What a delight to finally get to see the real Sir Tom Jones! I’ve seen an incredible tribute (www) so when the opportunity came to see the man himself, of course I said yes!
Newmarket Nights are popular, drawing some big acts and this is the second time Sir Tom Jones has performed here and thousands gathered, eager to witness an icon.
Sir Tom had cancelled a gig 10 days before so we were slightly worried it wasn’t going ahead however the full to the brim crowd gave a huge roar and applause as Sir Tom Jones came on stage smiling and waving.
The first song out the stalls was the stripped-back ballad ‘I’m Growing Old’ and by golly it was emotional and poignant, you could see the meaning of it within the sparkle in his eyes. This start commanded attention and the audience were hushed as we were captivated by this beginning which allowed his voice to demonstrate a level of expressiveness that comes with age and experience.
He followed with the Leonard Cohen track ‘Tower of Song’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Not Dark Yet’ – the theme is set, the theme of nostalgia, reflection and storytelling and the enduring power of a voice that seems to never faulter.
Sir Tom spoke to the crowd during the pauses giving us snippets of information when introducing the next song in the set, he told us he started his recording career in November 1964 with a record that went to number one in March 1965 and with that launched into a more acoustic, stripped down version of ‘It’s Not Unusual’ with the accordion arrangement. ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ was another upbeat track for the crowd to dance to.
‘Sex Bomb’ started slow with no instrumentation, just his incredible voice bellowing out of the speakers, everyone was in silent admiration, then after the slow soulful start, it went into a swing jazz style with the sound of Hammond – it sounded so so good.
Sir Tom Jones continued to delight us with his name dropping anecdotes and he mixed the high-energy hits with deeply emotionally provocative songs such as another Bob Dylan’s track ‘One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) and ‘I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall’ against a crowd pleasing ‘Delilah’. The set finished with ‘Kiss’ and of course the audience were screaming for the encore which delivered a singalong of ‘Green, Green Grass of Home’ a moving version of ‘One Hell of a Life’ and ending on a joyful ‘Strange Things Happening Every Day’.
His stage presence was electric and we were all completely enchanted by this seemingly personal and deeply moving set. It was a privilege to be part of it as it was incredible.
Photo Credit: Angela Smith
Watch YouTube Video:
With thanks to Newmarket Nights.
In association with Grapevine
