Since the beginning Melanie C has vied for a little credibility outside the commercial marquee of Britain's biggest name in pop music, and choosing the Leadmill as the venue for her debut solo performance is her latest step on the ladder. From Sporty origins she has developed her image to Indie Spice, was tagged Talented Spice by an ex-manager and is now working solidly towards Punk Spice. "I am the female Johnny Rotten. Or, at least, my hair is." She has said in reference to the cropped and bleached haircut that has joined the long-present tattoos, gold tooth and pierced nose she has adopted to sculpt and alternative, rock-chick facet of Girl Power.

She what can we expect from her solo work? Perhaps not so great a departure as she seeks to impress upon us. Past and future Spice Girls collaborator Eliot Kennedy features on her new material, and the £10 tickets for this gig declare, in a first for the Leadmill in my memory, "Over 14's only (proof of ID required)", to allow a younger portion of her fan-base entrance.

Under a thousand can cram into the main room of the club - a mere fraction of the scale she's used to - but tonight they're up close and personal and she alone is the centre of attention. They are quickly and easily put in a good mood before Mel C even appears by the arrival of the three other Spice Girls and David Beckham in the raised enclosure of the DJ booth at the back of the room. Mel C's other half is conspicuous by his absence, but a few smiles and waves bring cheers and whistles from the crowd and ensure most will not know which way to look during the show.

Mel C and her band take straight to the stage without support and commence a lively, energetic performance. She is full of confidence and clearly enjoys a stage-front to herself and freedom from dance routines, even throwing in a few swear-words and punkish leers that she'd never get away with on a Spice Girls platform. The sound of the new songs is immediately a little louder and heavier than the Spice Girls, with lessons in MOR rock learned from her work with Bryan Adams, though neither "When You're Gone" or any Spice Girls tunes are attempted tonight. There are some throwbacks to the style on which her career was raised. A little way into the set comes a softer acoustic plaintive of the workings of the industry reminiscent of "2 Become 1" or "Viva Forever". "They buy you drinks so you can sell your soul/Is it any wonder we lose control" she sings in her most sensitive tones.

Her heaviest alternative offering comes in the form of the forthcoming debut single and statement-of-intent, "Going Down". It appears to be her favourite and she bounds around the stage with renewed vigour, as if this was the one she's been waiting for. Being a multi-millionairess product of the industry she can't really be punk, but she does a good impression. "Are your feet stuck to the f*cking floor or what?" she yells with a smile to a crowd still not entirely sure what to make of it all. The lyrics - distorted and buried on the recorded version - are almost shouted with glee here. She particularly savours the word "bitch" - free here from the Saturday morning TV censors. There are some definite hooks in the melody and guitar lines though, and if the pure-pop kids can handle the noise it might do well.

Pace, volume and energy settle down again for the remainder of the set as it blends itself into some piano led pop and lighter rock tunes. The tenth song begins the encore and immediately sounds a dead-cert for a Christmas single with its slower, atmospheric theme. Unfortunately no title was given or you'd have heard it here first.

There are a select number of classic, genre defining songs that should never suffer the indignity of a cover version and "Anarchy in the UK" is one of them. Still, she stomps her way through it without making it her own - even with the substituted line "I am an antichrist/I am the Sporty Spice". Despite the nature of the song it's a little lethargic and no amount of grimacing and gesticulating on her part can change that.

She's enjoyed herself, and so have most of the audience so she returns for a second encore repeat of "Going Down", just because "you're the best crowd I've ever had". The crowd is more into it this time, and in the DJ booth three Spice Girls could be seen to pogo and mime along to the chorus.

Then, after a little over three-quarters of an hour and at the obscenely early time of 9:25 everyone is ushered from the club. Those willing to pay a little more and of sufficient years will be let back in for the club night, while rest make for local pubs or home.

So, a triumph for the solo artist? Perhaps, but her V99 gigs will be a greater test for her career. Most of the material is much more mainstream that we'd been led to expect, though that shouldn't be a surprise to the wise. One thing's for sure, if the others go about their solo careers after the eventual and inevitable demise of the Spice Girls with this much vigour then we'll certainly have a lot to put up with.

Dan Darling