Mel C needs spice

Show competent but lacks flash

TORONTO - She's no Northern Star just yet -- but she's got potential.

That would be Melanie C, a.k.a. Sporty Spice, who became the first Spice Girl to tour as a solo artist with a show at the Guvernment last night.

The occasion -- one of several club gigs leading up to a possible larger tour early next year -- was to promote her forthcoming solo album, Northern Star, which hits record stores on Oct. 26.

The record is a mix of rockers and pop ballads and features an impressive list of producers and songwriters befitting a star of Mel C's stature. (Lest we forget, the Spice Girls have sold 40 million albums and are the biggest thing to come out of England since the Beatles.)

But far from being on any star trip herself, the cute and coiled Mel C, looking more like Androgynous Spice these days with bleached out short hair and a buff bod, simply walked on stage last night at the Guvernment with her well-toned arms raised in the air and began her hour-long performance with little fanfare.

Dressed in a red tank top with the word "CANADA" emblazoned on it (Roots anyone?), jeans and sneakers, Mel C was initially hard to hear over her loud five-piece band.

But after sound levels were adjusted, her strong voice came across well even if her new material wasn't always up to snuff.

And was it really a good sign that the song that got the best response of the evening was a rocked-up cover of the Spice Girls' own breakthrough hit, Wannabe? Probably not.

Also, unlike the Spice Girls' sold-out show at The Molson Amphitheatre last year -- the hottest ticket of the summer -- there were still tickets left leading up to Mel C's solo gig.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times as young, fickle record buyers move from music act to music act at lightning speed.

There were only a handful of young girls spotted last night, although there were a few banners and a stuffed animal was thrown on stage. Instead, the audience appeared to be heavy on music industry types and college kids.

As for Mel C's performing style, without the rest of the Spice rack, she was an enthusiastic if mainly stationary presence, although she did occasionally jump on the spot, sink to her knees dramatically and kick like a chorus girl during the jaunty show tune-like number, Suddenly Monday.

She's clearly still finding her way as a solo performer and judging from the songs that did go over well -- the mid-tempo ballad Northern Star, which saw some in the audience swaying with their arms over their heads, the poignant observation on the homeless, If That Were Me, the soulful Be The One and Feel The Sun (the latter saw her point to the 'ANGEL' tattoo on her stomach to big cheers) -- she should avoid rockers like her atrocious first single, Goin' Down, at all costs.

Unfortunately, Goin' Down was brought out a second time during Mel C's encore for the acoustic treatment.

SPORTY SAYS

From a press conference yesterday:

* "I am Sporty Spice. But it's not something I've had to uphold or something I've been told to do."
-- On her new solo career

* "You never consider yourself being sexy. But I'm 25 now, and I've gotta get a boyfriend sooner or later."
-- On her new look

* "We got the pictures back home and she looked great ... I'm just looking forward to seeing her and giving her a big hug."
-- On Geri Halliwell's gig on MuchMusic Video Awards

Set List Independence Day Forever Baby Northern Star Be The One Ga Ga Suddenly Monday I Turn To You Feel The Sun If That Were Me Goin' Down Wannabe Wonder What It Would Be Like Go Encore Closer Goin' Down (Acoustic Version)		Concert rating You rate it! [INSERT RATING MODULE HERE]