Who Do The Critics Think The Spice Girls Are?

Usually, we reserve “The Last Word” for reviews of new albums. But what with the Spice Girls’ reunion tour kicking off in Vancouver, B.C., last night, how could we not give the space this week over to writeups of the first show? (And how could we not note that the above performance of “Who Do You Think You Are”–in which the girls are rendered almost as tiny as Geri’s new-look Union Jack dress–should serve as proof that the show isn’t being wholly lipsynced?)

• “Still, the most surprising thing was the strength of such solo performances as Mel B’s aforementioned whip-wielding number her cover of Lenny Kravitz’s Are You Gonna Go My Way, Halliwell’s solo hit, It’s Raining Men, and Mel C’s techno-inspired I Turn To You, which all matched such group standouts as Spice Up Your Life, Stop, 2 Becomes 1, Who Do You Think You Are, Viva Forever, Holler, Wannabe, and the emotional Mama and Goodbye. The evening’s two guiltiest pleasure were a disco medley towards the end of the show and the encore reprise of Spice Up Your Life which featured everyone decked out in colorful outfits while silver confetti shoot up out of three cannons. It was a giddy end to a giddy night.” [Vancouver Sun via Edmonton Sun]
• “A bad review isn’t going to sink McDonald’s and a good review isn’t what Raymond Crock’s [sic!!!] company needs to be successful. The Spice Girls aren’t an undiscovered gem of a band eeking out a living playing every night at the Cobalt. They’re a global brand and what I say about them, good or bad, is not going to stick. Before you got this far you most likely already had your mind made up about the Spice Girls, and nothing I’ve said or could have said would have changed it. Still you could do worse than catching them live. It’s not a great concert, but it’s a heck of a performance.” [Metroblogging Vancouver]
• “The show finished off with the touching ballad ‘Mama,’ complete with photos of the Spice Girls’ mothers holding baby pictures playing across the many LED screens. It was so cute. A medley of disco classics, such as Kool and the Gang’s ‘Celebration’ and K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s ‘That’s the Way,’ closed off what was a very piquante performance. And, duh, they returned for an encore and brought it all back to the beginning with ‘Wannabe.’ It was what the fans really, really wanted.” [Vancouver Province]
• “The Spice Girls have never been the world’s greatest singers or dancers , but they remain consummate entertainers. Whether shamelessly pulling the sentimental levers with Mama or arriving, at last, at a raucous, celebratory encore of Wannabe, they performed with every ounce of strength in their legs and passion in their hearts. Mission accomplished it said on the screen as they left the stage. And accomplished it had been.” [Times Online]

Spice Girls Vancouver – Who Do You Think You Are [YouTube]