Texas treat fans to classic album in full and hit singles at sold out Derngate show

Texas are on a rescheduled tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of debut album Southside.
Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.
Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.

I cannot lie, when I read Texas were touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album Southside I felt the shock waves.

The band’s music still sounds so fresh but somehow it is a fact - the decades have softly ticked by, clocking up a back catalogue of vintage hits for the Scottish superstar Sharleen Spiteri.

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After recovering from the sudden realisation that the late 80s/early 90s were actually more than a couple of years ago and, yes I really was that old, I opted to celebrate Texas’ massive contribution to the music scene by catching the group live in concert at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate.

Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.
Texas on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.

With no support band, Texas headed straight on stage with a laid-back first half.

Sharleen perched on a chair, alongside the band, treating listeners to a complete rendition of every song from Southside, ranging from the mega hit I don’t want a lover to the beautiful melody Future is promises.

Sharleen, dressed in a red bobble hat and denim jacket, may have delivered a relaxed style of performance, but the songs were interpersed with her sharp humour and quick-witted banter with the crowd.

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She seemed to spot everything going on in the audience and was ready and willing to heckle with good humour – much to everyone’s amusement.

Texas' Sharleen Spiteri on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.Texas' Sharleen Spiteri on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.
Texas' Sharleen Spiteri on stage at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Photo by David Jackson.

Watching Texas live, it is striking that, as well as being an extraordinarily talented vocalist, Sharleen also has an amazing ability to transfer the vitality in her performance through to all those watching.

The second half of the show was much more energised, with the band moving on to later hits and steaming through some upbeat numbers such as Halo, Inner Smile and Black-Eyed Boy.

Soon Texas had the whole audience up on its feet, taking part and generally feeling the joy of a seemingly endless repertoire of hits, hugely evocative of the 90s era.

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The concert was a keen reminder that for a band to still be around, performing to sell-out crowds after more than 30 years, it has to be doing something right.

With talent like that, I really hope Texas will be around for many more years to come.

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