Music
Texas
SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Nicola Love
Five stars
SHARLEEN Spiteri is glad to be back in Glasgow. The Texas frontwoman recently spent a lot of time in parts of England and Europe where they struggled to understand her accent, so it is a relief to drop her self-professed “posh telephone voice” for the band’s penultimate show of the year. Spiteri’s Bellshill drawl, undetectable when she sings but undeniable when banters flies back and forth between songs, has finally found its way home.
From the moment she springs onstage, Spiteri is on top form. It only takes a few bars of set opener The Conversation, complete with dual drums, to see the rest of the band are too. Taking the audience on a trip down memory lane, it is an evening of few surprises but many, many gems. From the Motown-influenced Detriot City all the way to the instantly recognisable chimes of Summer Son (the latter of which sends the crowd into a frenzy) few stones are left unturned.
However it is Texas’ unparalleled ability to make Scotland’s largest arena feel like a night at King Tut’s that is most impressive. The lights come up at the end of every song and Spiteri spends the evening scanning the audience, a brief grin indicative of her clocking a familiar face. The usual frills of a show this size are nowhere to be seen and, save for a mass singalong on fan favourite Say What You Want, the music shines brightly on its own.
As the set draws to a close, Spiteri jokingly dedicates a two-song encore (a rousing rendition of Inner Smile and a cover of Suspicious Minds) to the family members who used retire to the kitchen whenever her younger self hosted impromptu living room concerts. “I’m playing the Hydro now, so get it right up you,” she grins wickedly, extending a middle finger to the crowd. It is both the perfect closing statement and a jovial end to a gig that also serves as a deserved victory lap for the band. This performance might have focused on highlights of the past 25 years but Texas are standing as tall as they ever have.
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