Review: The Spice Girls rock Murrayfield at Edinburgh concert

The Spice Girls as they performed in Dublin.

They’ve taken a bit of flak over sound issues at recent shows but it’s an outdoor gig for goodness sake and they’re never spot on in that regard. When they were singing, the sound was fine but they did get a bit mumbly on their inter-song chats.

Before the remaining four members took to the stage, their 16 backing dancers romped about as per a bunch of SG lookalikes, or maybe that should be Wanabes. Sorry.

After being raised through the front section of the half-moon stage they went straight into Spice Up Your Life, many sections of the crowd already clearly having done this. Lots of Union Jacks, leopard print, pink dresses and tracksuits in evidence. Even on the guys.

A few songs in, it was time for a wee sit down and a chin-wag with the crowd, Mel B doing a pretty decent Scottish accent and they alluded to Mel C’s alleged Caledonian heritage too.

Amusingly, Geri had a tartan shawl draped over her and was given a cup of tea, prompting the others to refer to her as Granny Spice. Well if you’re going to wear a tiara on stage, you have to expect a bit of stick.

Spice Girls in Edinburgh: Can you spot yourself in our picture gallery?

The set-list has apparently remained the same on this tour, all hits in place unsurprisingly with a few references to other acts and including a superb version of Sister Sledge’s We Are

Family.

As is standard at stadium gigs, the crowd helped make the event, a high point being during Goodbye (Emma Bunton making a sly reference to when Geri left them prior to that) when

someone on tech duty hit a button and the wristbands that had been handed out all kicked into life turning the place in to a multi-coloured firefly swarm, all flashing to the beat. Quite an effect in this size of crowd.

Despite their well known differences in the past, they seem to get on really well and the banter doesn’t seem in any way forced and pleasingly they have a lot of kind words for the throng out front, telling us at one point “Scotland, you’ve got bass (or was that base?), you’ve got heart you’ve got Girl Power.”

Pre-encore, they introduced the band and allowed the crowd to play name the song as they individually played an intro to We Will Rock You, Under Pressure/Ice, Ice Baby and, raising the non-existent roof, 500 Miles.

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After the break, Stop had the crowd miming along as per the well practised hand gestures and a nice wee dedication to their Mothers before, obviously playing Mama and then a

grand finale with their breakout hit Wanabe to close.

These four pros know exactly what they’re doing and who their audience is and they deliver a superb, if limited show of hits and some album tracks and despite their self-deprecating references to their ages, this did not seem like a farewell.

5 out of 7 stars