TOM JONES // SLESSOR GARDEN'S, DUNDEE
Welsh singer, Tom Jones, played to a packed venue at Dundee’s Slessor Gardens. He may attract an older audience, many of whom will remember his hits of the sixties, but their intention is to party and the rain did not dampen their enthusiasm at all. As Tom put it, “Celtic rain is alright, isn’t it?”
TOM JONES PERFORMING AT SLESSOR GARDEN’S DUNDEE - 27.07.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★★ (5/5)
Tom Jones, now seventy-nine, shows no sign of retiring any time soon. He is currently completing a tour of America, Europe and the UK. With a music career spanning over 50 years, he has made several comebacks, diversifying his performance range to include pop, R&B, soul, gospel, country, dance and show tunes. In 2008, The New York Times called Jones a musical “shapeshifter”, who could “slide from soulful rasp to pop croon, with a voice as husky as it was pretty”. He has continued to gain new and younger listeners, as well as retain his appeal for older fans, by working with artists such as Robbie Williams, The Stereophonics and Lady Gaga, to name but a few.
Performing with a full live band, the edgy number, Burning Hell, opened the show and then was swiftly followed by two further songs from the album, Praise and Blame; Run On, the gospel standard Elvis Presley once recorded and Did Trouble Me. Jones reminisced about the times he performed gospel songs with Elvis after shows in Las Vegas.
Classic hits such as Mama Told Me Not To Come and Sex Bomb were real crowd pleasers; not many could refrain from showing off their moves. Fever brought a sultry feel to the evening. Although originally recorded by Peggy Lee, Tom Jones said that his influence had been Little Willie John, the first man to record the hit. The singalong hits just kept coming. Delilah, Green, Green Grass of Home and What’s New, Pussycat? could be heard from near and far. It was a real trip down memory lane for many of the older generation, but amazing that younger fans knew all the words. It’s Not Unusual had the audience singing in unison and brought visions to mind of Tim Burton’s 1996 film, Mars Attacks, in which Jones played himself as a singer.
TOM JONES PERFORMING AT SLESSOR GARDEN’S DUNDEE - 27.07.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
When talking about his role as a voice coach with tv programme, The Voice, Tom Jones said he was delighted that singer Peter Donegan had appeared at one of the blind auditions, the son of the late Lonnie Donegan and Jones touchingly performed I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, the song Lonnie had written for him.
So many well loved songs crammed into one concert! Tom Jones sailed from hit to hit seemingly effortlessly; such is the energy of this performer. You Can Leave Your Hat On and his cover version of Prince’s Kiss were highlights, but on a personal note, his tribute to Louis Armstrong with a cover of What A Wonderful World brought that special touch of magic to the evening.
TOM JONES PERFORMING AT SLESSOR GARDEN’S DUNDEE - 27.07.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
SETLIST: | TOM JONES : SLESSOR GARDEN’S, DUNDEE - 27.07.2019
Burning Hell
Run On
Mama Told Me Not To Come
Did Trouble Me
Raise A Ruckus
Sex Bomb
Fever
Take My Love
Shake Baby Shake
Cry To Me
Delilah
Soul Of A Man
Tower Of Song
I’ll Never Fall In Love Again
Green Green Grass Of Home
What’s New, Pussycat?
It’s Not Unusual
You Can Leave Your Hat On
If I Only Knew
I Wish You Would
ENCORE:
What A Wonderful World
Kiss
Strange Things