When a member leaves a band - BuzzJack Music Forum

BuzzJack - Entertainment Discussion _ Artist Forums _ View All Artists _ Spice Girls

Latest Artist News

Spice Girls - Spiceworld (25th Anniversary)

Spice Girls - Spice (25th Anniversary)

Spice Girls - Wannabe (25th Anniversary)

When a member leaves a band, Not a Geri or Victoria bash topic!

Display modes

Track this thread - Email this thread - Print this thread - Download this thread - Subscribe to this forum

Mr.X View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 12:30 PM Post #1
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	Just been thinking recently, since Jesy left Little Mix, how differently things play out in that specific girl band's press and general public's commentary. I know that the Spice Girls were on a different, much wider, scale of public investment and awareness not just in the UK but across the world. But for instance, it has been very much accepted and respected that Jessy left due to pressures around the band and her mental health, but also the news that she is now embarking on a solo music career. It got me thinking how dramatic and different things really were in 1998 and how different they are now. In some ways, the fact that Jesy left and is generally been met with - of course some papers will throw their shit, cos the British tabloids are basically open sewers of bile - acceptance and support, as well as the fact that Victoria didnt join the Spice Girls in 2018-2019, is also a bit part of their legacy of Girl Power and female unity. The situations that the Spice Girls in 1998 was so dramatic. Geri leaving really marked a turning point in pop culture and millions of fans across the world. The fact she left in not the greatest of terms also seemed to signify that friendship indeed can end. Of course, the fact they then made amends really did turn this around but at the time, the impact on the culture and the group's own demise, was incredibly hard to witness. Specially since Geri herself capitalised on it - by 'killing Ginger Spice' in her comeback video, and comments between some of the girls and Geri herself. I know there was a lot of hurt around her departure for the band, but looking back I wish they had taken it a bit more like they did with Victoria, by showing solidarity towards a member who was 'not in it anymore' and respecting that. At the same time, Geri did shit on the group (and so did Mel C, but technically she never publicly actually left!) too and there was an aura of 'Im much better on my own and the group is finished without me' type of attitude and branding. And the press lapped it up massively from both sides, to trash the group mainly. Not saying that Geri was left scoff-free, cos she obviously wasnt. But she did play on that a bit as well, sadly... The fact that they reunited in 2007 really did wonders for them as people, in my opinion. It harnessed the idea that women can be united, hold a strong friendship and work in unison even when they might fall out some times. And I feel this is reflected in the Victoria situation and the Jessy situation. Little Mix has been actually really incredible in how they have handled Jesy's departure and so has Jesy. They have maintained their branding of friendship and union, and support across the four girls which is super nice to see. Like the Spice Girls said, 'all you need is positivity'! That, the music and Girl Power is their legacy and Im glad we are in a different time now when things like this can be more understood and supported! This post has been edited by Mr.X: Mar 13 2021, 06:19 PM


sammy01 View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 02:12 PM Post #2
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 16 November 2009 Posts: 7,588 User: 9,988	I think times were just so different in 1998, I mean when you look back Geri basically left because of her mental health which is Jessy's reason now. Mental health wasn't talk about so much back then, I think had it been now Geri would have talked more about that side of it and it been more accepted. I do think Jessy like Geri harbours solo ambitions which contributed towards the decision also. Victoria was sort of phased out from the girls from the Olympics on wards, so it felt more natural and they always maintain she is a Spice Girl which probably takes the heat off too.


tommie View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 02:26 PM Post #3
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 January 2009 Posts: 7,064 User: 8,073	I'd assume hindsight helps in the Little Mix situation - clearly, part of why they've lasted this long is because they know that solo careers rarely happen. Obviously, they've also seen how messy break ups can be and the danger of splitting people into two camps, hence why they're all playing nice. If anything, The Little Mix girls and their management have always struck me as somewhat self-aware which helps dealing with this sort of thing.


spiceboy View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 03:35 PM Post #4
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 6 September 2017 Posts: 11,800 User: 39,568	It is interesting because Jesy's departure was similar to Geri's in that she left them mid campaign (or beginning of album campaign) leaving during the show they were on and Geri obviously leaving in the middle of a huge tour. I agree with all your comments I wish the girls had been more of a unit and done it in a way that they did with Victoria not joining in 2019 "she will always be a Spice Girl" "We love and respect each other and have always said when one leaves we support that" etc. I suppose a big difference is it appears Jesy was honest and upfront about her issues, Geri wasn't and just left them in the shit, and it was pre-planned as she sought advice etc beforehand. It would have been nice if they had done it that way, and then Geri had collected a lifetime achievement Brit with them etc to show there was no hard feelings (although there clearly was) maybe sang one song with them. I know Melanie C wanted her to collect a Brit with them but it seems like the other 3 very much didn't, and Geri herself obviously didn't want to be in the same place as the girls as she left as soon as she had performed supposedly. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.


Mr.X View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 06:30 PM Post #5
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	Hindsight is definitely a good thing for sure and I am glad that things have panned out in very different ways to the Spice Girls back in 1998. Geri admitting that she was being a brat kind of hits the nail on the head around it... I dont really think it was about mental health, just that she was exhausted and felt like she wasnt the driving force of the group anymore, so she left. There's a big difference in that. But at the end of the day, it is not that there was a history back then of group members leaving bands and being super successful, bar a couple of them such as Robbie Williams and a couple of the Beatles. It's sad that Geri really thought that she could have been a new Robbie Williams ah In a way she was, as both of them leaving meant the group itself would eventually break up and experience less success as a result, whilst the solo member would see growing success for a while at least. It just seemed that Geri wanted to be the first one to go solo and get that success, and ended up doing damage to the whole group and herself. I think the way it was all handled came at a cost of the hurt caused by Geri leaving and them not really knowing what to do or how to manage it, and ended up being a spiteful towards her in public. It never really jelled well with me that the 4 girls went on to diss Geri massively by saying things like 'oh now we can do choreo and everyone now can sing' which seemed so bitchy and really cemented the point that many made about them not being as close friends. But then again, Geri did leave them completely in the shit, so they were rightly pissed off lol Certainly Little Mix's team seems much more positive and with broader thinking around this. The way they handled it, with Jesy leaving days BEFORE the album dropped, was really good. They really stood by the group and made a point of not dissing Jessy or talking much about her departure and just focused on the future of the group!


sammy01 View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 07:03 PM Post #6
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 16 November 2009 Posts: 7,588 User: 9,988	Didn't Geri have bulimia which is most definitely a mental health problem.


Mr.X View member profile	Mar 13 2021, 07:57 PM Post #7
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	QUOTE(sammy01 @ Mar 13 2021, 07:03 PM) Didn't Geri have bulimia which is most definitely a mental health problem. She did have bulimia but did she attribute her leaving to that? I dont remember her saying so... If that is the case, I will obviously back track that comment and apologise.


spiceboy View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 01:02 PM Post #8
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 6 September 2017 Posts: 11,800 User: 39,568	QUOTE(Mr.X @ Mar 13 2021, 07:57 PM) She did have bulimia but did she attribute her leaving to that? I dont remember her saying so... If that is the case, I will obviously back track that comment and apologise. While she never attributed it to leaving I’m sure she said in her autobiography that her bulimia had returned. Something along the lines of how she had been running without stopping for 2 years away from her bulimia and dealing with the death of her father, being so busy and on high after high and now it had returned with a vengeance? Also Melanie C has mentioned how Geri was dealing (or not) with an eating disorder again by that point.


Mr.X View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 02:25 PM Post #9
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	QUOTE(spiceboy @ Mar 14 2021, 01:02 PM) While she never attributed it to leaving I’m sure she said in her autobiography that her bulimia had returned. Something along the lines of how she had been running without stopping for 2 years away from her bulimia and dealing with the death of her father, being so busy and on high after high and now it had returned with a vengeance? Also Melanie C has mentioned how Geri was dealing (or not) with an eating disorder again by that point. Fair dues, bulimia is no joke


Padamic Tension View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 02:32 PM Post #10
BuzzJack Idol Joined: 29 June 2006 Posts: 128,408 User: 845	I think the spice girls and take that had similar paths with Geri and Robbie. Both left on bad terms but thankfully healed the rift and became friends again and worked together which shows it can be done.Brian in Westlife left on good terms and I think as lads they simply grew apart when he left rather than falling out. I hope Little Mix and Jessie remain friends as it is possible.


spiceboy View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 05:29 PM Post #11
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 6 September 2017 Posts: 11,800 User: 39,568	QUOTE(Feel_The_Fever @ Mar 14 2021, 02:32 PM) I think the spice girls and take that had similar paths with Geri and Robbie. Both left on bad terms but thankfully healed the rift and became friends again and worked together which shows it can be done.Brian in Westlife left on good terms and I think as lads they simply grew apart when he left rather than falling out. I hope Little Mix and Jessie remain friends as it is possible. Brian left on good terms but they certainly didn’t stay that way 🙈


sammy01 View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 06:17 PM Post #12
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 16 November 2009 Posts: 7,588 User: 9,988	Also I have a feeling that behind the scenes the Little Mix split wasn't as amicable as they make it out. It wouldn't be a good look for the 3 remaining though to say anything bad about the member who left who struggles with their mental health. I get the feeling the other 3 might have grown tired of Jessy being a part time member who picked and chose what she wanted to be part of.


Mr.X View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 06:23 PM Post #13
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	QUOTE(sammy01 @ Mar 14 2021, 06:17 PM) Also I have a feeling that behind the scenes the Little Mix split wasn't as amicable as they make it out. It wouldn't be a good look for the 3 remaining though to say anything bad about the member who left who struggles with their mental health. I get the feeling the other 3 might have grown tired of Jessy being a part time member who picked and chose what she wanted to be part of. We dont know that and I think we shouldnt really speculate, specially as speculation and gossip were also aspects that Jesy voiced as heavily influencing her bad mental health, so lets not do that. Let's believe women when they say what happened and if they dont want to divulge anymore, that's their prerogative and we should enjoy the music instead rather than speculate on what happened behind the scenes. They all dealt with in public really well and it is interesting to analyse that, which is the point of this thread.


tommie View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 06:32 PM Post #14
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 January 2009 Posts: 7,064 User: 8,073	QUOTE(sammy01 @ Mar 14 2021, 07:17 PM) Also I have a feeling that behind the scenes the Little Mix split wasn't as amicable as they make it out. It wouldn't be a good look for the 3 remaining though to say anything bad about the member who left who struggles with their mental health. I get the feeling the other 3 might have grown tired of Jessy being a part time member who picked and chose what she wanted to be part of. Oh, I have no doubt that even if the split was as amicable as they make out there's a lot more bad feelings there than they'll ever let become public. But you know what? Good for them, not everything has to be aired out in the press and down the road it'll be easier to heal privately. Pop music is part fantasy after all. This post has been edited by tommie: Mar 14 2021, 06:33 PM


Mr.X View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 06:37 PM Post #15
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 September 2017 Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587	QUOTE(tommie @ Mar 14 2021, 06:32 PM) Oh, I have no doubt that even if the split was as amicable as they make out there's a lot more bad feelings there than they'll ever let become public. But you know what? Good for them, not everything has to be aired out in the press and down the road it'll be easier to heal privately. Pop music is part fantasy after all. Agree. The less focus on the behind the scenes stuff like that, the better. They are all talented, excellent popstars and they all seem happy. Also, quite amazing that Little Mix managed to last 10 years in the business with all members intact and with 6 albums, all with hits attached to them, under them. The new line-up is also exciting and I am sure Jesy will be missed but we will get over it eventually, just like we did when Geri/Victoria weren't there (or at least, I did ) Lets celebrate that!


spiceboy View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 07:03 PM Post #16
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 6 September 2017 Posts: 11,800 User: 39,568	QUOTE(tommie @ Mar 14 2021, 06:32 PM) But you know what? Good for them, not everything has to be aired out in the press and down the road it'll be easier to heal privately. Pop music is part fantasy after all. Totally this!


sammy01 View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 07:16 PM Post #17
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 16 November 2009 Posts: 7,588 User: 9,988	QUOTE(Mr.X @ Mar 14 2021, 06:23 PM) We dont know that and I think we shouldnt really speculate, specially as speculation and gossip were also aspects that Jesy voiced as heavily influencing her bad mental health, so lets not do that. Let's believe women when they say what happened and if they dont want to divulge anymore, that's their prerogative and we should enjoy the music instead rather than speculate on what happened behind the scenes. They all dealt with in public really well and it is interesting to analyse that, which is the point of this thread. This is where I find mental health very tricky because i don't disagree with what you wrote but Jessy isn't beyond criticism because she has mental health problems. She didn't turn up for writing sessions, chose not to participate in certain aspects of the band and left (or took a break that lead to her eventually leaving) on album release week. We obviously don't know the ins and outs of the situation or her mental health but we pick apart the lead up to Forever and some of the Spice Girls attitude towards the band before and during Forever's release and criticise particularly Melanie C's commitment when she was suffering with her mental health too.


sammy01 View member profile	Mar 14 2021, 07:35 PM Post #18
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 16 November 2009 Posts: 7,588 User: 9,988	I will add when I say criticism I don't mean of her looks or weight or anything derogatory which is obviously unacceptable.


tommie View member profile	Mar 15 2021, 06:47 AM Post #19
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 January 2009 Posts: 7,064 User: 8,073	QUOTE(sammy01 @ Mar 14 2021, 08:16 PM) This is where I find mental health very tricky because i don't disagree with what you wrote but Jessy isn't beyond criticism because she has mental health problems. She didn't turn up for writing sessions, chose not to participate in certain aspects of the band and left (or took a break that lead to her eventually leaving) on album release week. We obviously don't know the ins and outs of the situation or her mental health but we pick apart the lead up to Forever and some of the Spice Girls attitude towards the band before and during Forever's release and criticise particularly Melanie C's commitment when she was suffering with her mental health too. It strikes me a bit like when Mutya left the Sugababes - they put up with her going MIA for writing sessions and everything around Taller In More Ways, but the management kept pressuring into having to keep up with the group and she left. Obviously Mutya was a young mother and had a baby to deal with, but the similarities are there. With that said, I'm sure they'll go more into depth about the situation eventually, just hopefully at a time when they've all got more perspective on the situation and aren't just being vicious for the sake of it.