According to Agence France Presse, an ABBA tribute group called Bjorn Again claims to have recently performed for an exclusive audience that included Russian president Vladimir Putin. One of the singers, Aileen McLaughlin, “described a nine-hour drive through icy countryside to a military-style compound where the ABBA foursome were put up in barrack-like accommodation and shared a canteen with Russian soldiers. “The group was taken to a small theatre where they performed before Putin–dressed in dinner jacket and bow tie–together with fellow guests obscured by a gauze curtain arrangement, she said. … The band were warned in advance not to try to speak to the audience or leave the stage and Putin made no attempt to speak to them afterwards, instead going off to watch fireworks, she said.” Putin’s spokesman vehemently denies this. So would I. But if the group continues to insist Putin was there, they could be putting themselves in great danger. In fact, the best thing for Bjorn Again to do is to simply drop the matter or announce they were terribly mistaken, lest they finds themselves in an unfortunate Buddy Holly-Ritchie Valens-Big Bopper-Lynyrd Skynyrd-Ricky Nelson mishap. Because Putin always wins and, well, the winner takes it all.
