Live Review: Melanie C Brings More Than Spice to Perth
By Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Melanie C – Sweat – 11 November 2026 – at the Astor Theatre Perth
I’ll be honest.
INITIALLY, I was looking forward to Melanie C’s performance partly because of her indelible connection to the Spice Girls. She was Sporty Spice, after all, whom I came to see, and part of me hoped the night would become a greatest-hits celebration of the songs that soundtracked so many of our lives. The published setlist on Setlist FM suggested otherwise, but with Perth serving as the first stop on her Australian tour, a little hope remained.
HOWEVER, a few songs in, that anticipation began to fade. Melanie Chisholm was making a compelling case for her solo career for the first time before a live audience in Perth. The Spice Girls connection might have drawn some of us through the doors, but her own music soon took centre stage as the night sailed through the active beats.
That solo journey began in 1999 with her debut album, Northern Star. Known for one of the strongest voices in the Spice Girls and a distinctive pop-rock style, Melanie C has since released eight more albums across two and a half decades, including Sweat, released at the start of 2026, the record that gives this tour its name.
In front of a capacity crowd at the Astor Theatre, she delivered a performance that had some concertgoers calling it the best show they had ever attended, and this is why…
At 9 pm, red lights cut through the darkness. A shadowy figure appeared at the back of the stage, wearing a hooded boxing robe, and the crowd erupted as though she were about to enter the fight of her life. A Rocky-style entrance might have suited the scene, but Melanie C had her own soundtrack. The Astor Theatre was her ring.
As she removed the hood, the sporting imagery came into focus. At 52, she looked every bit the athlete, her exposed midriff underscoring the physicality and empowerment she brought to the stage. It was a fitting introduction to “Undefeated Champion”.
The Sweat track set the tone for the night: powerful, confident and athletic. Its motivational, fighting spirit suited her performance, but the vocals were what impressed most. Even amid the relentless movement, she maintained excellent breath control and clean, punchy phrasing. It was an explosive start.
Boxing stances and bursts of shadowboxing reinforced the theme, with Melanie C playing to both the cameras and the crowd. The choreography gave the opening a sense of purpose rather than simply adding spectacle.
From there, she moved through more Sweat material, including a breezy performance of “Free to Love”, followed by “Till It Breaks” and, eventually, “Pressure”. Eight consecutive tracks from the album made the tour’s focus unmistakable. This was a dance blitz, with the crowd grooving along and mirroring her moves.
Through every hair flick, hop, skip and jump, her vocals remained as we’ve been accustomed to since the Spice Girls days. The physical demands of the set never seemed to diminish the conviction in her delivery.
After that sustained burst of energy, the acoustic set offered a change of pace. We needed the break. Melanie C emerged in a black athletic crop top and red track pants, a look that nodded directly to her Sporty Spice identity. The staging was stripped back, but her presence remained commanding.
She opened this quieter stretch with another Sweat track, “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”, before turning to the subject that many in the room had been waiting for: the Spice Girls.
She spoke about the possibility of the Spice Girls returning and the hope of rekindling that connection, sending the crowd into a frenzy. For now, she suggested, there was a way to bridge the gap.
Then came “Say You’ll Be There”. In an a cappella rendition, the crowd became her backing choir – 1000 of them, filling the room with a song that had travelled with them for 30 years. Hands rose and swayed from side to side as the nostalgia became palpable. Those who had been 16 when it was released are now 46, yet the song still felt fresh. Hearing such a familiar pop anthem stripped down created an intimate connection between Melanie C and the audience.
That intimacy carried into another a cappella performance, “Never Be the Same Again”, the number one solo hit from Northern Star. Its themes of emotional vulnerability and a relationship that changes a life took on a different resonance in this setting. For many, it was the song that established Melanie C as a solo artist.
The reflective mood did not last long. With the title track, “Sweat”, the tempo climbed, and the room surged back into motion. Melanie C became even more animated, hair flying as the atmosphere intensified. By the time she reached “Touch Me”, a Rui da Silva cover, we had entered rave territory. Booming bass and insistent beats drove a performance that felt almost hypnotic.
She also brought her DJ set into the mix, spinning club favourites from the 1990s and 2000s before returning to the microphone for “Who Do You Think You Are”. The Spice Girls hit sent the crowd straight back to the dance floor of their memories. “Spice Up Your Life” followed, turning the room into another full-throated singalong. It was a full-circle moment for many.
Her solo music brought the night home, with “Drum Machine” leading into an encore of “A Place Where We Belong” and “I Turn to You”. It was a fitting finish to a show that had balanced physical intensity, vocal assurance and moments of genuine warmth.
I had arrived hoping for a taste of the Spice Girls. I left reminded that Melanie C’s story did not end there. The familiar hits were a treat, but her solo material and the conviction with which she performed it gave the night its identity. Sporty Spice may have been the introduction; Melanie C was the main event.
Fans’ Corner:
Joanne Colely: Mel C World Tour was seriously one of the BEST concerts I’ve ever been to! I was jaw droppingly impressed!! Mel C is a world class entertainer 🙌never seen anything like it. I’ve seen Robbie Williams, Lady Gaga and many other big names but seriously Mel tops the list!🙌 she was even kind enough to accept some paintings I did of her and she loved them. 💖What an incredible lady, I’m literally joining the gym today after seeing those abs! She is almost the same age as me so I have no excuses!😜🙌👊
Chloe Lxox: That was the best concert wow
Setlist
Undefeated Champion (Sweat, 2026)
Free to Love (Sweat, 2026)
Til It Breaks (Sweat, 2026)
Emotional Memory (Sweat, 2026)
Cashmere (Sweat, 2026)
Attitude (Sweat, 2026)
Pressure (Sweat, 2026)
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Sweat, 2026)
Say You’ll Be There (Spice – Spice Girls, 1996)
Never Be the Same Again (Northern Star, 1999)
Sweat (Sweat, 2026)
Touch Me (Rui da Silva cover, 2000)
One Track Mind (Sweat, 2026)
Flick of the Wrist (Sweat, 2026)
Good for Nothing (Sweat, 2026)
Who Do You Think You Are (Spice – Spice Girls, 1996)
Spice Up Your Life (Spiceworld – Spice Girls, 1997)
Drum Machine (Sweat, 2026)
A Place Where We Belong (Version of Me, 2016)
I Turn to You (Northern Star, 1999)
About Sheldon Ang Media: Sheldon Ang, photojournalist, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Roxette. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), Suzi Quatro, John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
