The original ambassadors of cheesy Europop are still alive and kicking. Get onboard the Vengabus.
Who would have thought the novelty act that brought us such '90s commercial hits as 'The Vengabus Is Coming' and 'Boom Boom Boom' would be touring Australia in 2013? Certainly not lead vocalist and group mainstay Kim Sasabone. But thanks to an enthusiastic fan base and their successful stint here earlier this year, they're coming back to do it all again.
"Coming back after 12 years, this year in January, was really special. We had the most amazing time," Kim says. "We were supposed to do about five or six shows originally, and it turned out we did ten shows because every show was sold out. We were so proud and happy. Australians are special to us; it is probably our favourite place to be.
"People went crazy with every song we did, it didn't matter if it was an album track, or a hit song. It’s amazing to have 45 minutes of people screaming. This time around it’s even better, because the show's going to be longer. So more than an hour of Venga fun!"
Kim says the show has gotten better and better in the past few years. As for when they were starting out? "Wow, I don't even want to think about it!" she laughs. "When we started out we didn't have any hits, so we only did covers and our first singles 'Parada De Tettas' and 'To Brazil'. Then from 1998 we started releasing the singles that were big hits worldwide. Before we were just fooling around, nobody was making money and we were just having fun. Then it got serious because people actually really liked our music, so we tried to have a more professional approach. We thought we were really cool at the time. But now I think the show is even better, because we have so much experience. It's like an old wine!"
Wouldn’t years of performing ‘Ibiza’ drive you mad, though? “Because we've heard our old songs so many times, it can’t anymore. I think we're immune to it!” Kim says.
If you’re immune to it as well, the tour promises to be a nostalgically fun time. And in case you were wondering, they still wear the crazy outfits. "Crazier outfits!" clarifies Kim.
The Vengabus will pull into the following locations:
Thu Jan 10 — The Esplanade Hotel (St Kilda, VIC)Fri Jan 11 — The Entrance Leagues Club (Bateau Bay, NSW)
Sat Jan 12 — Selina's @ Coogee Bay Hotel (QLD)
Thu Jan 17 — Hornsby RSL (Hornsby, NSW)
Fri Jan 18 — The Hi-Fi (Brisbane)
