So you’ve read all the stories and heard the rumours about the Spice Girls — that they bicker and fight and that they can’t stand the very sight of each other.
There’s also something about the rest of the girls being jealous of Victoria Beckham’s success and her high profile friends— that she’s too, well, posh, to associate herself with the rest of the girls. Oh, what about the one about the girls having a major blow-out while rehearsing for the Olympics ceremony?
“Come on,” says Melanie Chisholm with a sigh. She, by the way, does not mind still being referred to as Sporty Spice. “We love each other, we care about each other and we have a very strong bond that will never be broken.
“You know what, sometimes we do fall out, we are a group of friends and we are very close. Sometimes we have disagreements but we are adults and we always sort it out. We’ve been spoken about for well over a decade, we really don’t bother looking at it anymore.”
Chisholm, or more popularly, Mel C, will return to the UAE after 12 years on November 1 as part of the Beats on Beach free concert series on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. She will also play at Skybar the same night, a ticketed, more intimate club event.
“I was in Dubai a very long time ago, towards the last leg promoting my debut solo album and I did some shows there. But I have never been to Abu Dhabi so I’m looking forward to perform on the beach.”
Stages, Mel C’s sixth solo album was released recently, 13 years after her first album ‘Northern Star’, and 12 years after the Spice Girls’ last, ‘Forever’. She has sold more than 12 million records and built a No. 1 hit collection that includes ‘Never Be the Same Again’ and ‘I Turn to You’.
Currently travelling with the arena tour of the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, in which she plays Mary Magdalene, the journey of her life, she says, has been a big one.
“There’s been highs and lows. And like everybody else, I have grown up through that time through my music,” she says, speaking over the phone from Dublin. “I was 25 when I released ‘Northern Star’, starting off in my 20s as a Spice Girl and now getting into my 30s. I’m now a mother, working in theatre as well as a solo artist and this year I did my first ever TV show called ‘Superstar’… there’s been so many great things. There just seems to be something new all the time. It’s very exciting.”
But it’s not easy shaking off a legacy (not that she’s trying to) that involves time as member of the best-selling female group of all time. A discussion about her current involvement with musical theatre — even ‘Stages’ is a collection of song covers from theatre shows and films — brings us right back to the Spice Girls, who in June launched ‘Viva Forever! The Musical’, a Mamma Mia!-style theatre production based on their music. The show will open on December 11 in London.
“We are so excited and really proud of it,” she says. “Jennifer Saunders, who has written the story, and Judy Craymer, who has produced it, are absolutely brilliant and they’ve done such a great job. We’ve seen workshops of the show, we’ve just finalised the cast and they’re getting into rehearsals this week and it’s going to be amazing. I just cannot wait for the full production.”
The Spice Girls were always available for inputs, she says.
“We didn’t want to get too involved creatively because we had such a wonderful team. With the five of us and our differing opinions, we just wanted them to get on with it,” she says. “But they were very good in keeping us informed and showing us as things were changing and asking our opinions. But we were just happy with everything… it was kind of faultless, to be honest with you.”
Although the story is inspired by the music of the Spice Girls, it bears no resemblance to real-life stories. Or does it?
“It’s a story about relationships. There’s loads of girl power. It’s about women, relationships between friends and how fame can change relationships. There’s some love interest in there, it’s very much about today’s culture, lots of social networking involved and TV talent shows. But it definitely has the essence of the Spice Girls and all of the songs work beautifully into the story and the new orchestrations are incredible.”
The Spice Girls’ reunion, when they performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, was the most tweeted moment of the global event.
Mel C describes the performance as “incredible”: “From the beginning to the after-party, every second of it was so much fun. We had a great time in rehearsals, we loved spending time together again. Being at the stadium was amazing, so many great British artists… there were legends… we had so much fun.”
The rumours about a Spice-spat or jealousy, she says were ridiculous.
“We are so different, we have different passions, which is a great thing, and one of the strong aspects of the Spice Girls was that we were very individual. We all have different styles, we all have different loves and that’s been great for us moving forward in our careers. We’re all really successful and we’re not in competition with each other.”
Thanks to her evolution musically, fans can expect “lots of flavours” for her Abu Dhabi performance, she says.
“I have a fantastic band. I have two incredible backing singers — we just put on a really fun show. It’s full of hits. It’s a pop show but it’s quite eclectic. My music over the years have been influenced by rock, dance and I like to work acoustically. And the band is really strong so it’s a big sound.”
“To be able to come to your beautiful country and perform for everybody, especially on a beach, which is one of the best places to be, I’m so excited. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been in that part of the world. So I can’t wait to show you what I’m made of.”
*Mel C performs on Thursday at Beats on the Beach, Al Sahil Beach, Abu Dhabi Corniche from 10-11pm. Entry is free. Later, she will perform at Skybar, Yas Island. Tickets priced Dh500 are available. Call 800 35274. Doors open 11pm.
