Review – Texas at the London Palladium

Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri took to the stage of London’s Palladium Theatre last night in front of a sold-out crowd promising to give them an evening of “songs, stories and profanities” – and she delivered on all fronts.
The band are in the middle of a year full of celebrations marking their 25 years in music, and the concert acted not only as a greatest hits set, but an autobiography of sorts for these music industry survivors. Spiteri took her time between songs, telling stories about the highs and lows of their two and a half decades together, cracking jokes, and rather bravely inviting ample audience interaction.

It may have been a sold-out crowd of more than 2,000 people, but it was also the sort of gig where, at one point, Spiteri clambered down off the stage to hand the microphone to a woman four rows back who’d put her hand up, apparently to ask a question.
When it emerged the woman simply wanted to complain about the people in front of her standing up and dancing, Spiteri was in a less charitable mood. “It’s a bloody concert, you can’t stop people from standing up,” she said. “Go to the box office and get your money back if you want.”
You can take the girl out of Glasgow…
When not cracking jokes and fielding audience feedback, the band was in fine form throughout, remaking their 1989 debut single I Don’t Want A Lover as a rollicking, high-energy stomper, and giving a few of their early career ‘misses’ (So-Called Friend, Thrill Has Gone) their time to shine in the first half.
The post-interval section was a more energetic, hit-filled set, focusing on the singles that the band recently remade with New York R&B production team Truth & Soul for their current album, 25. There were a few surprises – a of handful of tracks from Spiteri’s underrated 2008 solo album, Melody, were welcome inclusions – but as the night wore on, the band honed in on their late 90s halcyon days: Say What You Want. In Demand. In Our Lifetime. Then, the majestic Inner Smile, with its sky high chorus, surely one of the most joyous pop songs ever written.
A closing cover of Elvis Presley’s Suspicious Minds took them dangerously close to breaking the venue’s curfew, but as Spiteri joked, she only lived down the road and it was Saturday night, so perhaps everyone should come back to hers to continue the fun. It’s hard to imagine anyone in the audience who would’ve turned down that offer.

Texas’ 25 tour continues throughout May, and they return to UK stages later in the year – full tour dates here.