Life in plastic wasn’t so fantastic for 90s pop sensations Aqua on Thursday after one of their singers broke down in tears during a show. The Danish-Norwegian dance pop group, who scored three number ones in the
UK during their heyday , including novelty classic Barbie Girl in 1997, are currently on tour in Australia . Until now, the tour had gone by without a hitch as the group – currently a trio – played several
USA dates, still performing their songs to huge crowds almost 30 years after their peak. But according to reports from
Australian radio station Mix 94.5, lead
Singer Lene Nystrom, 50, could be seen ‘floundering’ and ‘crying’ after having a ‘panic attack’ during a performance in the city of Perth this week. The night is said to have got off to a bad start when the band displayed the words ‘Hello Adelaide!’ on the giant screen behind them – Perth and Adelaide are over 2,000 miles apart. Mix 94.5 producer Shelby Brady then recounted what happened next: ‘They were doing a song and she (Lene Nystrom) pulled her earpiece out. And she walked off. They were still doing an entire song without her, they were floundering. ‘They came on and said “We are having a sound issue. We will be back in 8 minutes” but I can confirm it wasn’t 8 minutes. It was an hour!’ Shelby then went on to describe how, after more than 20 minutes of near-silence, Lene eventually returned to the stage having removed her costume, deciding to finish the show in her pyjamas. But even after returning to the stage, Lene didn’t seem comfortable: ‘She was dressed in pleather before – then she was in her pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt. She was crying. She was heavy breathing the whole time.’ 80s rock legend doesn't know when he'll tour again after major surgery Another 80s band reforms and joins list of nostalgic
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BREAKING chart-topping hit As the performance continued, the Doctor Jones singer spent the rest of the performance choosing not to sing at various points, instead ‘putting the microphone down’ and asking the audience to fill in the blanks. Shelby reported that the rest of the band, René Dif and Soren Rasted, tried to cheer Lene up again and keep her going but couldn’t prevent the audience from feeling ‘out of the loop’ after being off-stage for so long. Aqua first hit the big time in 1996 with their debut album Aquarium, which produced three UK number one singles – Barbie Girl, Doctor Jones, and Turn Back Time – Barbie Girl eventually being certified quadruple platinum in the UK. Even after their initial success in the UK had passed by, they continued to be incredibly popular in their home nation of Denmark, scoring another three number one singles well into the 2000s. And thanks to the release of 2023
box office smash Barbie, starring
Margot Robbie, they found themselves back in the charts after their involvement with Barbie World – a song on the film’s soundtrack featuring
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. Aqua initially disbanded in 2001 but got back together in 2008, and then again in 2016. They last released an album of new material in 2011 but have sporadically released standalone singles while continuing to tour around the world. Metro.co.uk has contacted Aqua for more details. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you. MORE : Huge 1990s band announces new tour 30 years after record breaking chart-topping hit MORE : Music legend, 83, shares heartwarming update on tour after health concerns