Irony is a powerful thing, anyone on the internet can tell you that. As we once noted, it basically resurrected the career of British entertainer Rick Astley, but more often it seems as though what’s fun as an internet joke isn’t something we actually want to spend money on.

Sure, we love poking fun at Darude and his immortal dance floor filler ‘Sandstorm’, but adding him to the lineup of Future Music Festival didn’t exactly secure the future of that festival. Just because we like to laugh at something doesn’t mean we’ll fork out for it.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the precarious world of touring. Promoters and bookers will often book acts based on kitsch value alone because they just so happened to become the butt of an internet joke on 4Chan. Artists from the ’80s and ’90s usually get it the worst.

One prominent example is Shannon Noll, who’s become the in-joke of our proud Commonwealth. Everybody loves a Shannon Noll meme and we even have campaigns to get him on the lineup of Groovin The Moo and Splendour.

But it’s doubtful the thousands who click ‘Going’ as soon as he puts up a new Facebook event page are genuine fans. Would a Shannon Noll headline tour actually move some tickets? It well could, but for other ironic ‘lol let’s go see X’ acts, it’s unlikely.

Enter The Vengaboys. Best known for cheesy ’90s Eurodance hits like ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!’, ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’, and ‘We Like to Party’, The Vengaboys are on the cusp of selling out their upcoming Australian tour.

No, really. You can write them off as a nostalgia act, but people are buying up tickets to the group’s October/November tour in droves. Tickets went on sale earlier this week and already the group have sold out their two Melbourne shows and a gig in Sydney.

Due to the overwhelming (and frankly unexpected) demand, promoters have added a third date in Melbourne and a second date in Sydney. These aren’t small rooms, either. The Sydney gig takes place at Luna Park’s Big Top and the Melbourne show is at 170 Russell in the CBD.

As FasterLouder notes, people are even forking out $209 for VIP meet-and-greet passes to the shows. VIP packages for the Vengaboys’ first two Melbourne shows, as well as dates in Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide have already sold out.

The VIP packages include a show pass, a poster, the chance to get two items signed by the band, a photo with the group, and of course, a VIP lanyard …yeah, we don’t get it either. Australia gets a constant barrage of failed kitsch tours, so why is this one doing so well?

One possible explanation is the lineup. In addition to reliving your ’90s club days (or school disco days, depending on how old you were) with The Vengaboys, you’ll get to do likewise with a support roster that includes Tina Cousins, Crystal Waters, DJ Sammy, Whigfield, Sonique, and Joanne.

They’re cheesy, they’re out of style, you could even argue that some of these acts have largely been forgotten about, but they still enjoy one shining moment in the sun in the memories of Australia’s punters.

The Vengaboys Australian Tour Dates

Sunday, 30th October 2016 – SOLD OUT
170 Russell, Melbourne

Monday, 31st October 2016 – SOLD OUT
170 Russell, Melbourne

Thursday, 3rd November 2016
Wrest Point, Hobart

Friday, 4th November 2016
Eatons Hill, Brisbane

Saturday, 5th November 2016 – SOLD OUT
Big Top, Sydney

Sunday, 6th November 2016
Big Top, Sydney

Wednesday, 9th November 2016
170 Russell, Melbourne

Friday, 11th November 2016
The Gov, Adelaide

Saturday, 12th November 2016
Metro City, Perth