Kempton pianist is part of ABBA tribute show
Local musician André Behnke grew up with music from the Swedish pop group, so of course he jumped at the chance to perform in a tribute show.
Mamma Mia! A member of the South African leg of the ABBA tribute show is a proud Kemptonian.
Birch Acres pianist André Behnke (38) joins band members from Australia until February 10 for an ABBA extravaganza at Emperors Palace.
Behnke plays the role of Swedish musician Benny Andersson, and he has the long hair (a wig), sequins outfit and ABBA mannerisms to match after he studied old Abba performances.
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“I grew up with ABBA music, so when Showtime Australia asked me if I wanted to join the show I was very keen,” the former Hoërskool Birchleigh learner told Express over coffee at Emperors Palace. He also recently performed in the Tina: Simply the Best tribute show.
Behnke, who is classically trained and has a B-Tech degree in jazz, always knew he wanted to be a musician.
“My dad is a musician, so I grew up surrounded by records and his instruments.”
But Behnke found the black-and-white keys the most enticing. “I felt naturally inclined towards the piano; it is such a visual instrument.”
On January 18 – opening night of the show – Behnke’s sheet music went flying off the piano when another performer walked by. This made no difference to Behnke, who knows all the music off by heart.
“If anything goes wrong, the show must go on,” he explained.
“It is difficult music, they were phenomenal musicians,” Behnke added, “but because I grew up with the music, it came more naturally.”
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) and Dancing Queen were some of Behnke’s favourite songs to perform.
“The energy was just great.”
For aspiring musicians, Behnke’s advice is to never give up.
“The music scene is tough; there will always be someone better than you. Work hard and persist.”
His own dream for the future is to continue doing what he loves and working with talented musicians.
“Sharing your passions with others is the greatest reward of all.”
As ABBA would say, thank you for the music.
