Live Review: Vengaboys, Tina Cousins

Entering the door of Thebarton theatre for Vengaboys was like stepping back in time a good 15 years. Apart from the abundance of phones Snapchatting their way through the set, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the year 2000 again, with platform sneakers and pigtails a plenty.

The nostalgia-seeking crowd was an unsurprising mix of 20-somethings that enjoyed the upbeat dance vibes of Vengaboys on countless Barbie Slumber Party Mix CDs, and older Venga fans looking to relive the Eurodance culture of the early 2000s.

There to help along the way was a monster line-up of one- and two-hit dance wonders: DJ Sammy, Tina Cousins, Crystal Waters, Whigfield, Sonique and Joanne.

A particular highlight was Tina Cousins, with a surprising amount of hits and scantily clad back-up dancers. Despite some of these acts looking a little worse for wear, they captivated the crowd, a hard task when most of the die-hard fans were there solely for the purpose of watching their Dutch heroes take the stage.

When Vengaboys finally appeared, the crowd was raring to go and the band were able to bring all the party they promised. Building suspense from their dramatic opening rendition of Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!, Vengaboys gave the appreciative crowd the synchronised dance extravaganza they came for.

The band struggled to find enough of their own songs to fill a whole set, so borrowed liberally from other dance-pop providers. Their choices were right on theme (but particularly terrible) and included I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas and Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. Thankfully the four-piece left out most of their own Xmas Party Album, saving the crowd from the ubiquitous carols of the festive period.

The sweaty crowd decked out in sailor hats and brandishing glow sticks begged for more and the four-piece were extremely generous, blasting out an absolutely huge reprise of Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!.

The band more than lived up to the hype their live shows have built over the last 20 years, bringing a show brimming with the same energy two decades on.