SPICE Girl Melanie C, part of the world's biggest-selling girl group in a previous life, is making a low-key return to the concert platform with a week of concerts at Barfly clubs around Britain.

Always a pop star with the common touch, she kicks off the tour tomorrow at the 225-capacity Glasgow Barfly, and on Sunday she plays to a 200-capacity full house at Fibbers in York at £14 a ticket.

Dates follow next week in Liverpool, Cardiff and London in her first performances since her ruthless divorce from the Virgin label.

Mel C will be showcasing new material in advance of recording her third album, the first to be released on her own label, Red Girl Records.

The set list will be bolstered by cherry pickings from her earlier solo albums, 1999's pop-soul platinum seller, Northern Star, and last year's rock workout, Reason. Don't hold out, however, for any Spice Girls hits from Sporty Spice, the Liverpool fan whose gig clashes with the England-France match at Euro 2004.

Mel, who played at the York Barbican Centre in May 2001 and April 2003, will be accompanied at Fibbers by musical director and drummer Fergus Gerrand, guitarists Paul Gendler and Greg Hatwell, keyboard player Sarah de Courcy Aston and bass guitarist Jenni Tarma.

In the crowd will be Melanie C devotees from Spain, Portugal, Germany and Australia, as well as Suffolk, Wales, Aberdeen and York, looking for signs that this down-to-earth northern star will rise again.

RIK Witter, formerly Rick Witter of Shed Seven, will take time out from dad duties to do a DJ set at Melanie C's show.

Updated: 16:00 Thursday, June 10, 2004