An encore look at the Fab Four in Montreal

Spice came, Spice saw, Spice conquered.

But it's not buh-bye Spice.

Once the girls complete this afternoon's MuchMusic special in Toronto after screaming successful concerts in Toronto last night and Montreal on Friday, the four British pop phenoms will finally be out of our hair for a little while.

But did the real live Spice Girls hold up to critical scrutiny? When they first burst onto the scene a couple of years back, detractors called them the new Milli Vanilli -- attractive but talentless lip synchers.

This was a reasonable critique based on the fact that they had never performed live before. So, to offset the rumors, the Spice Girls went to Istanbul, Turkey -- not exactly a bastion of pop music criticism. Their concert went well -- Turkish Delight, you might say -- but the lowered expectations made them come off as downright amazing.

They followed that up with several live television appearances, including Saturday Night Live, Jay Leno and David Letterman. Their occasionally off-key vocal talents revealed that they were actually singing their own songs.

These successes, and the fact that they had managed to ride out last year's backlash and rebound with a hit follow-up album and a hit movie, both called Spiceworld, made the girls ever more ambitious.

Like the Beatles before them (a comparison I make reluctantly), the British Spices decided to invade the New World.

Of course, controversy struck before they even made it to our shores. Geri Halliwell, the artist formerly known as Ginger Spice, left the group before the tour began, citing differences with the other girls.

The Spice Girls' critics immediately began sharpening their swords. Geri left because she couldn't stay fit. Geri and Scary had fought. Posh was leaving the band for her soccer player (so much for Girl Power). Blah, blah, blah.

All the rumors boiled down to one thing, the hope that their self-created little Spiceworld would come crashing down around their bare shoulders.

But then something strange happened. The tour proceeded and the fans failed to desert their favorite pop tarts. Even Gingerless, the group's marketing machine kept right on truckin'.

The fans at the Montreal show seemed torn between Ginger-haters (who were glad she was gone, commonly citing her poor singing voice) and Ginger-lovers who, while saddened by her departure, were still Spice fanatics.

The four Spices that remained on the rack have evolved into masters of the spectacle. It is not easy (unless you're a Teenbeat pin-up boy) to keep so many girls screaming for so long.

But Friday's show (and it was definitely more show than concert) did just that. And more. They used male dancers and elaborate sets, along with video and computer imagery, to stage a complex and well-rehearsed production.

The fans, mostly consisting of tiny girls dressed incongruously as their favorite Spices (although there was at least one large transvestite dressed up as Baby Spice), loved every minute of it. They even screamed during the intermission.

The cottage industry that the Spice Girls have developed was also in view at the show. Ads, specially designed for a spicy audience, played on the screens and the paraphernalia booths (selling everything from T-shirts and programs to chocolate bars and lollipops) opened early and stayed busy.

When the show ended, so many people flooded the streets that police had to block several roads to allow the masses to safely escape.

But the fans obviously enjoyed themselves and many voices could be heard singing Spice Girls songs as the fans danced away.

Then again, maybe my ears were still ringing.