Texas performing their Jump On Board Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Monday 2nd October 2017.


Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

She may be diminutive, but Sharleen Spiteri, front woman with Glaswegian band Texas, certainly knows how to command the stage like no other. And it is always best to gauge what mood she is in before you remain seated during the first two songs as some of the front row did last night at the Royal Concert Hall.

Using her potty mouth to embarrass the seated fans to stand, to have a go at an audience member with an iPad and to order that a fan stop using her stage as a bar, saying “keep going and I will fucking kick it off”, she can be quite frightening.

But this was always about the music and their two hour set was as polished as we have come to expect from a band that has been around since 1988 and have still managed to sell out most of the dates on their 21 date tour.

Set opener Halo was suitably heavenly, showcasing Spiteri’s delightful soulful voice, whilst Everyday Now and the Thrill Has Gone from their first album still sounded as fresh as ever. There were other favourites such as When We Are Together, a pulsating Summer Son and In Demand which was transformed from an anthemic ballad to a moving gospel tinged sing along.

The band’s latest album, Jump On Board, was represented with Can’t Control, Tell That Girl and Let’s Work It Out which is definitely a radio friendly pop song.

With the velvety voiced singer bringing the set to a close the audience sang along to I Don’t Want A Lover, a brilliant Black Eyed Boy, and still the bands best song, Say What You Want, Texas had proved that they are truly a brilliant live band. And with bassist and founder member Johhny McElhone given free rein to roam across the stage, guitarists McErlane and McGovern, keyboard players Campbell and Bannister and on drums McFarlane, the band were supremely tight.

For the encore there was Inner Smile and a rousing rendition of Suspicious Mind, and by this time the whole crowd were on their feet, waiting to have permission from the charismatic Spiteri that they could leave and go home.

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