Scottish rock band Texas performed at Irish Village in Dubai this weekend, and it was a night to remember. Fans turned up in droves to enjoy the group’s signature sound and high-energy performance – and what better venue than the Tennis Stadium, with food (including pork!) next door, drink, the open air (albeit on the warm side, now summer is rolling in) and a clear view of the stage.
By big concert standards, gobby Glaswegian Sharleen Spiteri’s performance at the tennis stadium on Friday night was an ‘intimate’ gig.
A tennis stadium is, after all, designed so that every single seat can see that little yellow ball in the middle of the court, meaning every viewpoint is perfect.
Lead singer and guitarist Spiteri was a force to be reckoned with, belting out powerful vocals that resonated throughout the venue. She engaged the audience, encouraging them to sing along and clap to the beat. At times admonishing fans with a cheeky comment or two.
“Took you a while to get going, but you’re getting there,” she chirped in reference to an earlier observation about the crowd being an older bunch.
“Look, there are a few younger faces in the audience,” she said after surveying the front rows of eager fans. “Oh, but not you,” she quickly followed this up with, and I squirmed for whoever she was pointing out.
But slapstick suited Spiteri. She had comic timing, suggesting she’d be equally at home at a stand-up comedy night.
The band played a mix of old and new songs, and each one was met with thunderous applause. It’s not often that bands start their set with their most popular song, yet Texas chose to do just that. ‘I Don’t Want A Lover’, the lead track from their 1989 debut album Southside, served as a fitting opening number and set the tone for the remainder of the concert.
After that, highlights included ‘Say What You Want’, ‘Summer Sun’, ‘Halo’, ‘Once In A Lifetime’ and ‘Mr Haze’, all sounding timeless and Spiteri’s voice as sonorous and magnificent as when she first began her career three decades ago.
The band’s rendition of ‘Black Eyed Boy’ had everyone dancing, and mixed among the hits were some absolute gems from their most recent album, Hi, which I loved as much as the ‘oldies’.
Spiteri wasn’t afraid to be openly honest with the audience too. “It was raining in London when I left,” she said. ‘That’s why I’m wearing this suit – and now I’m just SO damn HOT.” With all her bouncing around stage, I wasn’t surprised. “My thermostat is completely shot,” she laughed (she’s 55, with a 21-year-old daughter, Misty Kyd, who she joked would #cancel the men chanting for her to “Get it [the suit] off.”
After thirty years of producing fantastic music, Texas continues to perform with a genuine sense of merriment – and, thanks to spirited Spiteri, with a remarkable connection to the audience, who went home buzzing.