Love them or loathe them, there is no denying that the Spice Girls were a phenomenon. They conquered the charts, shifted a staggering number of records and merchandise, and became one of the most recognisable girl groups the world has ever seen.
Opinions may differ over who holds the crown when it comes to total sales, with The Andrew’s Sisters and The Supremes vying for top spot, but their place in pop history is beyond dispute.
The girls have long since gone their separate ways, with varying degrees of success in keeping themselves in the public eye. Tonight, however, Glasgow welcomed the sporty one herself, Melanie C, as she brought her high-energy solo show to SWG3. And if anyone thought she might be ready to hang up the gloves, they were in for a surprise.
Before the main event, a sizeable queue of fans braved the traditional Scottish welcome of rain ahead of the 7pm doors. In a display of misplaced optimism familiar to anyone who has lived here for more than five minutes, plenty had turned up without a jacket. Clearly, they were prepared to suffer a few early blows before getting inside.
Every good boxing bill needs a decent undercard, and Sophie and the Giants certainly delivered.
Sophie, a Sheffield-based artist who has already made impressive inroads into the music scene, arrived with festival appearances at Leeds, Reading and Glastonbury among her credentials. With colourful hair, a vibrant personality and a sound built around punchy, beat-driven pop, she proved an excellent choice to get the crowd warmed up.
This was a new act for me, but it did not take long to appreciate what all the fuss was about. Sophie and her bandmates attacked the set with bags of energy, delivering an enjoyable performance that had the audience firmly onside. Her proud parents were also in attendance, watching from the crowd as their daughter made a very convincing case for herself.
The support was enthusiastic, the atmosphere was building, and the audience was ready for the headline act. The bell was about to ring.
As the house lights dimmed and Melanie’s band took their positions, the noise from the crowd was something else. Calling it a roar barely does it justice.
Then came the entrance. Melanie appeared on stage resplendent in a bespoke boxing robe, looking every inch the champion, and wasted absolutely no time in landing the opening blow with ‘Undefeated Champion’.
Round one to Chisholm.
The question was whether she could maintain that pace for the duration of the contest. And by contest, I mean the set, obviously. This was Glasgow, after all, and I had no intention of encouraging anyone to take the boxing metaphor too literally.
The next seven songs suggested we were heading for an early stoppage. Melanie and her band kept the pressure on, delivering a relentless run of high-energy pop while the singer, now free of her robe, demonstrated some seriously nimble footwork around the stage. There was no hanging back in the corner, no conserving energy for later rounds. This champion had come to work.
A Spice Girls number or two was always likely to make an appearance, and round nine brought a tactical change of pace. ‘Viva Forever’ offered a welcome moment of reflection, giving both performer and audience a chance to catch their breath.
It was a clever move from Team Chisholm. Even the fittest fighters know when to ease off the accelerator before launching another attack.
‘Never Be the Same Again’ continued the change of tempo before Melanie returned to the offensive with ‘Sweat’. The momentum was back, and the crowd responded accordingly.
A cover of Rui da Silva’s ‘Touch Me’ kicked off a four-song combination that carried us towards a much-needed DJ break.
By this point, the atmosphere inside SWG3 was positively boiling. If the temperature had climbed any higher, the venue might have needed a ringside bucket of water.
There was still plenty left in the Mel C tank, though, and the returning champion wasted little time reminding everyone exactly why she had earned her reputation.
The closing stretch was a glorious exercise in pop nostalgia and pure dancefloor enthusiasm. ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and ‘Spice Up Your Life’ brought a double dose of girl power, sending the crowd into overdrive before Melanie delivered the final hammer blow with ‘Drum Machine’.
Bang!
That was the contest settled. No judges’ scorecards required, no controversial decision to debate afterwards. Melanie C had won by knockout, and SWG3 was more than happy to acknowledge the result.
Of course, no champion leaves the ring without taking a final bow. Returning to soak up the adulation, Melanie rewarded her fans with a two-song encore: ‘A Place Where We Belong’, followed by the magnificent ‘I Turn to You’.
It was a fitting finish to a night that had showcased both her pop pedigree and her ability to command a stage in her own right. Her army of fans departed looking thoroughly satisfied, with a fair chance that a few were also slightly sweatier than when they arrived.
Melanie C may have started her career as the sporty member of the biggest pop group on the planet, but tonight she proved she is far more than a former Spice Girl trading on past glories. She remains a formidable live performer, backed by a terrific band and armed with enough energy to leave a younger contender wondering what happened.
There may be plenty of pretenders lining up for the crown, but on this evidence, the undefeated champion still has plenty of gas in the tank.
All hail the Queen of Sport. The bell has rung, the fight is over, and Melanie C remains the undefeated champion.
Review and Photographs by John Brown Photography
