Verdict: Five stars.
TEXAS frontman Sharleen Spiteri returned to home turf quite literally to wow thousands of Hydro fans with a set that featured all the songs that first propelled the band into the spotlight more than 30 years ago.
The 1989 debut album Southside was played in its entirety at the venue on Friday night as the charmastic star declared, “Glasgow, we’re home.”
READ MORE: Review of Texas at St Luke’s in Glasgow for BBC Radio 2 Live
And despite the theme of the night centred on one Glasgow area, the singer boasted about her own West End roots as she beamed: “I’m originally from Finnieston. I actually grew up in Minerva Street
“This (the hydro) used to be my playground because it was a spare ground.”
That former playground which now houses some of the world’s biggest music acts was dominated by the local band from the get-go.
For Texas created an intimate feeling in the often overpowering Hydro.
I Don’t Want A Lover, Thrill is Gone and Fight the Feeling delighted in the first set.
While Sharleen’s velvet-smooth vocals stunned on Fool for Love and proved why she is one of the finest singers Scotland’s ever produced.
Hearing Southside in this way was not only a rarity and a joy for fans of the band but it also reinforced the songwriting talent of both Sharleen and Texas co-founder Johnny McElhrone.
READ MORE: Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri talks about performing at St Luke's and coming home to Glasgow
The atmosphere was amped up for the second half as Texas returned to the stage with 1997 hit Halo.
Summer Son taken from the band's fifth studio album Hush followed while In Our Lifetime was a highlight.
You find yourself rooting for Texas because they are a hometown band. But allegiances aside, it’s hard to ignore the timeless classics in their back catalogue. From When We Are Together to Inner Smile, these hits have stood the test of time and are perhaps the reason why Texas continues to sell out arenas the size of the Hydro more than three decades on from when they first formed in the city.
An emotional Sharlene dedicated Unbelievable to the lockdown heroes while Donna Summers’ Love’s Unkind sampled Mr Haze brought the party mood.
Say What You Want, Black Eyed Boy and a cover of the Elvis hit Suspicious Minds finished off the set in spectacular style.
And although it took the band some time to deliver this show thanks to the pandemic, the wait was worth it because Texas gave the fans a night they will never forget.
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