The Girls Spice up Don Valley Stadium: review 

The day was Saturday the 12th September 1998. I had waited for this day
forever. When the Spice Girls announced a four-date "Backin' Britain" tour,
as the final leg of their Spiceworld tour, I knew I had to go. 

We arrived in Sheffield at about 4:00 pm. By the time my dad had found Don
Valley Stadium, it was about 4:20. The streets were littered with thousands
of Spice fans making their way towards the building where we would finally
get to see our four idols. 

My friend and I entered the stadium and handed our tickets to the woman at
the desk. Then we went to one of the merchandise stalls, and we both bought
a tour programme and a 99 calendar. By this time, my whole body was a bag of
nerves and I couldn't stop shaking. I said to my friend: "Do you realise
that in a couple of hours we are going to see Melanie in the flesh?!!!" He
said "Well it had crossed my mind"...

Then we made our way up the steps and when we got to the top, there it was.
All of the rows of seats along the floor, and the huge stage set at the
front. Next up, finding our seats. 

PITCH SEATING IN BLOCK 35, ROW X SEATS 11 AND 12. This means that we have
quite good seats. We aren't exactly centre stage, but a little bit off to
the right. We aren't too far away, but I would have loved to be right at the
front. So we sit down and I have a look at the tour programme, which is
really cool and it is much better than the other one (which I have signed
because I won a competition on their official virgin web page!). 

As I live in Newcastle, I was really pleased that they had announced a
concert in Sheffield as it is only about 2 ½ hours drive away. 

Anyway, I had a quick look through the tour book but I didn't want to read
it as I wanted to save it for after the concert when I got home. The video
screens kept playing clips of videos and adverts and stuff. Me and my mate
got a bit bored sitting around so we went for a wander. We went up to the
front of the stage to have a look at what it was like, but one of the
security guards asked us to go back to our seats. Fair enough, we thought,
so off we went. 

Cleopatra came on at about 5:30, but we weren't really bothered about them,
all we wanted was the Spice Girls. Bjorn Again (the Abba tribute band) were
quite good and the two 20-ish year old lads sitting in the row in front of
us seemed to enjoy them. 

We had been told on the back of the tickets that the Spice Girls would not
be on stage before 8:00, and they weren't. When it got dark, the video
screens at the side came back on, and the Backin' Britain flags filled
them. Everyone went mad thinking that this was it... But it wasn't as it
was only 7:45. People snapped their green glow sticks and everyone was
chanting: "Spice Girls, clap clap clap" At exactly 8:00, the Backin'
Britain flags faded and the whole stage lit up. The two screens flashed on
and the doors in the middle also had a screen on them, and they were all
filled with an image of a Spiceship hurtling through the galaxy. It was
quite a good "mini movie" and when the ship landed, the doors of it opened
one by one with the letters S P I C and E and the whole crowd went wild.
The introduction to "If U Can't Dance" started up and the main screen doors
slowly opened to reveal the four famous silhouettes that stepped forward in
a burst of colour and smoke, and pretty soon it was obvious that we were
their prisoners. They delighted the crowd with their breathtaking
performance. Each song more moving than the other, and the babe we all love
give us a thrill in "Too Much" when she held the note on "Boy who thinks he
caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan" 

Before "Say You'll Be There" they said that it was a really special song as
it was the first one they ever wrote, and they wrote it in Sheffield.
If the girls had ever been nervous before, then they certainly weren't
tonight. They were as relaxed as ever, and therefore able to give the
performance of a lifetime. Just before sexy spice Mel C teamed up with Mel
B to deliver "Sisters", Mel B said "Do you like her top then? It's a
Liverpool one" This was followed by rather large cheers, whether or not
they were for Liverpool, or for Melanie inside the top. Melanie C proceeded
to give the cutest smile that I have ever seen, and it was shown on the big
screens and it really warmed my heart. 

During the last number "We Are Family" me and my mate ran into the aisle and
then ran passed the security guards to the front of the stage, and Melanie
was so close to me that I almost fainted! Anyway I only had one chance to do
what I had hoped to do, and I tossed the teddy with a letter to Melanie
attached to it, to the stage. Security started pushing us back into the
aisle, so we just stood and watched from there. My teddy had landed on the
floor in front of the stage, inside the security barrier. I really hoped that
when everyone cleared up that they would take it backstage and give it to
Melanie. After all it had my address in it and hopefully she might write!!! 

It really was the best night of my life and something I will treasure always.