Since her debut solo album in 1999 Melanie Chisholm has grown her hair, ditched her tracksuits, beefed up her sound and tried out various pop genres. Never mind the millions in the bank, the Warrington-born singer clearly craves a long-term career.

But old habits die hard, and most solo tours by former teen-pop androids are painfully clinical and well-drilled affairs. Given the airless and drearily mature tone of Chisholm’s newly released second album, Reason, we might reasonably have expected a similar level of soulless professionalism to characterise her London show on Thursday. But instead, the artist formerly known as Sporty Spice kicked and snorted and screamed herself hoarse. Wearing a plunging black T-shirt emblazoned with the legend “Rock Rules”, the singer seemed hell-bent on erasing all memories of her Spicy past by rebranding herself as some kind of born-again heavy metal diva. Admittedly the effect was more Kelly Osbourne than Janis Joplin, but the energy and enthusiasm felt genuine.

Four years ago, Chisholm seemed faintly ridiculous and wholly unconvincing when she first unveiled her spiky-topped rock direction. But she has grown into it over time, mustering a muscular and dynamic set on Thursday. The shuddering guitar riffs and descending keyboard motifs of her former single, Goin’ Down, provided one mid-set highlight, as did a lascivious Home from the new album, presented in a more meaty arrangement than its wan studio blueprint. A frenetic cover of Stevie Wonder’s I Wish and the disco-trance juggernaut I Turn to You also proved engaging.

But there remain many hurdles to clear if Chisholm hopes to generate a career rebirth like Robbie or Kylie. There were still too many lifeless Celine Dion moments in her London set, with deadweight plodders such as Positively Somewhere and Melt — the latter co-written by the former Robbie sideman Guy Chambers — simply filling in time. Even her bouncy new single On the Horizon, a collaboration with Gregg Alexander, of the wretched American corporate rockers the New Radicals, sounded like a contractual obligation.

Melanie C has a moderately good voice and dedication in spades, but she badly needs an Angels or a Can’t Get You Out of my Head to propel her out of this MOR rut. A dash more sparky personality to her self-penned sixth-form lyrics would be a good start. Chisholm has already proved herself as a perfectly decent middle-rank pop star, but to achieve true distinction as a solo artist she requires — dare I say it — a little more spice.

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