Those of us who grew up in the 90s have very fond memories of it. With its console wars, wholesome family TV shows, questionable fashion trends and all those pop culture fads that came and went.                                             But most importantly there was the music. And tonight, under the Big Top at Sydney’s Luna Park, we celebrated some of those wondrous chart topping hits which may be long gone but have not been forgotten.

Tonights radical 90’s extravaganza was somewhat a strictly U.K affair, as we were treated to all the pop goodness that came out of the U.K and into the charts that then forever stayed in our hearts.

Liberty X, who were the UK’s answer to Australia’s Bardot (if you can remember the show Popstars), opened things up for the night. Today Liberty X is just the female component of the original group and boy do these ladies look fabulous with their singing and hot dancing. My favourite moment was their cover of Chaka Khans Ain’t Nobody.

Yes i think to myself its time for the group I had really come to see. Yes I was an East 17 fan in the 90’s. These British Pop Bad Boys were trouble in their time and caused a fashion trend I would come to regret as I taped the back of my hat up as tight as I could to wear it as high on my head as I could. This action normally resulted in a splitting headache, but it was all in the name of being cool.

The guys come out looking all suave and fancy in their suits, gone are the Keppers and Hi fitting hats. They opened with the huge hit, House Of Love and continued to keep the energy levels in the room high as they danced and moved about the stage working their way through all the big numbers, schmoozing the fans at the front and getting us to go Deep Deep Down. After the set they announced they have a new album out, which I bought, and have no regrets about. These guys killed it tonight and awakened my 13 year old self everything really was Alright. 

S Club 7 which have in fact been S Club 3 for awhile now, were tonight just S Club 2 as member Joe was in the hospital. But be it 2, 3 or 7 that did not stop any of us in the crowd from getting our groove on as we lost ourselves in a state of nostalgic bliss. Tracks like Bring it all Back and Reach for the Stars had our hands held out high and it was the funky S Club beat that had us all non stop moving as they finished off the set.

It was now time for us to meow as loud as we could for the arrival on stage of Atomic Kitten. When these ladies walked out on stage I couldn’t think of any name change to Atomic Sex Kittens that would be as appropriate. These ladies have lost nothing of their singing skill with their voices sounding beautiful and filling up the whole room, which was so evident when they covered the Bangles Eternal Flame, just sensational. They danced their way through their chart topping hits and when it came time to end their set it was with the smash hit Whole Again that saw us all sing and sway along as we held close the person we loved.

We have reached the climax of this evenings extravaganza. After waiting for the headliners to come out and dazzle us, and dazzle us they did, B*Witched hit the stage doing an Irish jig to a techno beat. I must admit it is something I have never witnessed before, it is quite catchy and had my feet moving like I was Michael Flatley. These ladies kept up the theme of the night, and for me they were looking even better now then they did in the 90’s. My oh my. Jesse Hold On was the first hit out of the gate and from then on in it was a roller coaster of B*witching goodness. The Abba Melody had everybody acting out as if they were recreating the famous scene from Muriel’s Wedding and to top it all off C’est La Vie.

What a fantastic night of live 90’s nostalgia it was. I never thought in a million years that I would end up seeing, and singing along to every word,  the music of B*WITCHED, ATOMIC KITTEN, S CLUB 3, EAST 17 and LIBERTY X all together on One Stage for this One Night. It really bought back some awesome memories and created some fantastic new ones I am sure to cherish.  

Make sure you go out catch yourself a case of 90’s nostalgia when it comes to a town near you.

Review – Chad 

Gallery – Christian Ross