Spiceworld Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Spiceworld Tour


artist = Spice Girls
dates = February 24, 1998 -
September 20, 1998
number_of_legs = 3
number_of_shows = "102 (Total)"
24 (UK)
32 (Mainland Europe)
41 (North America)
last_tour = Girl Power! Live in Istanbul
(1997)
this_tour = Spiceworld Tour
(1998)
next_tour = Christmas in Spiceworld
(1999)

The Spiceworld Tour was a concert tour performed by the British Europop group The Spice Girls. In support of their album "Spiceworld" and film "", the sell-out stadium and arena tour ran in 1998 from February 24th to September 20th. The last concert was filmed and released. They performed 97 dates due to 5 being cancelled. The tour saw them perform to 2.1 million fans in total. It covered Britain, Europe and North America.

History

In April 1998, the girls held a press conferenece to tell them that they were to play at Wembley Stadium. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esB69fW0Ucs On YouTube, there is a video of it] . If you watch Geri, then you will notice that she is about to say that it will be the last ever show. But, within the next month, she decided to leave the group.Just before the end of the European tour, the group were left in shock as Geri Halliwell announced that she was leaving the group. Halliwell missed the last two shows of the leg in Oslo and it was announced she was suffering from gastroenteritis. She missed promotional shows like the National Lottery. But on May 30, 1998, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg-WWBq5nE4 Halliwell's lawyer announced she was no longer in the group. The Spice Girls quickly released a statement stating that the North American leg of the tour would go on as planned] .

The Spiceworld Tour was the first global tour the group did, and proved it to be an almost instant sell-out. Tickets for the first two shows in Ireland sold out within 2 hours [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5921692/spice_girls_sell_out__in_two_hours Article reporting 2 hour sell-out of Irish gigs] . "Rolling Stone". February 3, #1998.] , and various shows on the North America leg such as L.A. and Philadelphia sold out literally within minutes of going on sale. In New York, the group set the record for the quickest ever sell-out, selling 13,000 tickets for Madison Square Garden in less than 12 minutes. Such was the interest, it led to State Attorney General Dennis Vacco (together with the co-operation of the group) to investigate whether illegal scalping to ticket brokers had taken place - a claim that was later dropped by the Attorney General's office [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=951927 Article reporting 12 minute sell-out of New York gig] . "Billboard Magazine". April 22, 1998.]

Setlist

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header = European Setlist
content = Act 1
* If You Can't Dance
* Who Do You Think You Are
* Do It

Act 2
* Denying
* Too Much

Act 3
* Stop
* Where Did Our Love Go? (Emma Bunton Solo Performance)

Act 4
* Move Over

**"30 Minute Intermission"

Act 5
* The Lady Is A Vamp
* Say You'll Be There

Act 6
* Naked

Act 7
* 2 Become 1
* Walk Of Life

Act 8
* Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (Mel B & Mel C Duet)
* Wannabe
* Spice Up Your Life
* Mama

Act 9
* Viva Forever

Act 10
* Never Give Up On The Good Times
* We Are Family

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header = American Setlist
content = Act 1
* If You Can't Dance
* Who Do You Think You Are
* Step To Me

Act 2
* Denying
* Too Much

Act 3
* Stop
* Where Did Our Love Go? (Emma Bunton Solo Performance)

Act 4
* Move Over

**"30 Minute Intermission"

Act 5
* The Lady Is A Vamp
* Say You'll Be There

Act 6
* Naked

Act 7
* 2 Become 1

Act 8
* Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (Mel B & Mel C Duet)
* Wannabe
* Spice Up Your Life
* Mama

Act 9
* Viva Forever

Act 10
* Never Give Up On The Good Times
* We Are Family

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contentcss = text-align: left; font-size: 100%; width: 75%;
header = Backin' Britain Setlist
content = Act 1
* If You Can't Dance
* Who Do You Think You Are

Act 2
* Something Kinda Funny
* Do It
* Too Much

Act 3
* Stop
* Where Did Our Love Go? (Emma Bunton Solo Performance)

Act 4
* Love Thing

**"30 Minute Intermission"

Act 5
* The Lady Is A Vamp
* Say You'll Be There

Act 6
* Naked

Act 7
* 2 Become 1

Act 8
* Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (Mel B & Mel C Duet)
* Wannabe
* Spice Up Your Life
* Mama

Act 9
* Viva Forever

Act 10
* Never Give Up On The Good Times
* We Are Family

* "Who Do You Think You Are" samples a sound bite from the song "Diva" by Club 69. In the beginning of the song the words "You have to work to get this good" are heard.

* "Naked" samples two sound bits from the film "Batman Forever". In the beginning of the song the words "Tell me your dreams, Tell me your fantasy, tell me your secret, tell me your deepest, darkest, fear" are heard, while in the middle of the song the Riddler's growls are heard.

* "Viva Forever" samples a sound bite from the film "Blade Runner". In the beginning of the song the famous words "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly" spoken by Dr. Eldon Tyrell are heard. This inspired a similar, revamped sound bite that was used during the beginning of "Who Do You Think You Are" in the Return of the Spice Girls Tour. This sound bite consisted of a deep, male, American-accented voice saying "The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you, my friend, have burned bright".

* After a few injuries due to lifts and the pregnancies of Melanie Brown and Victoria Beckham, "Walk of Life" was removed from the set list.

* After Geri Halliwell's departure, a recording of Geri's vocals were used during the lines of the Spanish Rap in "If U Can't Dance" instead of another girl singing the lines.

* As presented on Sky Box Office Live, there was no thirty minute intermission during the "Back in Britain" live broadcast at Wembley Stadium.

Personnel

Vocals

*Victoria Beckham
*Melanie Brown
*Emma Bunton
*Melanie Chisholm
*Geri Halliwell - European Leg Only

Band

*Simon Ellis – Musical Director / Keyboards
*Andy Gangadeen – Drums
*Paul Gendler – Guitars
*Fergus Gerrand – Percussion
*Steve Lewinson – Bass Guitar
*Michael Martin – Keyboards

Dancers

*Takao Baba
*Carmine Canuso
*Jimmy Gulzar
*Eszteca Noya
*Robert Nurse
*Christian Storm (until Geri's departure)

Management And Additional Personnel

*Tour manager: Richard Jones
*Assistant tour manager: Juliette Slater
*Production manager: Julian Lavender
*Show producer: Pete Barnes
*Stage manager (Europe): John Armstrong
*Stage manager (US): Jimmy Bolton
*Choreographer: Priscilla Samuels
*Costume designer: Kenny Ho
*Make up artist: Karin Darnell
*Booking agent (Europe): Primary Talent International
*Booking agent (US): William Morris Agency

Tour dates

Notes and references

Further reading

* [http://www.nme.com/reviews/spice-girls/190 NME review - Wembley Stadium gig]