We have booked our tickets for the new virtual Abba concert. It is an exciting moment, a gig that cannot be cancelled due to the illness of the performers. More importantly, the use of virtual performers — so-called Abbatars — allows a whole generation of people who previously thought that they had no desire to see the Swedish supergroup play to correct this gap in their live music experiences.

Part of me wonders whether, despite the positive reviews, it will simply be one giant and overpriced karaoke evening. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the stars appear as avatars of their youthful selves, surrounded by other visual effects, to deliver a live concert experience. Essentially, we are paying a hefty sum to watch an Abba movie, something neither of us felt compelled to do in the 1970s. 

As I broke the good news to my wife, I began to remember that I never liked Abba that much. I liked a lot of the songs and I loved the movie Mamma Mia!, but part of the joy was hearing them in small doses, like a sudden burst of sunshine, rather than 20 tracks back to back, performed by avatars, complete with the naff side steps that passed for dancing in the 1970s. “Thank You for the Music” is surely one of the most cloying songs ever to pollute the environment, the fossil fuel of pop music but without the redeeming utility.