Swedish pop group ABBA recently launched the very successful “ABBA Voyage” residency. The shows are hologram-style concerts featuring digital avatars of the group. ABBA isn’t the only act getting in on the hologram trend. Deceased hip-hop artist Tupac had a hologram set at Coachella in 2012, and a few years ago, a Ronnie James Dio hologram tour — which featured a hybrid of live musicians and a Dio hologram — played dates all over the world.
Now it has been revealed that legendary English rockers Led Zeppelin were also asked to do a hologram tour. Guitarist Jimmy Page told The Guardian that the band was approached about the idea but that “it didn’t really get moving” because he and bandmates Robert Plant and John Paul Jones couldn’t agree. ABBA’s virtual show follows the success of their comeback album, “Voyage.” The band appeared on stage as digital representations of themselves at London’s Queen Elizabeth Park.
Page appears to be somewhat on board with the idea as he spoke positively of the Elvis Presley hologram performance. “I bet that was good, but I didn’t see it”, the 78-year-old said. Page also revealed he has mixed feelings towards technology’s increasing role in music. He said that music videos “shut down” a variety of music styles encouraging bands to copy models that worked well for videos. He wasn’t dismissive, however, of the ease at which bands can create from home studios and share music on the internet, citing a band from Brighton that had success in Vietnam after their song was picked up and used in an advertisement in southeast Asia. “It does work,” Page said.
The Dio hologram tour received mixed reviews and reaction, and Dio’s widow, Wendy, also seemed hesitant to try it again. “We went out and we tried it,” Wendy told Ultimate Classic Rock. “There’s still talk about doing the hologram; I don’t know. I think that there’s so much more that’s come along, developing-wise [as far as technology]. I just think that the fans would prefer to see Ronnie as being really Ronnie instead of a hologram. “The hologram is on hold. I don’t know if we’re going to do that again.”
Wendy Dio did say that the Dio band (which usually features ex-Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and former Dio and AC/DC drummer, Simon Wright) planned to tour in tribute of her late husband. “We are going to tour,” Wendy explained. “I’m working on some special effects of stuff with … film of Ronnie, not a hologram. … I found a bunch of footage that was done.” She added, “We’ve been taking that and working with that with special effects and things. It looks really, really cool. I’m hoping this is going to come out really, really well. I’ve only seen a few bits of it. It’s a long procedure and expensive, so we’ve been working on it. But I think the fans will like it and enjoy it.”
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