Melanie C says the LGBTQ+ community gave her ‘so much more self-acceptance’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Whether she’s performing to stadiums with the Spice Girls, DJing club crowds or releasing new solo music, Melanie C has never stood still.

Her latest milestone came at BST Hyde Park yesterday (5 July), where she got behind the decks for her very own set – before joining the Scissor Sisters on stage for a long-awaited first collaboration.

Speaking to Attitude backstage, she discusses the evolution of her career, the artists she’s championing right now and what decades of support from LGBTQ+ fans have meant to her.

Attitude: You just joined the Scissor Sisters on stage! How was that?

Melanie C: My goodness, that was one of the most joyous times I’ve ever had on stage, I think, in my whole life.

You’ve performed in Hyde Park before with the Spice Girls, back in 2000 and again in 2005. What was it like coming back here for this moment?

Do you know what? I actually enjoy what I do even more now than I did then. I think when you’re young, you really feel the pressure of everything. As I’ve got older, I’ve just really… I mean, being invited on stage by Scissor Sisters just blew my mind because I love them. Jake’s so incredible. We’ve done so many shows together but never performed together. It was such an honour to get up there with him.

We’ve always been in the same place, but it’s never quite been the right moment. Then today the stars aligned.

I got a little bit carried away. I don’t know how professional I was. I was like a child. You’re on this massive stage, and I had my Meta glasses on, so I filmed it. I’ve got two experiences now—my own memory and the footage from the glasses.

You’ve gone from being a Spice Girl to a solo artist and now a DJ. Looking back, what has that evolution been like?

I think the moment I find myself in now is just the perfect kind of evolution of all of those things. Obviously, with the Spice Girls, I was just so lucky and blessed to be part of that, and that enabled me to go on and have a solo career. That’s hard, though. Coming out of a big band, people want the band, so sometimes it can be hard to forge your own career.

But I’ve always been determined because I love what I do. I’ve continued to do it. Then I discovered DJing and it kind of reignited this passion I have for dance music. I wanted to bring that more into my work as a solo artist, which is what I’ve done with Sweat and with this album.

Now I’m DJing great festivals and great clubs, I’ve got my world tour coming up at the end of the year, and I just feel like I’ve been on this crazy journey. I’ve learned all these lessons and found myself in this place where I’m really content and really enjoying it.

Q: Has reconnecting with dance music brought you back to your roots?

I think so because when I discovered clubbing and house music, it was pre-Spice Girls. I had a few years of raving before work got serious and I kind of left it behind. It’s been really nice to go back to that.

Who are some of the artists inspiring you at the moment?

Oh my gosh, so many. I was over at WeHo Pride a few weeks ago and Confidence Man were headlining. I love them. I’ve loved watching their rise because they’re just brilliant.

I always feel proud of the Brits as well whenever I’m in the US. I’m like, “Let’s support the Brits.” We had RAYE last year and I love that she’s getting the attention because her voice is amazing.

I remember being at Coachella maybe three years ago when both RAYE and Olivia Dean played one of the tents. It was packed and I felt so proud of them because they were both so brilliant. They’re both such classy artists and since then they’ve just gone from strength to strength.

Olivia Dean was here last year opening for Sabrina Carpenter and she was amazing. She came backstage afterwards and we were just chatting about football. I loved that. She’s such a lovely, sweet girl.

Happy Pride! You’ve been such an important ally to the LGBTQ+ community throughout your career. What have your queer fans taught you over the years?

Oh my gosh. It’s such a beautiful relationship. I feel so lucky that the Spice Girls really opened that world and that community up to me. Our kinship brought us together.

When I worked with Sink the Pink in 2019, it was really educational for me because I was travelling and touring with drag queens and non-binary people. I learned so much more about the community and it actually gave me so much more self-acceptance, which seems bizarre.

Obviously, so many people in the queer community look to the Spice Girls because of the individuality and the strength, but even me, as a Spice Girl, I get that back from the community. I just feel like it’s such an important part of my life.

I’ve been playing clubs since the late ’90s and I’ve seen the changes. We’ve taken so many great steps forward but, because we’ve gained so much, I think that’s where some of the fear comes from. People are fearful of change and of what they don’t understand, so I feel like we’re under threat.

That’s why Pride is more important than ever. It’s a tough time in the world, but I think the power is in joy, dancing, togetherness and unity.