr 25Liked by Kate Darracott

Muriel's Wedding is a classic!!

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Great movie.

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Can I eavesdrop on this pop-up film club? How about Margot at the Wedding with (directed by Noah Baumbach) with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicole Kidman + Jack Black? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6a3z2vXdQU

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That looks fab. Thx for recommend. Jennifer Jason Leigh is such an underrated actress. Except for Backdraft. It must have been a favor job. Otherwise I love her work.

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Happy to latch you on to Margot at the Wedding--I watch it biannually. Now I'm looking at IMDB + Jennifer Jason Leigh. Totally forgot about Single White Female and trying to figure out where to watch Short Cuts (1993) starring---everyone, really. Lily Tomlin, Robert Downey Jr., Madeline Stowe, Julianne Moore, Lyle Lovett, Jack Lemmon--Huey Lewis for crying out loud! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108122/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

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Great! Now I’ve got an earworm and song loop - as if watching every Mamma Mia film variation with my daughter in the last 6 months on repeat wasn’t enough. I’m only half joking. Thx for this beautiful piece

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Hee hee! I feel your pain!

I’ve been singing ‘Thank You For The Music’ everyday since the concert! 😂😂😂

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Apr 25Liked by Kate Darracott

Ha ha ha - one of your best K8! Not only cos I was there (it was epic) but also because you told me yesterday (while we were productively WFP) that this blog was on hold - so a lovely surprise!!

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Ha ha! I’m sure I’ve told you never to believe a word I say! 😉

Glad you enjoyed it… and ABBA too! 😉👏😘

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Sep 16Liked by Kate Darracott

Answers to your suggested questions.

No.

David Bowie.

What is Ripley?

Great article! That mini! And don't forget all the tack and grooming kits squashed into the spacious boot!! Xx

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May 4Liked by Kate Darracott

Great piece - The Rolling Stones should be the next band given the avatar treatment - they could last forever.

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author

I really hope they are working on that now! My best ever gig was seeing them at the Brixton Academy... that's the beauty of this technology, the venue is relatively small for the band's stature! 👍

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Ripley was black and white? You see how much attention I paid watching that movie... It was a good movie, but don't remember the B&W. Not seen Abba Voyage, am an ABBA fan but would want the real thing. But I guess the toll it has on body and mind to tour is too much and from interviews that was one of the things that got them to stop, amongst other reasons. I love the Impala vs Cooper comparison!

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author

Thanks so much for your comments. 😃

I think you may be thinking of the film 'The Talented Mr Ripley' which was indeed in glorious technicolour. Whereas 'Ripley' the recent Netflix series is frustratingly in black & white, approach with caution! 😉 😂

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🤣😂😄 no netflx here so yes was thinking of the movie! Thx for the warning.

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author

Tbh you dodged a bullet on that one, they won't grow their subscriber base with shows like that! 😉

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Well let's see. People rave about netflx but am not convinced just yet! hahahahaha

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I felt the same way you did about Pierce. I actually lost a little respect for him when he did this movie. I cringed every time he sang and thought, "Oh, how the mighty Mr. Bond has fallen." I, too, am a "Grease" fan (but more "Grease 2" because that Maxwell Caulfield dude was fuckin' h-a-w-t!!). I liked Xanadu and love ELO (I have a couple of songs from them on my iPod as well as the Xanadu song!)Back in the day, I really loved ABBA, too. Never seen the ABBA Voyage show even though it sounds pretty cool. Did it travel to the US? I don't remember hearing anything about it. But I think hearing all the songs in the movie (and how some of them were butchered by people that have no business singing to begin with) was just overkill for me.

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author

ABBA Voyage has only been in the UK so far, but it will travel around when it has to move to make way for a building project in 2026, but no one knows where it’s going yet.

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I'm experiencing such a rush of ABBA-cized memories, bouncing around the "Front Bedroom" of my grandmother's house where my aunt had pinned posters of ELO, the Bee Gees and KISS. We weren't allowed to thumbtack anything on our bedroom walls so the envy was real.

When I moved to the west coast at age 18 (from Ontario to BC) a blinding snowstorm swallowed the day and my parents called an airport shuttle to pick me up to ensure I got to my flight in time. ABBA was playing in our living room and as I hugged everyone goodbye it was "Chiquitita" that was playing. I can't hear that song without thinking of that pivotal day--the lump in my throat was like I had swallowed the 8-track.

Fun fact: Vis Island in Croatia (near Hvar) is where they filmed Mamma Mia 2. It's a gorgeous pocket.

Thanks for this one, Kate!

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Aah, thanks for sharing! It’s amazing how their songs have stayed with us all these years.

Funny you should mention Kiss, rumour has it, they are the next ones to get the Abbatar treatment and create a virtual show! 🤫

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Apr 26Liked by Kate Darracott

This ABBA show sounds amazing! Were there a lot of young people at the show? This is such a cool way to introduce amazing bands to younger generations!!! 🤩 Side note: I didn’t watch Grease until it was rereleased at the 20 year anniversary. My girlfriends from Hawaii were obsessed and couldn’t believe I never saw it growing up. They sat me between them at the movie theater and it was magical!🌟

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Yes, it was amazing, and the audience comprised of all ages! I think the Mamma Mia! Film have brought the youngsters in!

There was also a surprising number of straight men! We thought it would be all women and a few gay guys! 👍👏👏

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Apr 26Liked by Kate Darracott

Wow, that's cool! Gotta love a band that appeals to everyone... they're definitely doing something right!

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I’m sure the men were coerced by their partners, but they were having a great time too! 🥳

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Apr 25Liked by Kate Darracott

PS you'd surely love the clips of ONJ, Abba and TBG (The Bee Gees!) jamming together 😃

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Apr 25Liked by Kate Darracott

May I suggest "Mamma Mia The Party" for our next foray..,or perhaps you're all Abba'd out 😂

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author

Yes, let’s look into that! 🥳😘

At least @kaazmeistergeneral s spangly jumpsuit will get another outing! 😂😂👏

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I’ll admit the film was shockingly bad, but the soundtrack awesome! 😂😂

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