Described by David Brent in The Office as “a little known Scottish outfit”, it’s easy to underestimate Texas. The Glaswegians have sold more than 40 million records, scored three No 1 albums and their latest 21-date UK tour is sold out.
Moreover, while on record they have a tendency to sound more middle-of-the-road than cat’s eyes, live they are a revelation. The reason for this can be summed up in two words: Sharleen Spiteri. The sweary, sharp-suited singer is a one-woman charisma zone.
In front of a Royal Albert Hall crowd that included Hollywood A-lister and fellow Scot Gerard Butler, 50-year-old Spiteri sang, swore and shimmied her way through a show with more hits and hooks than a 12-round boxing match.
Set opener Halo was suitably heavenly, a showcase for Spiteri’s soulful voice and the six other Texans’ tasteful backing. Old favourites such as When We Are Together were bellowed back at them while new track Let’s Work It Out, taken from recent album Jump On Board, proved they still know how to pen a radio-ready pop song.
Spiteri’s colourful between-song language — all delivered in her broad Glaswegian tones — gave Texas an edge live that they often lack on record. In Demand was transformed from an anaemic ballad to a gospel-tinged call-and-response; I Don’t Want A Lover was bigger and bluesier than ever. Even a cover of Al Green’s classic Tired Of Being Alone, a song few would imagine Texas qualified to tackle, was transcendent.
By the time they got to Say What You Want — still the band’s best song and, quite possibly, the greatest use of heavy breathing in the history of pop music — rulebooks had been rewritten and expectations far exceeded.
Texas, it turns out, are a truly brilliant live band.
