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‘I did receive bottles on stage. There might have been urine’: Melanie C on Spice Girls mania, impostor syndrome and her date with a Chili Pepper | Melanie C
Your acid remix of Jessie Ware’s Free Yourself was a bit unexpected, I admit. Were you a hardcore raver back in the early 90s? Coopertapes
I absolutely was. I discovered raving on my first holiday without parents, just me and three of the girls I was at college with. This was the first environment I’d been in where I heard house music and everyone was dancing, and really expressing themselves. I was like, “Oh my God, I’ve found my people.” That’s where I got the bug. Then we’d also go to a club in Essex called Berwick Manor. I also remember going to the Cross, which was in King’s Cross. It was such a tiny little window of my late teens because the Spice Girls happened so quickly after it. I’d almost compartmentalised it and left it behind until I started DJing eight years ago.
Once the Spice Girls started and your schedule was much tighter, were you ever able to go out like that again? laurasnapes
Absolutely not. That was the thing, although all of my wildest dreams were coming true through being part of the Spice Girls, real life was put on hold. The schedule was brutal. There was very little time for socialising. Also, you remember those times in the 90s, right? The tabloid media and paparazzi were on you like a hawk. So we were terrified. Anything we ever did was usually published in a newspaper, so in our downtime we tried to keep it low key.
Your tattoos were famous in their own right. How did you feel about them at the time, and how do you feel about them now? McrSimon
I always wanted tattoos. I think I was probably one of the first women who was in the public eye with very visible and big tattoos. Now more people have them than don’t. It’s incredible. But yeah, I absolutely love them. It’s a strange relationship you have with your body and your image when you’re young and in the public eye. Because being a pop star, it’s almost like you feel you need to create this image which is worthy of being that thing, and to me having the gold tooth and having the tats made me look a bit less ordinary. I actually got my first tattoo when I was with the [Spice] girls. We were together in LA and we went to a tattoo shop called Tattoomania. We didn’t get any recommendations – we picked tats off the wall.
When the Spice Girls conquered America, did you have any amusing incidents where your regional accent confused hapless interviewers across the pond? BritishUkrainian
It’s so interesting because even now, being in America – and it drives my daughter mad – it’s like we’re speaking a foreign language sometimes when you’re trying to order things in restaurants. But back in the day on TV we made a conscious effort to try to speak slower or clearer. I don’t think we were ever subtitled like the Gallaghers.
What did you think of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song Emit Remmus? SmilinPeter
Well, this is a great story. I was working with Rick Rubin in LA. He produced a couple of tracks on [Melanie’s 1999 solo debut album] Northern Star and he’s obviously worked with the Chili Peppers and was a great friend of [frontman] Anthony Kiedis for many, many years. Rick looked at me with a cheeky grin and went: “Have you heard the song that Anthony’s written about you?”
Whenever Rick would finish mixing anything he’d go out and listen to it in his Rolls-Royce. He took me out to it and he played me Emit Remmus and I was a little bit embarrassed because it’s a bit saucy. But I was so flattered because I’m a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan and Anthony is such an incredible songwriter and performer. Were we in a relationship? We did go on a date. We spent a little bit of time together. But it wasn’t a fully formed relationship. Being in LA was a magical time. I also had dinner with Madonna there at the end of the Spiceworld tour in 1998. We’d finished the US leg of the tour and I was staying at the Four Seasons. I got a call and somebody went, “I’ve got Madonna for you.” And I was thinking, “Yeah, yeah, it’s probably Mel [B].” And she went, “Hey, sweetie.” She was lovely. She’s been so supportive of us girls.
If you were an actual spice, which one would you be, and why? TopGyre
This is like a Smash Hits question. I’m really proud of all the different things I’ve done in my career. You know, obviously working in musical theatre as well as music and becoming a DJ, bit of telly, bit of radio. So I think I’m quite versatile. Maybe like a five spice? A little bit of everything. Let’s go with that.
Will the Spice Girls own up to stealing the ‘girl power’ phrase from Shampoo? iteraryrose
Well, I’m surprised this question doesn’t come up more often because, obviously, we are all aware that Shampoo had a single called Girl Power way back in 1996 [it reached No 25]. I don’t really remember how we ended up going with it. But we loved Shampoo. We were big fans.
What was the moment when you knew life would never be the same again? CatzPyjamas
It was when we got back from Japan in 1996. Wannabe was released in the UK and went in at No 3. We’d already been on Surprise Surprise with Cilla Black and I thought everyone would recognise me the next day. I went to the shops and no one batted an eyelid. I was very disappointed. Then we went to Japan for two weeks and in the meantime Wannabe went to No 1 and stayed there. So when we came back, everything had changed. There were fans at the airport. That was when Spice mania really hit.
Salt and pepper chips or scouse? id1983
It’s going to have to be scouse [a hearty, meaty stew]. It’s a dish that if I smell it, it immediately takes me back to my childhood. Mum generally has one on the stove when I go home. You can get chips anywhere, but you can only get proper scouse in Liverpool. But do you know what’s funny? I’ve never made it. Recently I’ve been thinking about getting my mum to teach me.
I have a memory of being at a festival in the 90s and you singing Anarchy in the UK but singing, ‘I am an antichrist. I am a sporty spice’. Did I dream this? ApolausticAndy
This happened. When I was in LA doing Northern Star, I met Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols. At the time, he was in a band called the Neurotic Outsiders and they had a residency at the Viper Room. They’d play every week and invite people to go on stage. People like Billy Idol would get up and one week they got me up and I did a couple of Sex Pistols songs. So I incorporated it in my set. That was actually V99. So that person wasn’t dreaming. [That festival] was a baptism of fire. I went in completely and utterly naively and I did receive quite a few bottles … there might have been some urine.
In hindsight, do you regret the lyrics: ‘I couldn’t live without my phone, but you don’t even have a home’? subsub
No, absolutely not. And when I wrote that [on 2000 single If That Were Me], it was a bit niche. Now, it’s really freaking true. So I have no regrets. There have been moments in my personal life when I’ve felt lacking in confidence and sometimes that’s come through musically, so I regret that. But not on this new record [Sweat, out this week]. DJing has completely changed my life. It brings me so much joy. It reconnects me with that 17-year-old who used to go out raving. I get the opportunity to play the music I love. I dance my socks off and I get paid. It’s bloody brilliant.
How strong are you? How much can you bench press, for example. Girgensohn
Oh, I’ve got this in my phone, actually. Let’s have a look; so my barbell bench press is 38kg and dumbbell is 40kg. Is that something I’ve always done? I had an incident when I was at school. I was quite skinny as a kid and there was a girl who took a dislike to me and tried to beat me up. She didn’t succeed. But I asked my dad for a weight bench that year for Christmas from Argos. So that’s when I started my strength training journey because I just thought: “I want to be able to handle myself.”
Do you ever get a feeling of impostor syndrome regarding the career you have had, and do you think you will ever shake off the ‘sporty’ tag, or do you even want to? bluelambretta
I think all humans have impostor syndrome, and if you don’t you’re a psychopath. It’s just a part of human nature. When I released Northern Star, I was really determined to be seen as an individual, and I did want people to see there was more to me than just Sporty Spice. I was frustrated that people weren’t ready for the Spice Girls to be solo artists. I completely accept that now, and I love Sporty Spice, and realise it’s such a huge part of who I am as a performer.
Would you have liked the Spice Girls to share a stage with Salt-N-Pepa? Could be a good idea now that you’re all seasoned campaigners. PeteTheBeat
Very good. I love Salt-N-Pepa. I remember going to a Spice Girls meeting, before we had management, listening to them. I was trudging the streets of London, rapping in my head. So it would be awesome for the Spice Girls and Salt-N-Pepa to get together. They do have a DJ, Spinderella, so we could go back-to-back.
On 9 July 1972 three Catholic teenagers, a father-of-six and a priest were shot dead in the Springhill estate, west Belfast.
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Suspect was referred to Prevent in 2020
Vikram Dodd
The Metropolitan police has now confirmed the suspect in the Golders Green double stabbing was referred to Prevent, the official scheme trying to stop people becoming terrorists, in 2020.
The Guardian understands his case was closed within six weeks by the deradicalisation scheme, which has faced previous criticism.
The attack on Wednesday is being treated as terrorism by police who are investigating whether the suspect who is in custody was targeting people who were Jewish, in the north London area.
Police say a 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a statement counter-terrorism police said: “We can confirm the suspect was known to the Prevent programme and was subject to a Prevent referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year.
“Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack.”
The Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said the suspect had a history of violence and mental health issues.
Key events
Niaz Maleknia, 57, was one of the demonstrators protesting as Keir Starmer visited a Jewish community ambulance service following the Golders Green terrorist attack.
Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday afternoon, she said: “I can’t stand this man, so that’s why I’m here, because he has done nothing but stand in the way of Donald Trump and Israel.
“And the reason why this place is such a mess and we’re all getting attacked is because of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and he’s standing with them.
“So that’s why I’m here, because this man just needs waking up.”
Maleknia, who is Iranian-Jewish, said she wants the Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and shut down the Iranian Embassy.
Keir Starmer heckled during Golders Green visit
Demonstrators heckled the prime minister as he arrived at a Jewish community ambulance centre in Golders Green on Thursday afternoon.
A group of around 100 people could be heard chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” and held posters with the same slogan.
They also chanted “Keir Starmer is a traitor” as well as “show your face”.
Starmer was due to meet with first responders from Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer group whose ambulances were targeted in an arson attack last month.
Dan Sabbagh
Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has called for a pause in pro-Palestinian protests where “public demonisation and hatred is incubated” in response to the Golders Green stabbings, arguing that “demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack”.
The barrister acknowledged that the motivation of the 45-year-old suspect had yet to be established, but said that he believed there was a “social responsibility” to reduce the risk of attacks on the Jewish community, and said that antisemitism represented “a national security emergency”.
In a statement, he said:
The starting point is the perpetrator, and to imagine what would have happened if the attack had been fatal (as it could have been), and how an inquest or public inquiry would approach the matter with the benefit of hindsight.
What was there in his profile that made the attack more likely? Was all relevant information shared between the relevant agencies? Were opportunities missed?
We wait an assessment to whether Iran commissioned or inspired this attack – but ultimately it takes a UK resident to carry out an attack, so this is a social responsibility too. How do we reduce the risk that such individuals will carry out attacks?
This is where antisemitism in the public and private domain comes in. I have spoken about a national security emergency and the risk, as I have warned about repeatedly, that demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack.
Since the right to life is more important than the right to protest, it makes sense to consider a pause or moratorium of protests where public demonisation and hatred is incubated. We are talking about protecting British lives, and the life of the community.
Suspect was referred to Prevent in 2020
Vikram Dodd
The Metropolitan police has now confirmed the suspect in the Golders Green double stabbing was referred to Prevent, the official scheme trying to stop people becoming terrorists, in 2020.
The Guardian understands his case was closed within six weeks by the deradicalisation scheme, which has faced previous criticism.
The attack on Wednesday is being treated as terrorism by police who are investigating whether the suspect who is in custody was targeting people who were Jewish, in the north London area.
Police say a 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a statement counter-terrorism police said: “We can confirm the suspect was known to the Prevent programme and was subject to a Prevent referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year.
“Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack.”
The Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said the suspect had a history of violence and mental health issues.
Suspect previously referred to Prevent counter-terrorism programme
The BBC has reported that the suspect in the Golders Green attack had been previously referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.
The Guardian approached the Metropolitan police about the BBC’s report, but a spokesperson said it would not be commenting at this time.
The Met said yesterday that a 45-year-old man British national, who was born in Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Met commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.
Police officers are carrying out a search at an address in south east London, the Met said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited Golders Green after the attack yesterday, said the community there does not feel the government is doing enough to protect Jewish people.
“You could feel the fear that was on the streets,” she told BBC Radio London.
Commenting on the government’s plans to invest a further £25m in extra policing and security for Jewish communities, Badenoch said: “We do need to see an increased police presence. The government has said it’s giving money – I don’t know exactly what the money is for, I don’t know if that money is enough.”
She added that the voluntary Jewish security group Shomrim has said “they have never had any money from government”. She said the volunteers are “having to look after themselves” and that it was “very lucky” that police officers were close to the attack.
Starmer: Golders Green attack was ‘not a one-off’
Keir Starmer said an attack on the Jewish community “is an attack on all of us”.
“What we saw last night was people being targeted because they are Jewish, I’m absolutely clear about that,” the prime minister said.
“There’s no getting away from the fact that this was not a one-off.
“This has been a series of attacks on our Jewish community, particularly in recent weeks, and there is a very deep sense of anxiety, of concern about security, about safety, about identity frankly.”
Describing the “visceral feeling” among many British Jews, he added: “We have to be really clear that an attack on our Jewish community is an attack on all of us and we have to approach it in that way.”
Starmer: Criminal justice response to Golders Green attack must be ‘swift, agile and visible’
Keir Starmer said the government and criminal justice system must respond to the suspected terrorist attack in Golders Green in “a swift, agile and visible way”, as he convened a meeting in Downing Street, PA reports.
Speaking ahead of the private meeting in Downing Street, the prime minister said:
Today is about part of the response which is really important, which is the criminal justice response, because a number of people have been arrested, a number of them go through the criminal justice system, and it’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible.
And that’s why I wanted to get you around the table today.
He continued:
I do think there’s a wider duty on all of us in terms of confidence in the criminal justice system to be able to deal with appalling attacks like this, to show that it can act in a swift, agile and visible way.
And I look forward to a discussion with you as to how we make that happen.
Attending the meeting are:
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Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley
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Home secretary Shabana Mahmood
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Deputy prime minister David Lammy
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Attorney general Richard Hermer
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Security minister Dan Jarvis
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Justice minister and Finchley and Golders Green MP, Sarah Sackman
Here are some of the latest images from the newswires in Golders Green this morning:
What we know about the alleged attacker
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A 45-year-old man, who is a British national, born in Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
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The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said he came to the UK lawfully as a child.
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The Metropolitan police said he was initially taken to hospital after being arrested but has since been discharged. He was taken to a London police station where he remains in custody.
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The Met commissioner, Mark Rowley, said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.
The Press Association has been speaking to people in Golders Green this morning following yesterday’s attack.
Danny Grunfeld, 75, said he felt “just terrible” when he found out a man had been stabbed outside his house on Highbury Avenue.
“It’s very frightening,” he added. “It’s not a pleasant situation when you feel any minute you’re getting out, your life is in danger.”
He added: “We look around all the time. It’s horrible. That’s the best word. It’s just a horrible situation. I go to synagogue. I’m frightened.”
Joseph Deutsch, 80, who said he has always lived in Golders Green, said he will not allow himself to be frightened by the attack.
“I’m not going to give into it,” he added. “That’s exactly what they want us to feel: frightened.”
Aamna Mohdin
‘Do we need to think about moving away?’: Jewish community fears for safety after Golders Green stabbings
People in Golders Green and members of the wider Jewish community in Britain have expressed shock and grief after two men were stabbed in north London in an apparent antisemitic attack. Some have been left questioning whether it is still safe to remain in the UK.
“People feel scared, people feel unsafe,” said Baruch Stern, of Gross Butchers near the scene of the attack. “People think, is it really the place for me to be here? Is the UK safe for Jewish people, or is it something we need to think about, moving away?”
It is feared the stabbings in Golders Green are the latest in a string of incidents that have targeted Jewish schools, synagogues and charities over the last few months.
“I would say the community is always getting messages from Westminster, encouraging messages, they’ll do this and we’ll do that,” Stern said. “But at the end of the day, it would be much more encouraging if they would take the words into action and do something about it.”
You can read the full report here:
British Jews at ‘breaking point’ and could leave UK, says government adviser on antisemitism
John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, said British Jews are at “breaking point” and feel they can no longer live safely in the UK.
“Don’t forget, everyone in the Jewish community is fleeing from somewhere,” the Labour peer told Sky News.
“Jewish people in this country have always had to flee from somewhere to get here.
The home secretary said that while protecting the Jewish community was a priority, she rejected the characterisation by Jonathan Hall, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, that attacks on Jewish people was a “national emergency”.
“I think the phrase ‘national emergency’ has particular connotations,” Shabana Mahmood told BBC Breakfast.
“It means that for a period, you change your democracy, and you disapply some elements of our democratic society. I don’t believe this is where we are today.
“But for me this is an absolutely pressing priority. It is an emergency for me as home secretary to respond to.”
Several of the UK’s leading imams have come together to “utterly condemn” the Golders Green attack.
The leaders, including the chief Iman of Scotland, Sayed Razawi, alongside Jewish leaders signed the Drumlanrig Accords last year, which aims to strengthen Jewish-Muslim relationships in the UK.
In a statement, they said:
We note with grave concern the violent attack on two Jewish men in Golders Green, London. We extend our thoughts and solidarity to those injured, their families and the wider Jewish community.
Any act of violence or intimidation directed at individuals because of their faith or identity is utterly unacceptable. Incidents which create fear within communities, particularly near places of worship or religious gathering, undermine the safety and cohesion of our shared society.
As Muslim leaders and signatories to the Drumlanrig Accords, we stand firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of hatred and extremism.
We reaffirm our shared commitment to protecting the dignity, safety and religious freedom of every community.
It is important that communities respond with unity, responsibility, and a shared commitment to mutual respect and social cohesion.
The Press Association has reported that the police cordon surrounding the scene of the stabbings in Golders Green has been lifted.
Parts of Highfield Avenue, Beverley Gardens and Golders Green Road in north-west London had been sealed off following the attack yesterday, but the roads were opened again by 7am this morning.
Jonathan Hall, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said attacks on Jewish people have become “the biggest national security emergency” since 2017.
“There are Brits in London in particular, Manchester, but probably all around the country, who are now thinking they cannot live a normal life. And it’s not one attack, it’s multiple attacks,” he told the BBC.
He also called for a “moratorium” on pro-Palestinian marches, telling Times Radio it was currently “impossible” for such demonstrations not to “incubate” antisemitism.
Government announces extra £25m to protect Jewish communities
Morning. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she understands the fears faced by the Jewish community in the UK as the government announced extra funding to boost police patrols and protections around synagogues, schools and community centres.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she was pressed on comments made by the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, that people in the UK who are visibly Jewish are no longer safe, after two Jewish men were stabbed in an attack in Golders Green in north-west London.
“I, of course, can understand why people who are both visibly and not visibly Jewish are feeling a huge amount of pressure and fear at the moment,” Mahmood said.
She continued: “The question for me is, what am I going to do to ensure that people are able to go about their business safely, just like their fellow citizens, and that they also feel safe as well?
“And that is the action that I am taking, practical action, in order to put in the enhanced policing, the higher spending on security so that people can go about their business.”
She said the government will invest a further £25m to increase security for Jewish communities, and that it will also fast-track new legislation in order to tackle state threats.
The victims who were stabbed in the attack yesterday, which has been declared a terrorist incident by police, have been named locally as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila, who are in hospital in a stable condition.
The Metropolitan police said a 45-year-old man, a British national born in Somalia, is in custody after being Tasered by police and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Mahmoud told BBC Breakfast that he came to the UK lawfully as a child. The Met commissioner, Mark Rowley, said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.
The stabbings follow a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London since March, including two previous incidents in Golders Green.
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