Show & Venue Reviews, What's New, Pussycat?
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Tom In Amsterdam Last Night For A Special Concert: A Fan’s Review
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Last October I was contacted by Holland Casino to help them with the promotion on a special event especially organised only for members of the Holland Casino. They needed some 7” single covers to make a poster (left) to let these selected members know they could win two free tickets for an exclusive Tom Jones concert at the Heineken Music Hall on April 21 2007.
With the help of two of the greatest collectors in Europe I managed to mail them as many covers possible. The most difficult thing was to keep my mouth shut, because this was not meant to go public until December last year. As a reward I received four free tickets. Last night was the big event and here is a short review of Tom’s concert.
It all began with an opening performance from Dutch singer/performer Jeroen van der Boom (here with Tom holding his recording of She’s A Lady). I saw him a couple of months ago at the dinner show Novomundo. That was not a very impressive performance, but this time he suprised me with a decent show singing some Robbie Williams tunes and typical Dutch hit songs. He received a positive response from the invited audience who now were nervously waiting for the main things to come. 
With the full band present Tom came on stage singing his first song Raise Your Hand. As the audience were not all Tom Jones fans the reaction was a bit suprised. Next to me, a somewhat aged lady almost went in shock as she was expecting some nice smooth tunes and didn’t expect a rock tune as an opening. Later that night she was carried away after the Bodyrockers’ I Like the Way. That was too much for her.
Tom had to warm up the first couple of songs. His line-up was not much different as the Chile concert a few months ago. After Help Yourself and Delilah his voice got stronger during the beautiful The Reason. The two Jools Holland-album songs 200Lbs Of Heavenly Joy and End Of The Road were well chosen and the public responded very well on these relative unknown melodies.
The lady next to me was a bit relieved when Tom decided to do his ‘standards’ Here’s That Rainy Day, Fly Me To The Moon and That Old Black Magic, but she stopped smiling when he attacked Stoned In Love. Tom needed some technical help to get this song to a good end.
Highlights were the two blues songs, the sexy Git Me Some and Grandma’s Hands. To be honest, Tom hasn’t got the solid raw voice as he used to have a few years ago (he also uses another singing-technique), so these are the songs he should concentrate more on. But that is just a personal opinion. Another highlight was his new Van Morrison’s Cry For Home, a beautiful gospel-like recording.
The audience were waiting for almost a hour to sing-a-long with some of the greatest hits Tom ever had. Now was the time to do so and The Green Green Grass Of Home, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and What’s New Pussycat were rewarded with a standing ovation.
Just when the people were ready to sit down the first few notes of You Can Leave Your Hat On were played and we were all on our feet again and never had the chance to get some rest until the show was over. Sexbomb was a massive hit here in The Netherlands so the Heineken Music Hall was shaking on its ground. It didn’t stop there. It’s Not Unusual, Resurrection Shuffle, I Like The Way and Kiss ended this special, exclusive Dutch evening.
Right after the show all received a free copy of the Tom Jones Live At Cardiff Castle DVD. I think the lady next to me skipped. I hope she had a good trip home and is still in good health……after the Bodyrockers song.
Pictures of this concert can been seen on the casino’s site in a short while.
Hope all of you have enjoyed this review. Take care.
—Johan
Thanks to Johan for this review and, also, to Dre for the photo of Tom and Jeroen.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:26 am
Thanks a lot for the review! A memorable evening in many ways. When was the greatest European collector championships held? Because I didn’t get the chance to participate
Just kidding!
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:09 am
Great Review wish I could have been there I cannot figure out how to find the photos from the concert if anyone can help PLEASE DO
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:56 am
Hi Ed,
I think they didn’t had permission to take pictures from the concert. If somebody from the aundience was able to do so, please mail them to Ellen and Ursula!!! Sorry, Holland Casino told me that they should upload some pictures, but I didn’t realize it was only from the audience.
Johan.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:10 am
Maybe the traveling got to TJ because whenever he sings in Vegas he still has “the solid raw voice” and more!
April 24th, 2007 at 3:26 am
Hi Johan: What do you mean by “Tom needed some technical help to get this song to a good end” and “he also uses another singing-technique”. Maybe the jet lag had got to him.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Hi the photos from the concert are now available on the Holland Casino link you posted in the review
April 24th, 2007 at 8:16 am
Hi all,
Thanks for letting me know the photos are available. As for the ‘technical’ help: Tom used a LOT of echo during Stoned In Love and I even thought that on the high notes he used the original recording. I don’t have proof of that but I think I have listened carefully to the performance. With the ‘other singing-technique’ I mean that Tom is singing more like an opera-singer. Especially on the high notes. When you listen to the song I’ll Never Fall In Love Again you can hear the difference. Normally he sang the whole song with his ‘normal’ voice. Now he uses his headvoice (if that is what it’s called) more often. But again, this is just a personal opinion. No hard feelings….I still have a lot of respect for Tom as a singer and performer.
Johan.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I agree on this one. Tom has changed his singing style from the recent years. At least I have noticed that Tom doesn’t stretch his voice on most notes as much as he used to. And Tom really always sang through a set with a really strong, amazing and solid voice. Tom still has it and does it better than anyone else on my book. But a small change has maybe happened, nothing earthshaking though.
On Stoned In Love, I think it’s ok to use some samples and stuff because it’s the same thing with the original version of it, Tom’s voice is edited on it just like Bryan Adams’s voice is edited on his collaboration with Chicane, it’s done in the “Chicane style.” Still I love Tom’s live take on that song! It’s a modern way to perform in today’s pop world, but I don’t mean that Tom should do more songs this way on his live performances. One song done like that is a good example of Tom’s flexibility and keeps things fresh.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Hi, All:
Like anyone — or, rather, like the very few other extraordinary talents with strong voices whose carers last for decades — it is to be expected that Tom’s voice would have changed in 40 years. What was once a very strong, powerful voice is still strong and powerful, but it is also a voice with much more depth. We don’t mean only that it is deeper (though it is), we mean it is fuller, more profuond and capable of expresing more feeling. The technological aid he uses in Stoned In Love is, as Mika wisely notes, a reflection of an ever-evolving artist’s evolution. Those sounds are not meant to fool anyone. They are simply the way this song is performed.
Tom Jones began being noticed because he was different from all the rest. He has stayed on top and is still noticed because he is still different — but also better — than the rest.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I just saw his Viña del Mar concert recorded in February 2007 in Chile.
To all wannabees: You just can’t beat real talent, even if it is 66-67 years of age.
I agree his voice has changed but is still amazing. I showed the concert to a woman that had never seen one of his concerts, she was genuinly amazed and impressed by his voice and enjoyed the show.