The Southside interview
by Lisa Blanco, January 2002
“Texas Fever” was the first ever fan convention to be held about the Scottish Band Texas. It took place in a venue called Le Falstaff in Paris, France and hundreds of fans came from all over Europe to take part and revel in what was indeed a very magical night.
One of the gorgeous highlights and shining stars of the night were the Texas tribute band Southside. They were truly magnificent and blew away the myths many loyal Texas fans held that a tribute band could not possible match the mythical qualities of their favourite band. Southside managed to outstand with their rendition of once sacredly held Texas songs, which were both vocally, and performance perfect. They played the whole range from the very first Texas song – I Don’t Want A Lover to the most recent song Inner Smile and included songs from the early years thus giving a chance for some songs once unheard live to be experienced by the fans. Southside’s lead singer Shelley was heart blowing with a vocal range, which not only matched Sharleen Spiteri’s but also had a sublimely silky sense to it. Southside’s performance not only managed to be mesmerising but instantly gained them fans that are always notoriously difficult to claim as your own; Loyal followers of the original band.
After the outstanding performance “Texas In Demand” was lucky enough to be granted an exclusive interview with the band where they were asked a wide range of questions from what gave them the idea to be a tribute band, to what the band thought of Texas, to their own views on the unique artistic melting pot that is the city of Glasgow. We even managed to throw some very exclusive questions to the lead singer of Southside, the very gorgeous shelley.
The Beginning
TID : How did you meet ?
Southside : Bill and Shelley have worked together for a number of years after meeting through work. Stewart, Malcolm and Gerry joined the band in response to
an advert.
ID: Who or what gave you the idea to become a Texas tribute band ? and why Texas ?
Southside : Shelley and Bill came up with the idea independently at the same time after seeing Texas at the SECC in February 2001. Why Texas ? Too many
reasons to list, but being good, and Scottish, certainly helped. People had
also previously remarked on Shelley being both physically and vocally
similar to Sharleen.
ID : What were you doing before you joined the band?
Southside : Bill and Shelley were songwriting and performing as a duo. Stewart was in a well-known Glasgow band 'Big Vern', Malky was writing dance and
soundtrack music, Gerry was doing session work and teaching drums.
ID : How did you choose which band members you'd be (apart from the obvious Shelley being a girl!)?
Southside : Bill plays bass and guitar, and chose guitar after the first response to the advert was a bassplayer (Stewart). Everyone else was defined by their instrument, so we're not even trying to be look-alikes ! (Shelley excepted).
ID : How did you choose your name and why ?
Southside :We originally were going to be TXS, but Stewart came up with SOUTHSIDE, which seemed so obvious because of the album, and we practice on the
southside of Glasgow.
Tribute bands
ID : Do you have any ambitions to be big like Bjorn Again ?
Southside : We're certainly ambitious, but there are probably not many opportunities like that which Bjorn Again have taken. We think they're great by the way. We're just aiming to get as much work as we can through being good.
ID : What are your opinions of other tribute bands ? Any that inspire you ?
Southside : There are certainly plenty around. The Bootleg Beatles are fantastic, as are Bjorn Again. Many of the other acts, are also top quality, though there are some (no names) that aren't so good ...
ID : Do you think being a Texas tribute band stifles your creativity ?
Southside : No, as all of us do things outside the band that encourages creativity (Shelley and Bill still writing together for example).
ID: Do you play any other songs ( nice rendition of Mustang Sally at the beginning of Texas fever by the way) ?
Southside :We've all played in other cover bands, so we have a pretty broad busking repertoire !!!
ID : Are their any other bands/musicians that inspire/influence you ???
Southside : Very wide range across the band, from Robbie to the Beautiful South,
Springsteen to Linkin Park, Roger Sanchez to Alien Ant Farm. None of us have managed to get our head around Slipknot though ...
Texas
ID : You must like Texas to cover their songs, what is it about them that you like ?
Southside : Everyone in the band likes Texas, though Bill's probably the biggest fan (followed closely by Shelley). The band doesn't seem to fit into a particular niche, and is really good at constantly producing catchy songs. Live they are great too. They're guitar-based, and they're from Glasgow !!!
ID : Are they a tough act to follow ?
Southside :Oh yes, but we're just pleased to be able to play their music.
ID : What do you think of the McElhone/Spiteri song writing partnership ?
Southside : They're brilliant. Everything that Shelley and Bill want to be !!!
ID : How do you think their music has changed from Southside to Greatest hits ?
Southside : The main change has been in terms of production. IDWAL is still a classic, but if they went fresh into the studio today with the demo it would come out very differently (and way better than the 2001 mix) simply because of the better studio techniques that are available. The sound has gone from being very live sounding to much more polished and produced, and their increased use of keyboards and samplers helps put that Texas shine on the music. Sharleen
is also much more the focus today.
ID : What is your fave song ? and your most hated ?
Southside : Lots of opinions in the band on this one. Malky loves Insane 'cos it's challenging to play. Bill loves PYAAM 'cos it's a great song and really showcases Shelley's voice. Shelley loves SWYW 'cos it's just such a good song. Gerry is keen on Guitar Song 'cos he gets to drop in loads of reggae fills, whereas Stewart isn't so keen on the repetitive bass line. Stewart loves When We Are Together 'cos of the energy in it. We all enjoy Halo 'cos it was actually the song that we did first together (the audition song in fact). Everyone has their bogey song where they have a favourite mistake, but we're not telling you what they are ..
Live
ID : What's it like playing live ?
Southside : It's why we play music. Great fun, but nerve-wracking in it's own way.
ID : How do you choose which songs to play ?
Southside : Depends on the audience we're playing too. If it's fans of Texas then we'll throw in some of the older numbers and some of the covers. If it's a corporate audience who just want to dance then we'll stick to a greatest hits set, and we have one now that is pretty well fixed.
ID : Are you ever nervous about playing Texas songs ?
Southside : Not once we've rehearsed them properly ...
ID :Are there any that are hard to duplicate ?
Southside : All of them. Remember that Texas play live now with a nine piece band and we're covering them with five. We have to drop most of the DJ stuff, and Bill and Shelley have to try and cover three guitar parts on just two guitars. Many of the songs have quite complex vocal harmonies and we're constantly working on how we can handle that.
ID : What is the general reaction from the crowd ?
Southside : Typically inquisitive then very positive. People don't seem to realise just how much Texas music they know ...
Texas fever
ID : What was your opinion of Texas Fever ?
Southside : Brilliant !!! We've not enjoyed ourselves gigging so much for years. Great initiative to set it up, a lot of hard work doing it, but it was great to see how much Texas are loved.
ID : What was it like getting up in front of these fans who see Texas as sacrilege ?
Southside :It was extremely stressful, particularly as we had only tracked down guitar and bass amps 20 minutes before we went on. We knew that you were all watching us very closely ....
ID : What did you think of the response you had ?
Southside : It was unbelievable. From the sound check in fact we realised that we were going to have a great gig. None of us have ever played to a more positive, loving, warm crowd. We're still in touch with lots of people that we met and are looking forward to seeing them again soon as we go out touring.
ID : Would you do it again of asked ?
Southside : Try and stop us.
ID : What do you think of Texas fans ?
Southside : We love them. But hell, do they know their stuff !!!!
And Finally ...
ID : Scottish people and in particular Glaswigeans are loved , Why do you think this is ?
Southside : Not really sure, but we agree with you. We are certainly very open by nature, and typically friendly. I think it comes from being the underdog small country most of the time ......
ID : Do you think Texas are good ambassadors for Scotland ?
Southside : Yes, and a major earner !!!
ID : Tell me one thing you love about Glasgow ?
Southside : Glaswegians. Oh, and the restaurants and bars (OK - that's 3 !!).
ID : and one thing you hate ?
Southside : The weather and the M8 motorway (that's 2 this time).
ID : What one place would you love to visit and why ?
As a band - anywhere we could get to play support for Texas. Shelley's
desparate to visit Prague, Bill loves the U.S. and would like to get to
Nashville and New Orleans.
And the final question:
ID : Have you ever met Texas ? If not, what one question would you like to
ask them ?
Southside : Bill's met Steve Washington, but that's about it. We all have technical questions for the band (you know, what tuning are you using etc.,), but overall we'd just like to know that they're OK with us doing this.
The Shelley Interview (!)
ID : Is it difficult to sing Sharleen's songs as she has a very wide vocal range ?
Shelley : Yes. I need to be 100% fit to do it - no colds or sniffles or anything ...
ID : Do you think she is a good role model ?
shelley : Yes.
ID : What do you think of her change both personality and lookwise from Southside to Greatest Hits ?
Shelley : It's a logical progression, making her the natural front for the media. It's also made the band more successful ...
ID : Is there anything she's ever done that you've thought was wrong ?(objectively!)
Shelley : Not really - though I hope the new movie works out OK.
ID : Sharleen has quite a strong persona especially with the crowds she's playing to, what are your opinions of this and are their similarities to you ?
shelley : Sharleen's probably a wee bit more outgoing than me, but she's spent years in the public eye. I do find that I change quite a lot when I go on stage and my confidence increases. I am quite a strong personality though, and ambitious, so we're probably quite similar.
ID : Do you ever find yourself mimicking her gestures or body language ?
Shelley : I actually watch videos to keep on top of her latest moves !!
ID : Sharleen is quite a style queen, are you and what are your opinions on this ?
Shelley : I think this is great - it's interesting, and it helps keep the band in the public eye.
ID : Sharleen is a huge Gay icon, and such the position you have in Southside could make you one, What are your thoughts on this ?
Shelley : It's great - I'm really flattered. Sexual preference really doesn't come into it - as long as people like the show I'm happy !
ID : And finally Shelley, If you had one question you could ask Sharleen what would it be ?
Shelley : Are you OK with what Southside's doing ?
© Lisa Blanco
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