Show & Venue Reviews, What's New, Pussycat?
Please share your Tom Jones shows with other fans. Setlist? Audience? Energy? What was it like being there? We’d love to hear from you.
And, while you’re telling us about the shows, please let us know what you think of the venues where Tom plays. Clubs, theaters, casinos — Tom Jones performs in all of them. Which venue do you think is the best? The worst?
So that other fans will know what’s in store when they buy their tickets, please tell us a little bit about the venues you know. If possible, try to use the format below so others can tell at a glance what you think. The best venue will merit ****. More than one review of a venue is welcome.
What A Man! What A Show! Tom Is Back In Vegas & Better Than Ever
Monday, December 11th, 2006We didn’t see Tom until tonight because, just before leaving for the show Friday night, an email from some fans arrived. Seems they had stayed over in Las Vegas just to see Tom — they didn’t realize they’d be here at the same time he was — and the show was sold out. Could we help. We decided to give them our tickets, as we are fortunate enough to be able to see him several times in the next 10 days or so. Thus, tonight was opening night for us. Note: remember this for next year — The reason tickets were so tough is that it was NFR (National Rodeo Finals) time in Las Vegas as it is every year the first week or 10 days in December. If you cannot deal with crowds this is not the place to be when the rodeo is in town.
Anyway….we apologize for the photo quality. It ain’t easy at the MGM, but we tried. These are from the end of the show. Obviously, with the “V” sign, at least one is from Resurrection Shuffle.
It was worth the wait. As you can see from these not-too-good photos, Sir Tom is looking great and sounding terrific. It is a fresh show, lots of new stuff and some standards, along with so many of the hits.
After the sheep flew through space, Tom bounded onto the stage dressed in a new suit, a tux-like jacket, looking particularly elegant. He began with Raise Your Hand and got the crowd going, swung right into Help Yourself and then slowed the pace with The Reason, a beautiful song performed beautifully. In Tom’s hands this Hoobastank number takes on so much depth. The guys in Hoobastank should send the man flowers.
Then we have Delilah, 200 Pounds and, of course, Jerry Leeeeee Lewis is represented (after, all, this is a Tom Jones show) with End Of the Road. Cry For Home is a beautiful Van Morrison song from the 1980s that, we think, Tom has recorded with Morrison.
But, wait! It gets better. Next comes medley of standards: Here’s That Rainy Day, Fly Me to the Moon, That Old Black Magic. They are beautifully done, especially the first two. The band on these numbers (actually, throughout the show) is so great they sound like a full orchestra. They are really tight. They should probably be paid more than they are, as they are worth their weight in gold.
As if it weren’t good enough up to this point, we are now treated to the blues TJ-style. This means the amazing Git Me Some. You just have to be there. The song is perfect for this singer and he obviously loves doing it. Singer and song are, in this case, a match made in heaven. Then Tom revisits Bill Withers’ Grandma’s Hands. Just beautiful.
Next, the ones we all know: She’s a Lady, Stoned in Love, If I Only Knew, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Green Green Grass of Home, What’s New Pussycat, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sexbomb, It’s Not Unusual
Now it’s a three-song encore: Resurrection Shuffle (dance remix version), I Like the Way (song by the Bodyrockers) and Kiss.
Kiss is….well, Kiss. Tom obviously enjoys doing it and the crowd loves it. Everyone has a grand time with I Like the Way. The only problematic number in the entire show — a show which is a few songs short of the setlist from the October tour in the UK — is Resurrection Shuffle. It’s not fresh. It sounds like what it is, a song from 1971 (”Make a V sign”). The lighting effects at the beginning of the number are kind of confusing. In fact, we found out after the show that we should have heard voices during the intro. All we heard was some music and all we saw was Tom’s outstanding MD, Brian Monroney, using his computer to create those effects. Following that, Resurrection Shuffle didn’t seem to be performed with the usual enthusiasm. We’re told a DJ in Europe has created a remix of the song and it’s a huge dance hit.
Maybe so, but, if material is going to be brought back from the past, we’d suggest Tom replace Resurrection Shuffle with It’s Your Thing. That would be deeply kickass.
But, those are minor quibbles. (Another quibble is that in Las Vegas there is again no merch.) This show is fantastic. This band is fantastic. This trio of backup singers is fantastic. And this singer — this Tom Jones — is more than fantastic. He is unparalleled.
Welcome back to Las Vegas, Tom.
—Ellen & Ursula
PS: It would be great to have this show produced for a DVD. And, for the record, we had just amazingly good seats, Section 1, Table 6B. Not stageside, but two rows back; not looking up, but looking straight into Tom’s face, seemingly close enough to touch him. Try it, you’ll like it.
December 11th, 2006 at 4:41 am
Thanks for sharing! As usual you started my day with a great review. How very kind for you to give up your tickets. You are the best.
December 11th, 2006 at 5:48 am
Many thanks from me also! And the pics weren’t that bad really! Those three songs in a roll; Here’s That Rainy Night, Fly Me To The Moon and That Old Black Magic really creates what I call an ATMOSPHERE!
December 11th, 2006 at 5:57 am
Thank you so much for this great review; Tom looks fantastic and obviously sounded it too! Wonderful.
December 11th, 2006 at 8:09 am
YEEEEHAAWWWWWWWWWWW! And that ain’t for the Rodeo… Vegas and Tom…)… here I come!
December 11th, 2006 at 8:50 am
I’ve got goose bumps! The new songlist and all sound fantastic!!! Thanks for getting my blood going!!! This week cannot go by fast enough when I meet up with others next Sunday in Vegas!!!
December 11th, 2006 at 8:59 am
OMG! I’m flipping out (insert Tasmanian Devil cartoon whirl and sound effect). That’s what I’M talking about, TJ looks fine! And then some ; ))
December 11th, 2006 at 9:26 am
Thank you so much for sharing. Sounds like Tom is getting stronger & stronger. Were those seats a round table, booth or what? Thanks, Sandy
December 11th, 2006 at 9:27 am
OMG I can’t wait til Friday night…thank you!
December 11th, 2006 at 10:15 am
I saw Tom for the first time Friday the 8th. Fantastic. The next time I go will be with a group of girls. His voice couldn’t be better! How a man of his years can still be as sexy as he is is beyond me. What an experience.
December 11th, 2006 at 10:48 am
Your pictures are good! They have got me looking up airfares! I love the sounds of the new song line-up. Only a GREAT TJ FAN would give up their tickets to another TJ fan!… Bless you! The review is Great, Thank you!! Enjoy the rest of the week!
December 11th, 2006 at 11:37 am
What a fantastic commentary. I agree about the closing. I really loved it when he did It’s Your Thing. Even though that song is also from the 70’s, it’s not as dated at Resurrection Shuffle, which, in my humble opinion, should be laid to rest — and never again resurrected.
Can’t wait to see him this weekend!! Thanks.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
I have a confession. Despite reading Ellen & Ursula’s review several times, all I really saw was:
Worth the wait… new suit, a tux-like jacket, looking particularly elegant… a beautiful song performed beautifully… But, wait! It gets better… They are really tight… As if it weren’t good enough up to this point… This show is fantastic. This band is fantastic. This trio of backup singers is fantastic. And this singer — this Tom Jones — is more than fantastic. He is unparalleled… Try it, you’ll like it.
Bring it on!
December 11th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
I am soooooooooo jealous. What a wonderful gesture to give away your TJ tickets. Anyway, I can’t get to Vegas. All I can do is dream about his next trip to AC. Thanks for the pics.
December 12th, 2006 at 5:29 am
What a nice thing to do in giving your ticket. Thank you for the review In Nov. at the two Canadian shows he did not sing Stoned in Love or If I only Knew. I was really looking forward in hearing If I Only Knew it’s one of my faves done live. I actually liked Resurection Shuffle. It had the crowd going crazy in Barrie and Oshawa…. But that’s me. Thanks again for the review and the pictures are great.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:24 am
I enjoyed reading your review. Just sounds so awesome! How can we get Tom and his people to release a show like this on DVD. It would be such a treasure, especially for the fans who can’t get to Vegas to see him.
December 12th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Oops! We made a mistake. Tom is not (much to the disappointment of one of us) not doing If I Only Knew. Just loved the dance he did at the end of the song. We’d much rather see it than Stoned In Love, and the audience seems to prefer it, too, judging from the reaction to each song when he did them both. And we don’t, for what it’s worth, think that is a function of Stoned being new and unfamiliar. Only diehard fans tend to know If I Only Knew.
December 12th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
Thanks for your review and the great pictures. I saw him on Saturday (9th) night and thought he was fantastic - as usual. Loved his new suit and the “new” songs. LOVED the song Git Me Some and the crowd went wild when he sang it. It was really a rockin’ crowd on Saturday night even though it seemed to be an “older” crowd. I finally convinced my husband to go and see him and he was amazed! He’s a convert for sure.
During the show, Tom autographed a record album for a lady and also a sketch for a lady. The sketch was from his “younger days” and he started to sing “Those were the days my friends…” while he signed it. It was great and the crowd loved it. Several stuffed animals were thrown on stage and he picked up every one of them. He is so gracious to his fans. He looks GREAT and sounds better than ever! I did miss the fact that he didn’t sing If I Only Knew and We’ve Got Tonight but did like his new set list. I got seats at table D8 so my husband could see the whole show instead of being right up in front. It is dead center, 4 aisles back. I see Tom again on Jan 23rd and March 4th and have front row seats — table 3A. Can’t wait!
Side note - funny, my husband mentioned that the picture of him on the marquee was an old one. No kidding. When are they going to treat us to a recent picture??
December 14th, 2006 at 9:08 pm
Great pictures of Tom. — Cindy.
December 15th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Loved your review, the photos are great. Thanks for it. Believe me its sooooo hard too wait until March.I’ll be there on March 11&12 section 1, row 1A, seat 1/2. Daggy