Spice Girls bring stunning show to Midlands on tour - review with pictures

And last night British pop icons The Spice Girls - minus Posh Spice Victoria Beckham - brought their eagerly-anticipated reunion tour to Coventry's Ricoh Arena for the first of two shows.

The stage in the mammoth arena welcomed legions of fans with 'Spice World' emblazoned on all screens, and the crowd was dancing and throwing their arms in the air before any live acts had begun.

London singer/songwriter Jess Glynne is supporting the girl power group across the tour, and she dazzled audiences in the Midlands with her impeccable vocal range and warming stage presence.

Through hits such as Hold My Hand through to These Days, Don't Be So Hard On Youself, All I Am and I'll Be There, the 29-year-old musician stunned with her crisp and clear vocals.

Though Jess did not pause for much interaction with the crowd, her wide smile at the audience's gleeful reaction to her performance showed the sold out crowd just how giddy she was to be there.

And the feeling was mutual. As Jess left the stage, a palpable buzz of anticipation could be felt around the arena - the countdown was on until The Spice Girls were in the building.

Deafening screams filled the air as video clips picked straight from the 90s introduced each band member and dancers filed onto the stage.

GALLERY: Highlights from the tour

Fireworks illuminated the sun setting in the sky and the arena erupted as music icons The Spice Girl rose onto the stage to perform smash hit Spice Up Your Life.

Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown returned to the stage as if they'd never left.

Dressed in opulent glittering costumes - including a regal interpretation of Geri's iconic Union Jack dress - the ladies danced across the stage with all the energy they had 20 years ago, and with the same impeccable voices to match.

We sang our hearts out to Who Do You Think You Are and Stop, cried to Viva Forever and 2 Become 1, and danced the evening away to Holler and The Lady Is A Vamp.

The show was packed full of hits that had the whole crowd dancing as one and sharing the emotional experience.

Each smash hit was executed flawlessly by the pop stars.

Despite vigorously dancing across the gigantic stage, each Spice Girl could hit the high notes with ease and deliver a punch to each nostalgic lyric without ever having a perfectly-coiffed hair out of place.

The backing band were similarly faultless, breathing life into each timeless pop classic to create the electric atmosphere of the evening.

Despite being so polished, the show contained intimate moments between the band and audience to add a hair-raising, personal edge to the evening.

The Spice Girls showcased their raw emotion with candid videos of them confessing the love they have for their fans and each other - there wasn't a dry eye in the arena as the girls called each other their chosen family.

This culminated in the ladies dedicating heartfelt ode Mama to their own mothers as childhood pictures of the band were emblazoned on the stage in an awe-inspiring performance that I feel privileged to have witnessed.

The effortless charisma each member has shone throughout the show, and their friendship was evident with each passing joke and tender embrace.

Packed full of costume changes and pyrotechnics - I have never seen a live spectacle quite like this.

The show had twists and turns around every corner designed to make the audience gasp with amazement.

From stunning graphics on the globe-inspired set to white wristbands handed to each crowd member illuminating through different songs, every little detail had been thought of with the fans in mind.

Ending on hit single Wannabe as the stage was filled with laughter, dancing and even more fireworks - The Spice Girls waved goodbye to their adoring fans once more after a truly jaw-dropping performance.

Every boy and every girl in the Ricoh Arena had their lives well and truly spiced up from this highly produced and highly emotive show.

The Spice Girls successfully took us on a nostalgic trip of their extensive back catalogue, all executed with the same passion and positive messages of love, strength, courage and acceptance that helped shape a generation.

We hope The Spice Girls will Holler at the Midlands again soon.