Melanie C brought a pink tracksuit, a 'Corrie' style saga and Sweary Spice to Manchester on Wednesday night
I'm sorry to remind everybody who was present and aware during the 90s but it’s, quite frighteningly, been 30 years since Sporty, Scary, Ginger, Posh and Baby first emerged onto the scene with a mighty dose of Girl Power.
Within months of their debut, the Spice Girls had their faces splashed on everything from trading cards and lollipops, to crisp packets and Barbie dolls. They were once even famously driven round London by Meatloaf in their very own tour bus after being serenaded by aliens .
But, in 2026, it is easy for many of us to feel disenfranchised with the world and as if those rose-tinted days are sadly all but a distant memory. Yet, moments when Melanie C - Sporty Spice herself - appears on stage at Manchester Academy 2 on Wednesday night for an intimate album release party showcase, it’s like Spice Fever is as loud and as prevalent as ever.
Dressed in a pink Adidas tracksuit, the audience of mostly grown men and women are screaming, crying, throwing up at her arrival. The high kicks and bouncing on stage that immediately proceed during show opener Sweat - dangerously close to becoming the equivalent of a DJ-aided workout just missing a Peloton and a live stream - sets the energetic bar high and shows that Sporty Spice has certainly not slowed things down after three lively decades.
Click here for the latest on Manchester's food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter With this Manchester show being part of a promotional circuit to coincide with the release of her ninth solo album, also named Sweat, fans have been treated to a special show at the 950-capacity venue which perhaps wouldn't happen otherwise - only open to those who have purchased a copy of the latest record.
And if things go the way they’re going so far, it’s set to be her highest-charting record and is also in contention for a top spot on Friday.
'We’ve got just over 24 hours before the UK chart is announced,” she tells fans as she enters into her self-proclaimed 'sales person' mode. 'It would be very nice to get my first ever UK number one as a solo artist!
' With that in mind, this album launch show was always going to be, as Mel describes it, an “amuse bouche” of what is to come when she returns for her headline tour, which stops at the Ritz in Manchester on October 21. But despite this nine-song set lasting roughly around an hour, it never feels short or incomplete and the irony is never lost that the 52-year-old barely even breaks out into a sweat as she gives everything she’s got to the crowd.
Running through club-laced album tracks like catchy What Could Possibly Go Wrong and the disco-infused Attitude , the latest material is up there with the likes of the latest efforts from Zara Larsson and Dua Lipa. In addition, Drum Machine would be a number one hit in an alternative universe where female musicians aren't too often soft-banned from radio and any mainstream TV performances once they hit 40.
“Have you been following the saga? ,” she asks her crowd early into the show as they quite knowingly agree with cheers and laughs. For everyone else out of the loop, she hit the headlines this week after a number of vinyl copies of the latest album printed her name as Melanine C in error. It’s led to think-pieces from people thinking it was a publicity stunt and all sorts of memes online.
“It’s like Corrie,” she laughs as she goes on to boast her love for the north. Later in the show, a self-admittedly 'sleep deprived and off-kilter' Melanie is ready to start a controversial debate after spotting a bit of Sporty-influenced outfits in the crowd.
'A-di-das or Ah-dee-das? ,' she dares to ask as fans erupt into a great divide of opinion .
'I’m going to say if you’re northern, it’s Ah-dee-das,' she affirms. 'Have we got any soft southern ****e in? Better watch out, you might get your head kicked in! Nah, it’s nothing but love at Mel C gigs.
We forgive your Southernness, but it’s ****ing Ah-dee-das, alright.
'I’m going to correct myself as I think I’ve got into a bit of a bad habit, because I’ve lived in the south, soz, for a while. I’ve got a bad habit but I’m going to change it. Adidas, Adidas, Adidas, Adidas. They don’t even pay me, tight *******s!
' With that in mind and ultimately settled, it's back to the music. An acoustic rendition of Northern Star gets the nostalgia going, before it's followed up by 2000 number one hit Never Be The Same Again with fan Mark stepping in on stage from within the crowd to perfectly nail Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes' rap word-for-word. Appropriately, Spice Up Your Life also gets a rousing rendition during the acoustic session which serves as the ultimate throwback to fans.
'I know I keep saying it but, ****ing hell, 30 years! ,' she says amidst tears towards the end of the show as she speaks of those mid-90s days.
'There's people in this room who have supported me and the Spice Girls for 30 years, which is ****ing mental. I grew up what like 40 minutes away from here and it was my dream and it was my fantasy to do what I ****ing do and I do it. So, thank you, cuz, without you lot, I wouldn't be doing it.
' Ending proceedings with the timeless I Turn To You, which turns the Manchester club space into a 3am-style rave, it's a humbling reminder of how big a role a musician like Melanie C has played in my life. The Spice Girls' debut album was my first ever album I got on tape, never knowing who they were before then.
Whilst some may look at them quite naively as an unserious act, they introduced me - and so many others - to music and the world of pop. Like them or not, they had a monumental impact.
So, it's great to see Melanie C is still at the top of her game nine albums into doing her own thing, and those in attendance during Wednesday night's gig have everything crossed that the latest release manages to shift off some of those naysayers with her biggest charting album to date. Sweat What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Undefeated Champion Attitude Northern Star Never Be the Same Again Spice Up Your Life Drum Machine I Turn to You
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