Melanie C has returned Manchester in support of her brand new album, Sweat, which promises to be one of her highest charting solo albums and with that comes an exciting press tour. Her schedule has been full of signings, TV spots and this latest appearance in Manchester gave everyone a test of what’s to come when the Sweat tour starts mobilising across the UK in October. 

With brilliantly affordable tickets, Melanie C gave a passionate performance of hits from Sweat and her iconic album, Northern Star. The majority of these new tracks are high energy dance tracks that lean into the 90s club vibe while still feeling modern and fresh. The title track, Sweat, has a youthful exuberance that lends itself perfectly to her athletic image as she patrolled the stage in her legendary pink tracksuit before disrobing to reveal her absolutely shredded physique that she clearly works hard to maintain. 

This short set answered many questions; can you gather a multitude of different generations together to celebrate such an artist that represents such a specific moment in time? Can you get a random member of the audience to perfectly recreate the rap section of Never Be The Same Again? Is it pronounced Ah-Dee-Das? The answer to all those questions is yes. The connection between Mel, her band and the audience was seamless and acted as a brilliant taster to the full UK tour in October. 

Mel seems to really appreciate her fanbase and dedicated her song, Attitude, to the LGBT community who have supported her endlessly since the days of The Spice Girls. The rest of the set was composed of other hits throughout her career like the emotional ballad, Northern Star, a track that beautifully represents the spirit of Manchester without seeming like melodramatic pandering. It wouldn’t be complete without at least one Spice Girls track and Spice Up Your Life was the perfect choice. The latin infused acoustic version got the crowd even more animated and even towards the end of the set, the energy was way up high. 

The show ended with Mel’s biggest hit, I Turn to You, a dramatic club banger that still continues to captivate the hearts and minds of club goers and dancers throughout the world. Its high energy and dramatic tone make it stand out amongst the rest of the setlist but the strength of the other tracks refuse to let it overshadow them. 

Melanie C may not have had her #1 album as Sweat opened at #3 on the UK charts but that’s still an incredible achievement for an artist 30 years into her career. With a dedicated fanbase that has gone from strength to strength over these past few years, Mel has developed an almost inconceivable amount of hype for an album could very easily have flopped in the age of unpredictable sales in the music industry

Be sure to check out Sweat ahead of the upcoming UK tour and if you were at one of these intimate shows, you can expect even more on the full tour. 

Photogallery Of Melanie C By Christoper James Ryan Photography