Such was the demand for chart-topping legends Texas’ intimate acoustic show in Aberdeen on Saturday tickets were sold out in just 15 minutes.
That rapid uptake for the hottest ticket in town at The Tivoli underlines not only the love for the rock icons in the north-east but also the desire for live shows to finally return.
Denied live performances for 18 months due to the coronavirus lockdown Texas aim to make up for lost time with an unforgettable gig in the Granite City.
Texas’ album launch acoustic show at the Guild Street venue to promote their new album Hi is one of the first major concerts in Aberdeen since live music emerged from the lockdown.
Singer Sharleen Spiteri has missed the energy and adrenaline of playing to an audience and is relishing a return to the stage in what promises to be an unforgettable night.
Sharleen said: “There’s nothing like walking onto a stage. Playing live is such an important part of what we do.
“Whether that’s in front of 50 or 50,000 people – the energy that comes towards you from the audience gets that adrenaline pumping.”
Texas aim to bring comfort and joy to fans
Aberdeen fans can expect hits and tracks from Hi in a celebration of the influential band’s past and their ongoing relevance in the present.
Formed in Glasgow in 1986, Texas are this year marking their 35th anniversary.
Many bands welcome such a milestone by revisiting their back catalogue.
Texas celebrated three-and-a-half decades in music by releasing a fresh, relevant album in Hi.
Sharleen hopes the new album can bring joy to fans and even help them cope with difficult times.
Sharleen said: “It does feel like yesterday I started writing songs and releasing records.
“Here we are more than 30 years later with album number 10.
“A record should be something that really touches you or maybe helps you work through something that’s going on in your own life, or it gives you comfort, or it takes you to another place.
“When you release a record you want it to do well and as many people to hear it as possible — that’s why I make records, that’s why I write songs.”
Work with hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan
Released in May this year, Hi was preceded by a single of the same name in December with the band linking up with legendary hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan for a second time.
Hi, which has a repeated coda reminiscent of Italian composer Ennio Morricone, features RZA and Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan.
The unlikely collaborative artists first got together to remix Texas’ hit single Say What You Want with Method Man performing the song alongside the band at the 1998 BRIT Awards.
The collaboration, called Say What You Want (All Day Every Day), reached the Top 5 in 1998, 15 months after the original release.
Sharleen said: “We worked with Wu-Tang Clan many years ago and performed at the BRITS with Method Man.
“There’s no genre we won’t explore.
“I think it’s reflected in Hi if you look at the songs — you’ve got the Wu-Tang track, the ‘80s new wave stuff, the Bob Dylan folk stuff, then a bit of disco, then some Motown.
“There’s a lot going on.
“On paper, it doesn’t work.
“But, when you put it on and play it, it does, it all connects.
“It’s our love and passion for music. It’s a celebration.
“Someone said to me a few years ago Texas is one of the only bands that can literally put out a rock record and then make a record with the Wu-Tang Clan if they feel like it and move within parameters no other band can.
“We met RZA totally randomly, it just clicked and we’ve been friends ever since.
“We had a lot in common and we understood each other very well, even though we’re not from the same place.”
Hi began with a dive into the archives
The initial catalyst for Hi was a request from record label Universal to release a 20th-anniversary edition of White on Blonde, their multi-million selling chart-topper.
Whilst researching for that release Sharleen and guitarist Johnny McElhone discovered a handful of unfinished songs they had forgotten even existed.
Initially, they thought the undiscovered tracks could be released as a ‘lost’ album but as they worked on the songs it inspired them to write fresh material.
Sharleen said: “We went into the vaults at Universal as they were looking to do an anniversary edition for White On Blonde.
“They were looking for different versions of the hits from that album, just extra stuff for a reissue. Within that, we found some unreleased tracks, two or three bits.
“One of those was Mr Haze, which was maybe half a song.
“We’d written that back in 1996 but we’d never finished it.
“So we decided to finish it.
“We went back, stuck a Donna Summer sample on it, wrote a chorus and we loved it.
“And from there, we kept writing and decided we’d make a whole new album.”
Texas show a major coup for The Tivoli
The Tivoli will mark Texas’ first show to promote their recent album and landing the band for an intimate performance is a major coup for the venue.
Christina Camillo, Sales and Marketing Manager for The Tivoli, said: “Having an iconic Scottish band like Texas is very exciting for us especially having just re-opened on August 29.
“This is the launch of their new album Hi and we feel The Tivoli is the perfect venue for this type of gig as it is intimate with great acoustics.
“It is going to be a great night.
“Tickets were snapped up very quickly and sold out in 15 minutes.
“This is the right time for a show like this because with re-opening the people of Aberdeen and beyond just want to get back and enjoy themselves again.
“Social distancing has been removed however masks are mandatory unless you are eating and drinking.
“There is also track and trace on arrival.”
