By Delia Paunescu
In the late ’90s a band emerged from England like so many others before it. But unlike the Beatles and Rolling Stones 30 years prior, this band was not made up of awkward young men on the verge of international heartthrob status. In fact, instead of bowl cuts and skinny ties, the members here had wild hair, outrageous costumes and even taller shoes. This band was the Spice Girls and their message of girl power went on to take over the world in an overwhelming wave of kitschy fun.
Unfortunately, even the all-girl troupe went on to prove that when it comes to celebrity bands, gender makes little difference and like so many British imports before them, the Spice Girls lost Ginger Spice (Gerri Halliwell) to the solo bug. Not long after, the remaining quad disbanded. The rest is history as fashionable Posh Spice (Victoria Adams) went on to marry famous footballer David Beckham, creating the paparazzi duo known lovingly as “Posh and Becks.” Scary Spice (Melanie Brown) famously became the baby mama to Eddie Murphy’s love child, Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm) released a club hit in Europe that eventually made its way stateside, gained weight, became a lesbian, lost weight and started dating men again. Only Baby Spice (Emma Bunton) remained more or less out of the spotlight, appearing as a guest commentator on VH1’s “I Love the ’90s” series.
But for the young girls who were fortunate enough to grow up in a time when “Slam your body down and ziggazig ah,” was heard from radios around the country, the Spice Girls were never forgotten. This was an era before boy bands, a time when girls knew they could be anything-scary, baby, ginger, posh or even sporty, to be precise. Their public personas may have been over the top but they did serve in allowing the girls of the Y generation to understand that they needn’t fit a particular mold.
For these girls, all their pre-teen dreams came true last week when the Spice Girls reunion tour reached the Nassau Coliseum. At 8:30 on Wednesday night, precisely an hour after their scheduled start time (they are divas, after all), the Girls took the stage in what can only be described as an explosion of all things girly.
During the two hour set, the women (now in their mid-30’s, most of them mothers) performed their hits from nearly a decade ago. Opening with “Spice Up Your Life” and ending with “Wannabe,” their first hit single, the energy never stopped.
Costumes created specifically for the world tour by designer extraordinaire Roberto Cavalli (who was seen in the audience at Wednesday night’s performance) brought the women into the 21st century. Gone were the six inch platform boots Ginger sported back in the day. In their place, the Girls donned five inch stiletto heels in which they most impressively strutted the entire time. Fans quickly noticed that Posh’s famous pin-straight bob had even been styled with a glitter spray and that Sporty’s entire eyelids shone like disco balls. Everything from the tights, to the mics and even the girls themselves were covered in sparkled and the Old Jack shift dress that Halliwell was known for in the ’90s had been updated to one that was now in full sequins.
The performance of “The Lady is a Vamp,” a track which refers to Vaudeville and Broadway acts even brought out the old feather fans so popular with Vegas showgirls a half century ago. But in true girl power fashion, the Girls of the hour were fanned not by scantilly clad showgirls in massive headpieces, but rather, by boy toy dancers in leather pants and chains – chains which later became leashes as the Girls walked their gentlemen down the runway.
But for as much as the ladies celebrated their reunion, it was also refreshing to see that they didn’t forget their separation. The song “Holler” was sung without Ginger, in keeping with the fact that it was released after she had left the band. Each Girl also got a chance to showcase her individual talents and present what she’d done since the group’s hey day.
Ultimately useless was Posh’s display. Being that the most memorable of her accomplishments includes marrying the famous (and very attractive) Beckham, the glamazon had little to display and, as a result, the sold-out audience was presented with Posh’s walk down the runway/stage in a most dramatic fashion. Halliwell then performed her cover of “It’s Raining Men”-which was featured in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” Sporty sang her one famous single, “I Turn To You.” Baby performed a song that was rather incoherent but presented in a whirling display of ’60s mod wonder for which the girls’ hometown of London is known so well. Scary solicited an audience member to be tied up under a ladder, a man whom she proceeded to whip with her makeshift microphone and tease with sexual acts during Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman.”
All performances of the Girl’s upbeat hits including “Who Do You Think You Are,” “If U Can’t Dance,” “Stop” and “Never Give Up On the Good Times” were met with much excitement from the audience, which was made up almost entirely of women from 10 to 60. There were some ballads, including “Mama” which featured a picture montage and failed to rouse as much crowd enthusiasm as their better-known works.
The encore performance had the Girls using drag club staples like “We Are Family” and “Celebration” to rouse a crowd who only really wanted to hear “Wannabe.”
By the last “ziggazig ah” the audience felt satisfied and quite fortunate at having seen their childhood heroines reunited; especially since news emerged the day before that, after America, the Girls’ tour is cancelled.