There was never any doubt that it was going to be a very good night. This is Aqua’s second show; the first went off with a bang at The Hi Fi and now it’s our turn. The Enmore Theatre is full to the brim with excited, and many costumed, fans. There’s not a disgruntled tag-along in sight. Everybody’s decked out in their 90s best; glow sticks and mesh brightening up the trendy venue.
Teenspirit DJs, the duo assigned to play before and in between the main acts, get the place well and truly moving. The Enmore, despite it’s patchy sound early on, rises to the challenges of a fun show and the crowd goes crazy for the 90s goodies spun, especially “Smells like Teen Spirit” and “Hit Me Baby One More Time”. Teenagers get lost in the throng of 40-somethings – everybody is here to have the best time they possibly can, appearances be damned.
No enthusiasm was lost when Radio Ink hit the stage with their electro pop fun. Led by the quirky Miss S they pumped out thirty minutes of solid sound, mixing original material with popular mash-ups. Radio Ink, despite some microphone issues here and there, fit the 90s spirit perfectly and the crowd are more then satisfied.
In what feels like no time at all Aqua has burst onto the stage, looking surprisingly rock and roll. Never mind, they sound like Aqua at their very best. Twenty years on the stage has really served them well with Rene Dif working the crowd like only a true professional can. He made sure the audience felt the love, repeatedly declaring how hot we were, as well as reminding us how hot he is. Other lead vocal Lene Nystrøm is absolutely stunning; just as beautiful as she was in the Barbie Girl video clip, with an allure and sincere charm that draws the crowd in
Crowd favourites “Cartoon Heroes” and “Doctor Jones” flow seamlessly into their newer tracks, with “Sucker For A Superstar” displaying how the band has managed to mature but still keep their cheeky, Euro pop edge. We can’t ignore, however, that most people were here for one song and “Barbie Girl” does not disappoint. Dif and Nystrom clearly have a ball performing it. And the crowd? Well, the crowd go absolutely insane, the sing along is deafening, and a girl in the back corner breaks down into a bizarre crying/laughter hysteric.
“Candyman” ends the set with a bang, with crowd still vicious in their demand for more. Of course the band bounds back onto the stage with an encore, which is hardly heard over the hysteria.
Aqua pulls off one hell of a show, making it clear to us Aussies that they are not just a 90s throwback; they are world class musicians.
– Emma Pietruska
