Arriving at the Palace around 8pm, it was somewhat disheartening to see that Aqua was not scheduled to perform until 10:20pm.
DJ Scotty Don’t warmed up the already packed out house with a mix of sugary pop tunes running the gauntlet from Lady Gaga to Ke$ha to, uh, Lady Gaga again. While a DJ may not be everyone’s taste, the crowd which is mostly female or gay (with a couple of obliged boyfriends looking like they would rather be beaten with bamboo rods) scream, dance and pose to each new track.
Radio Ink takes the stage next. Their music falls into the category of token radio fodder; non-offensive but nothing to write home about. The new single “Who We Are Tonight” is actually pretty catchy but a dismal electro interpretation of The Police classic “Roxanne” should have been left to the experts. The most memorable part of Radio Ink’s set? The apparent quest to ask, “Who is ready for Aqua?!” so many times you have been forgiven for genuinely thinking it was the name of their band.
DJ Scotty Don’t is wheeled out again as the audience grows more impatient by the minute. This set he plays mostly 90s pop which turns the dance floor into something that is part grade 6 disco, part A Night At The Roxbury.
As the lights turn down low, glow sticks are cracked and glitter is smeared across faces. Aqua finally emerges onto the stage and is met with what can only be described as hysteria. “Come here, let me take you on a trip,” sings Lene Nystrom (looking more like Alice from Crystal Castles) as “Playmate To Jesus” opens their set. The only thing louder than the applause for Nystrom is the screaming for co-vocalist Rene Dif. Sandwiched between an adorable gay couple, one screams, “Leeeeennnneeee” at the top of his voice while his partner yells excitedly, “They still look the same!” He is onto something there. For all of the years of hard work and hard partying, Aqua actually look better now than they did when they first appeared on the scene in the mid 90s.
“Cartoon Heroes” is up next, followed by mega hit “Dr Jones” which nearly brings the house down and sends this reviewer back to primary school days. As new song “Like A Robot” is performed in all of its naughty glory; it is hard to believe this is the same band that made their fortune selling music to tweens. A clearly ecstatic Rene addresses the crowd for the first time, “When we first heard that this show had sold out, we were like really?” As promised when interviewed a few weeks ago, they have tweaked a few of their songs to bring them up to date. “Happy Boys And Girls” has had the sugar washed off and now breathes new life with sound closer to dub step in parts. The only glitch of the evening is when Nystrom restarts “My Mamma Said” as she “can’t hear anything… ” but even then she handles it like a true professional.
To see Aqua playing with a live band incorporating original band mates Claus Norreen and Soren Rasted as well as a touring bass player, drummer and a guitarist with a glitter flecked beard who could easily pass as Teen Wolf’s older brother is an unexpected treat. While there have been detractors to the resurgence of 90s bands making the rounds, Aqua actually sound amazing and the fact that they are not mincing around to a backing tape puts them on a ledge above any of their recently toured peers. Somehow I doubt the Eiffel 65/N’Trance tour will pack the same punch. While the new tracks don’t quite get the same reaction as the classics, they are slotted in cleverly enough to ride the waves. And the hooks to their new songs are easy enough that even though much of the crowd may not be familiar they still sing along.
As expected “Turn Back Time” sees the whole room slow dancing with itself, with the exception of a girl in tears on couch who is no doubt wishing she could turn back time to burn all those 90s outfits. The song that launched a billion bad karaoke versions “Barbie Girl” brings down what is left of the house. At this point it is clear that the doll like Nystrom and co have hit a home run. While it may not be forever, Aqua managed to do what many others failed at – they survived. Do your best to get a ticket. Life in plastic may be fantastic, but experiencing the love that was in that room was even better.
– Madison Thomas
