Concert review
SECC, Glasgow, Scotland - 22 February 2001
from The Evening Times by Fraser Middleton
Lone star great!
TEXAS made a triumphant return to Glasgow to play the first of four sell-out shows to a total of 40,000 fans at the SECC last night.
If the 14million album sales the band named after the Lone Star state have had in the past four years have gone to Sharleen Spiteriīs head, she hides it well.
The down-to-earth singer was in fine form as the band started a sell-out UK tour which will see the group performing live to more than 250,000 fans.
When Sharleen recovered her composure from the initial reception the band received, Texas threw themselves into a Best Of set which included hits like Black Eyed Boy, In Our Lifetime and Tired Of Being Alone. They also excelled with a mock-up version of Inner Smile.
Strangely, the groupīs definitive single - arguably the only Texas track that will stand the test of time - remains their debut of 12 years ago, I Donīt Want A Lover.
But it was the track Say What You Want in early 1997 that brought them back from four years in the doldrums.
Speaking of those wilderness years this week, Spiteri said: "There was never a point where we thought īletīs give upī."
But as the groupīs commercial fortunes have gone into overdrive in the past four years, their artistic drive appears to be in reverse.
Their 1997 White On Blonde album is on its way to notching 10million sales - and spawned five massive hits. But the bland collection is easily the least impressive of Texasī five studio albums.
But Texas are going with the flow while the commercial going remains good, with Spiteri (32) in particular retaining her enthusiasm for stage duty.
Laughing off a rumour last week of a bust-up between herself and long-term partner, magazine editor Ashley Heath, the singer was in prime chatty form from the word go at the SECC.
Now their cash is safely in the bank for a rainy day, Texas should aim to jump out and grab people by the throat with their next album.
The 1999 The Hush was an improvement on White On Blonde, but still too small a step.
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