The Hidden Chords of Jasper David Chapter 9

It's a bit like how everyone hoped Princess Diana died for a sinister reason - an MI5 conspiracy. Because the fact that she was killed by a drunk driver was too ordinary for a princess who lived a fairy tale life. I'm not saying that Jace's departure from the Spice Girls was as tragic as Princess Diana's death, but it's the same in that people always wanted to find some blood on the floor when Jace left. but none. The fact is that Jace left because she wanted to leave. No one but Jace herself was to blame for her departure.

Jace did endure more pressure than we did. As the only "hot girl" who has not received dance training, this is indeed more difficult for her. It's not easy for her to be on stage every night six days a week. Despite the extra training and rehearsals she received, she still found it difficult to keep up with the show after show. And she was criticized for it. It's terrible when people say you're a talentless singer. And that's actually what people say. I should understand her.

But the success of the "Hot Girls" isn't because they sing well or dance well. When they started auditioning, Bob and Chris turned down singers who were better than us because the audience wanted more than just good voices. The success of "Hot Girls" is not only because of our great voices but also because of our personalities. And you can never accuse Jace of not having a personality.

I don't know any more than anyone else, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like the whole thing was carefully planned by Jace: she would disappear for a while, and then come out looking apologetic and wanting to pay back society. She owes it, if you don't object to that statement, to working for the United Nations and maintaining a good public image while secretly recording her solo album. Then comes the glorious reappearance in front of the public.

I remember seeing her again on "Parkinson", wearing a gray Salvation Army uniform, a nice ponytail, no makeup, looking lifeless and boring, saying "Ginger Spice" didn't exist , "Ginger Spice" is dead, etc., etc. I'm thinking, you might be able to fool Parkinson, but you can't fool me. I know what you're going to do.

Then her first single was released, which was "Goodbye, Little Cutie of the United Nations". Different from the past, this time it's "Sl*tty Jace" with ugly fake long hair - I don't know what she thinks she's doing, but it's so shameless. The tasteless Jace is back. In the music video, a large car has a wreath with the word "ginger" on it. "Hot Girl" has many young fans, and I think what she did was wrong. But no one will criticize her for her music--at least not the media--because they need her. People in the music industry have different ways of doing things. Jace knows this, because she is not the best singer or dancer in the world. For her music to be accepted by people, she must gain public sympathy. In that case, people will think she is very nice.

Jace wants to forget everything she has done before, even that there was once a "ginger hottie." But one day, we will all know that without "hot girls", we would not be where we are today. Yes, I do get annoyed sometimes when I'm walking down the street and someone calls out, "Hey, 'Noble'". I, like everyone else, don't want to walk down the street and hear someone call me by my work name. Imagine --- "Hey, construction worker" or "Hey, receptionist." Because "noble hottie" is my job, she is what makes me who I am. As for Jace pretending not to admit this, I can only say that she is arrogant.

In her autobiography, she said we knew she was leaving. Maybe she thinks we know how to read minds. We simply don't know. I don't understand why she said this. Maybe this will make her image better, otherwise it would be admitting that she put us in an embarrassing situation. Of course, that's exactly what she did. Jace Halliwell has put us in an absolutely awkward position.

After the raffle show, we went directly to Heathrow Airport to catch a flight to Oslo. It was still a long time before midnight.

Viking's official line will be: "Jace is suffering from severe mental exhaustion." Yes, that's right.

We know Oslo will be packed with media from all sides hoping to see us look as long as they did when we sacked Simon. Back then it was the "Svengali hottie" who couldn't live without his "hottie", now it's the "ginger hottie" who we can't live without her.

The media is full of negative reports. Judging from what has happened in history, this is not good for them. They harped on how the Supremes had never recovered since the death of Diana Ross. We don't care if history is against us, history says a girl band can't conquer America. Media that is unfavorable to us is what we don’t want to see.

We only had a few hours to rehearse the show. We had backup dancers, but no one thought to prepare a stand-in "hot girl." There is no problem from a choreography perspective. Because any dancer will tell you that a four-person dance is always easier than a five-person dance. Odd numbers always put one in the middle, behind or in front. Even singing four is easier than five. We rehearsed song by song. I have to add a lot of arias. I got to sing on "Want" for the first time.

Once on stage, we have to be alert at all times. We can't always hold a piece of paper and write down who should sing which line. We have to keep it in mind. There would be an embarrassing silence when one of us was supposed to sing Jace's part but forgot to. It was quite a lot for us to cope with, it was a very emotional time.

So, we were all sitting in a hotel room in Oslo and we arranged for you to do this and you to do that. All the media said "Hot Girls" was done and we were just scraping by. Just then Tori Williamson walked in and said she was leaving.

Like a scary cartoon, all four of our heads turned towards her, with only one thought in our heads.

"But I swear to all of you, I'm not going to work with Jace."

A week later, she and Jace were working together.

We never found out if Kreschen (Storm or Houseford: Jace's backup dancer/boyfriend) knew about her plan, but he was under contract and had to stay with us, dressed as "Hot Girl" Boy's costume, it's not going anywhere. It's a little embarrassing, when you think about it, yes, your girlfriend just left us and left us a mess.

That was a strange situation. Finally he had to leave. It's not out of revenge, but he's just an accessory. It's a shame because he's really a nice guy. But among all the backup dancers, he and I probably talked the least. Because to me he was always the Chester Husford of college, and he never gave me a second glance at that time. There is always one thing that widens the distance between us - you are the most favored one, you never look at me, but now you do things for me.

He broke up with Jace soon after, and began dating Sasane Lewis of Only Saints.

I'm still in shock. I've known Jace for four years. We shared a room in Windsor and we lived through an extraordinary period of our lives together. She's one of my best friends. And now she left without saying a word. I was angry at first for her selfishness, and then felt that she had betrayed me, completely betrayed me.

At Elton John's house (photo)

In fact, the Oslo show was one of our best shows, but there were a few glitches. This is the last stop on the European tour. There are two large screens on both sides of the stage, and close-ups of us often appear on them. When singing "Hot to God", which is a song near the end of the performance, computer graphics and fireworks will appear on the big screen to increase the atmosphere of the scene. I was dancing, thinking about how smoothly everything was going, and thinking that when I sang "Turn Left," I should turn around, and I did, and couldn't believe what I was seeing on the screen. There were no pyrotechnics, no computer graphics, but shots of band members wearing C*nd0ms in a sauna and shots of topless women.

My whole body felt like it was on fire. I was fuming with rage. Keep in mind that all the media is out there trying to find something to attack us, and half the audience is kids: you have little Bijan and his mother watching some fat man wearing a C*nd0m and a topless woman. movie, and he was still touching her breasts.

After I got off stage I got angry.

"I may be half your age," I said to the staff who already looked ashamed, "but do you know what you have done? The band has just lost a member, and there are swarms of media in front. Waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves, and that's what you're doing. I don't care if you do it all the time. It's totally, absolutely not allowed."

They were all silent, and after a while some of them got worried and started apologizing to us and asking the four of us not to fire them. These grown men grovel before us, but some of them are still going to lose their jobs. We have no choice.

I was raised to respect people older than me, and I couldn't believe I was firing people who had been in this industry before I was born.

The other girls were frightened--mainly from surprise. I have been silent for four years and this is the only time I speak out. In fact, I'm happy to stand up and say a few words. I've always been good at the things Jace did, but I always let her do them. That's her specialty, that's when she shows off her talents. Our aim is to allow everyone to express their talents in what we do best. So if my talent is firing a bunch of middle-aged idiots, let me do that for the other girls. We are united on this.

Otherwise it's Mel B's birthday. In fact, it was our chance to forget all our worries and throw a surprise party for her in the hotel suite where we had held a press conference earlier that day. There is a large decorated outdoor terrace outside the suite, as well as a barbecue area. Because it is summer, the nights in Scandinavia never seem to be dark. Jimmy Gulzar found a male stripper from nowhere. This guy is absolutely shameless, a completely disgusting guy, with muscles all over his body and long blond curly hair, he looks like a cross between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Benny from Abba. He should carry health warnings wherever he goes.

We took two weeks off before heading to Miami, the first stop on our Americas tour. During this time, performance equipment can be shipped to Miami. We also had a performance in Europe as a guest performer at a charity concert organized by Pavarotti to aid war-torn children in Liberia. I'm so excited because in addition to Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, and Jon Penjo, there's also Stevie Windsor, who is my dad's favorite. hero, I also grew up listening to his songs. My first childhood memory is singing along to "Mr. Duke." I often play this song and dance in the hall. In fact, on the day of my wedding, my father called Capital Radio specifically to request it as one of my favorite songs.

I grew up with that kind of music -- Stevie Windsor, Barbra Streisand, Anita Baker ("Happy Days") and some Detroit black music and the Beatles. When I was a kid, the radio upstairs was always on--usually Capital Radio. Downstairs, my dad had his own stereo and a great collection of sixties records.

People say you shouldn't meet your heroes because it will only bring you down. Even though Stevie Bonaventure has changed a lot now, I would never miss an opportunity, especially being able to introduce him to my father.

But I had to pull my dad over.

"It's a good idea, but I don't want to go. Victoria, I mean, what should I say when I see him?"

When fans line up to see us, you will find that they don’t know what to say. But honestly it doesn't matter what the fans say. Just knowing that people like you, that you brought them joy, or made their day happy is enough. How many people have the opportunity to do this? It is no exaggeration to say it is a privilege.