...and then there were five.
So, I went with some friends to see the Spice Girls at the Verizon Center for their "Return of the Spice Girls" tour. Supposedly, it's the last time you'll catch them until either (a) need more money, (b) stop hating each other, or (c) get desperate...and none of that is happening anytime in the foreseeable future. I spent a good $120. on a ticket to this, which in retrospect, was SO worth it. This show was perhaps the most fun, well-performed, jolly, saccharine, estrogen-filled event I've been to since drag night at Escuelita's in New York. (Actually, both events have a LOT in common, but you'll see that later when I post the setlist.)
I don't know how we did it, but we managed to pull 4th row seats to this VERY sold-out show at the box office, just about 20 minutes after doors opened. Not just 4th row, but 4th row, sitting right against the catwalk, and being inches away from whatever they had planned for us! Scattered among my seatmates were older gay men, younger gay men with their boyfriends/f-buddies/fat friends/dates, groups of sassy, middle aged gay men, and a couple of teenage girls. Okay, apparently there were lots of teenage girls, but I must've been seated in the affluent, "Yes I bought these tickets from a scalper for $600", fresh off the Orange Line from Northern Virginia section. Basically, we loved our neighbors!
At around 8:20, they came up on the stage from a platform beneath the stage, dressed like crazy fembots doing "Spice Up Your Life" which had everyone screaming like the rapture was among us. Eventually the screams all blended into a resonating high C, which was a good balance to what was being performed onstage. They actually sung live! And they danced, kinda! I was floored.
I loved every song they did, sang along, and gave more sass to the people around me than Halle Berry's performance in B.A.P.S. (remember that?!). By the time they did their "solo" performances, I was on such a high that nothing could bring me down, not even the teenager who decided to essentially pummel my toes with her stilettos, or the ridiculous mass-texting that was going on in my pocket.
...then Victoria Beckham came out for her "solo" showcase, which consisted of her walking down the runway, talking on a cellphone, and generally posing while RuPaul/Madonna mixes played in the background. This happened for about 3 minutes in total. There wasn't a better 3 minutes in the entire show. A lot of other stuff happened, but seriously I'll just let the pictures/setlist talk for me on the rest of this one, and let you guys piece together what happened.
Ohhh, and they did "Spice Up Your Life" again at the end. Hmm, no "Move Over", but I didn't even notice until I got home and checked the setlist.
Setlist:
Intro
Spice Up Your Life
Stop
Say You'll Be There
Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)
Dancers Interlude
The Lady Is A Vamp
Too Much (Jazz Version)
2 Become 1
Dancers Again.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Solo Sections:
Attack of the Catwalk (Posh Spice)
Are You Gonna Go My Way? (Scary Spice)
Maybe (Baby Spice)
Dancers Yet Again, Dazzling.
Viva Forever
Holler (sans Ginger)
It's Raining Men (Ginger Spice)
I Turn to You (Sporty Spice)
Let Love Lead the Way (sans Ginger)
Mama
70's Medley:
Celebration
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)
That's the Way (I Like It)
We Are Family
Goodbye
Dancers Interlude
If You Can't Dance
Wannabe
--Encore--
Spice Up Your Life (reprise)
Oh, and as usual, here's some downloads from their show in London. They're all really great and these were my favorite performances, in order.
Viva Forever (live in London) [zShare]
Encore Break / Spice Up Your Life [Reprise] (live in London) [zShare]
Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) (live in London) [zShare]
Intro / Too Much (Jazz Version) (live in London) [zShare]
Stop (live in London) [zShare]
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