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Liverpool, University, 5 October 2005 By Stella (Rickzroad) They say that your first love never dies and in a musical sense for me it's the absolute truth. The 'love' might be different, but I honestly can say that I felt the same way after walking out of Liverpool University last night as I did walking out of the Liverpool Royal Court in 1989…. that is…blown away. I spent most of the day curled up in a ball in my living room, as pregnancy is playing havoc with my system just now. I actually wished that the gig wasn't on, because I knew there wasn't a team of wild horses that would have kept me away from it and even though I felt rough, there was no way that I could not go because I felt like I was about to complete a circle of Texas gigs, Liverpool to Liverpool, a 16 year round trip. I had to be there. The good thing about the Liverpool audience is that in my experience of gigs in the city, people don't generally turn up hours before in order to get to the front of the crowd. We're mostly quite laid back about such matters and are quite happy to go for a pint and meander up as the time nears for the doors to open. Phill and I turned up at ten to seven, and found only a handful of people in front of us really and as my stomach turned over again from the smell of greasy food from the outside catering van, I was thankful it was a mild, still night. It was nice to be back in the surroundings of a place I knew very well, Liverpool University. Three years of a sensibly misspent youth! As the doors opened there was a flutter of anticipation through the winding queue of people. I'd been excited throughout the day though this had been tempered somewhat by my worry that I might be really unwell at the gig and there was a part of me that was a bit nonplussed by it all. Phill knew this apathy was so wrong though, and as we got through the doors into the building he sprinted off in front of me and made sure the place in the crowd he got would be one that I would never forget. As I caught up with him soon afterwards I looked at the closeness of the singer's microphone and said to myself, "Oh God, I've never been this close, ever! I feel quite conspicuous! I think I want to move back!" Even then though, my mind was in a bit of a whirl and all through the Robert Post set, which I enjoyed, I just really stood there feeling very odd. It was only, and only, when the hustle and bustle of the Texas roadies started to take place as they sorted the equipment for Sharleen and the boys that I started to take it all in and it all spectacularly sunk into place when I saw one roadie carefully place the battered black and white telecaster near the front of the stage. My heart jumped. I was back, Texas were back. Back in Liverpool. And then, the lights dropped, the crowd roared and the beginnings of 'Paris Texas' came drifting from the speakers. An inspired choice, the place were Texas started, in the place where my love for Texas started, and while it's convenient for me to blame it on my racing hormones, as Ally made the unmistakable sound of the slide guitar, the tears welled up in my eyes and I had to blink them away furiously because I felt stupid. Was I really reacting in such an emotional way? Got to be hormones, not the occasion surely? Then it all swung into motion. Liverpool crowds are the best in the world. We know and appreciate talent and art and music and we are so vocal in our support. I know it's rather big of me to say it but the atmosphere in that crowd was so electric that it would rival any audience that Texas see on this tour. Very early on, Sharleen drew the comparison between Liverpool and Glasgow people; our cultures, outlooks, politics, strengths and weaknesses inextricably linked by our history and situation. The band warmed to that I feel. Though we're not Glaswegians…this gig is the closest in England they'll get to a hometown gig, rest assured. The openers, 'I don't want a Lover' and 'Halo' were just what was needed to get the crowd going. Because I was close I felt like I must have just been staring at the stage as my mouth moved to sing every word. By the end of 'Halo' I had shook myself out of it and actually looked like I was enjoying myself! Sharleen's banter with the audience started very early really and she seemed relaxed and enjoying the moment. I can contrast that with 16 years ago when my memory was almost of a clumsy, introverted Sharleen, who just introduced each song and engaged in very little talk. She was very serious back then. Age seems to have knocked a few of the edges off her, in a good way! The introduction of the new material I think was appreciated by the majority of the audience though there was a bit of a lull whilst those for whom the likes of 'Can't Resist' is really new, took in the new sound. The new tracks were punctuated with 'Black Eyed Boy' though, so that whipped the crowd up once again! I was secretly rather impressed with myself as I appeared to be the only one near me who knew the words to the new stuff! Tony joined Sharleen for the duet on 'Sleep' which came across well, as 'Can't Resist' did. Then it was back into more familiar territory with 'In Our Lifetime' and 'When we are together'. It struck me just how good Sharleen's voice is. Such power and control. By this time I had also started to take in the fact that other members of the band were actually there. How great it was to see Ally, Johnny and Eddie in particular, but also the newer guys, Tony, Neil…..and Michael! What is he about? He looks a little like a naughty schoolboy, and acts like one at that. He wasn't scared really to rise to Sharleen's bait about the fact that he had been saying some controversial things about Liverpool people! Sharleen did effectively make mincemeat of him and carried on doing so later on when she told us how it appeared that he didn't know whether he was circumcised or not! There was a slowing down of proceedings as the band tried out 'Nevermind' and 'What about us?' I have my doubts about Nevermind. Ballads have never really done it for me and although this one does get going, I feel its overall vibe is negative and I think it dampened the spirit of the audience a little. 'What about us?' tended to continue that trend although from a personal perspective I think it is a better song than 'Nevermind'. The gig was beginning to wind up and I have to confess that by this time I was exhausted! Honestly, I can't describe to you how utterly tired I was feeling. I promised myself that I would have enough energy to pogo to 'Say what you want'. Of the highlights of the end of the set, 'Inner Smile' went down particularly well, and a sly look round meant that I even saw Phill shouting "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" and waving his hand in the air. Another convert, though he would never admit it. In my opinion they really milked the audience for the encore! It felt like ages until they eventually came back with a great rendition of 'In Demand' and then, the Scissor Sisters' 'Take your mama'. That went down an absolute storm and I think everybody in that gig at that moment was just buzzing, the atmosphere was electric! It was a moment in time where everybody was at one in the moment. Unreal. I knew they would be back for 'Say what you want'… none of us I think had anticipated that there would be a hidden extra. I have to confess that I thought that the roof of the room was going to come off when Peter Kay walked on such was the noise (he's very popular in these parts). Whilst the attempted rendition of 'Sweet Caroline' was a bit of a disaster to be honest, it didn't matter, by that time were we all so high with happiness and energy that it was just great to get two talents for the price of one. I love Peter Kay's humour (which he showed to good effect) and I love Texas' music. I needed no other justification to be pleased to be there. I was wanting 'Say what you want' because I knew the night had to end and that was the place were this dazzling journey through part of the soundtrack of my life had to stop. I also felt like I was dead on my feet - the blood seemingly was draining from my legs and I felt in too much of a whirl but I was determined, for sure, that I was gonna pogo and wave my hand like it was my last actions on earth when 'Say what you want' reached that amazing crescendo that it does when they perform it live. As an audience we were so easy for Sharleen to work, so to build up the anticipation to the great finale, she had us singing loudly, then quietly before she built the song up and then…the lights came on, the song took off and there I was jumping up and down with my left hand waving madly and my right hand reassuringly holding my tummy. God I was tired, but there was nowhere else I would have ever wanted to be on the planet at that time than where I was, freaking out to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. And then, it was over. Like a dream and I had just woken up. We all trudged away. I was quite sad because it seemed like a millisecond and I couldn't go back in time to recapture it, but as I walked out into the Liverpool night I smiled and remembered how I felt walking out of my first gig, aged 15, in Liverpool. Back then I remembered the sadness of it being over but being inspired by what I had just heard and that I vowed that next time they were in Liverpool I would definitely come and see them again. I kept my promise. 16 years and I have completed the circle. |