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.
Sir Tom In Winnipeg: Don’t Know What To Say About These Reviews — “Clueless” Is The Least Of It
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008Wednesday evening, June 11: One more blog report from Canada that’s kind of nice. And it links to Tom’s fabu version of The Reason. Check it out.
Wednesday, June 11: Another review, this one from the Winnipeg Sun is more of the same. This time, Sir Tom is called an ” old crooner.” At the end of his piece, the reviewer allows, “We’re still not sure about the underwear, ladies, but we’re starting to understand what you see in this guy,” but it’s more of the same as below. Getting tiresome.
OK. We get it. Not everyone is a Tom Jones fan. But, sometimes, the things they write are so — well — stupid. Now, Ellen will tell you from her own experience that it’s easier to write a negative, sarcastic review than a positive one. And we certainly don’t expect every reviewer to love the show. But, despite all experience to the contrary, we’re always surprised when a reviewer — allegedly a person who knows music — doesn’t get it at all. By the third sentence (”Tom Jones inner real-life monologue”) she’d lost us. Add to that the description of the audience and the panty count and saying his career is built on “nary more than a waggle of his hips,” along with a description of the show as “easy-going traditionalist.” Well, there’s nothing else to say, is there?
(Except — those of you who would criticize us for getting annoyed about this stuff — please bear in mind that we review shows and we never stoop to this level. Again, honest criticism is fair and often warranted. But this is dishonest. And, worst of all, it’s not even funny. And do not doubt for a minute that she was going for funny.)
The only question we have is: should we continue to post this such reviews? We probably will, because they’re out there and from legitimate sources. But, we’d like your opinion. Please advise. Thanks. (To make up for this miserable review, we’re posting two photos by Mike Wachniak that really have nothing to do with this post. Except they are from Canada. They were taken at the June 2 fundraiser Tom did in Vancouver. At the left is a videographer named Will, Sir Tom and Mike, the photographer. At right is Sir Tom and Jacqui Cohen, the event’s host. Love Tom’s diamond-studded tie, don’t you?)
REVIEW: The ultimate ladies’ man
By: Melissa Martin/Updated: June 10 at 09:47 PM CDT/Winnipeg Free Press
There was a Saturday Night Live skit a few years back, where Tim Meadows played a silk-robed Lothario who sipped Courvoisier and took viewer calls on his public television show. Every time a woman called in, Meadows’ character would cock his eyebrow wickedly. “Ooooooh, it’s a lady,” he’d coo.
This, I’m pretty certain, is Tom Jones’ real life inner monologue.
For over 40 years, the Welsh singer has famously winked his way across the world, charming his mostly female audiences with nary more than a waggle of his hips and a catalogue of frankly sexual songs.
On Tuesday night at the MTS Centre, the panty count was a middling 15. But if you fear that Winnipeg’s ladies have cooled on Jones, be soothed: When Jones doffed his trademark white jacket for You Can Keep Your Hat On (I can? For what?), the titillated cheers were deafening.
But this review is getting ahead of itself. Let’s backtrack to 7:30 p.m., when Jones made a casual entrance, joining his 10-piece band for a solo version of Raise Your Hand, his 1969 duet with Janis Joplin.
Dressed in that white jacket, a black shirt open to the sternum, and a golden cross nestled in a thatch of chest hair, the 68-year-old singer sauntered through a set balanced between his own classic cheesecake tunes and familiar covers.
Early on the night, he pulled a page from a fellow Jones — country legend George — with He Stopped Loving Her Today, and followed it up with the first big hit of the night, Delilah, which had the crowd of mature and neatly turned-out women singing along.
“You’re hot,” one fan yelled, just before he launched into Cry For Home, his duet with Van Morrison. As far as Jones’ supersmooth baritone, it sounded best on the stripped-down Sinatra standard Here’s That Rainy Day. During a two-song blues interlude, where he was joined at the front of the stage by his guitarist, Jones found some extra vocal grit for his “sexy blues,” Git Me Some.
He saved his hottest tunes for the end of the set. She’s A Lady got ladies on the floor — some of them easily in their eighties — shimmying and screaming along; on What’s New Pussycat, he punctuated his “whoa-oh-oh-oh-whoa-ohs” with a fast-paced waltz across the floor.
Shortly before 9 p.m., Jones capped off the easy-going, traditionalist show with a one-two punch of the psychedelic Sex Bomb and cruise ship standard, It’s Not Unusual. For an encore, Jones showed off his funky side with a cover of Prince’s frisky Kiss, hamming it up and dancing around the piles of panties on the stage.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I am trying to guess the age of this reviewer; well, we know she is a woman! ;o(( She either had read some negative press about Tom, or she just doesn’t get him. Sad that professionals miss the charisma, voice, vitality of this truly unique artist…then proceed to write negative reviews, seemingly missing the entire reason Tom has been around so long. The title was, at least, right: The Ultimate Ladies Man!!!
June 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Oh, I forgot to say, I do look forward to reading all reviews on Tom, even though some can be less than complimentary.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
After reading your intro I expected worse. But all I can say is that the least imaginative review I’ve read. She just describes what she saw, nothing more. That’s not what a review is about. If you don’t like something you should at least explain why?
June 10th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
It’s a flat and uninteresting review but it’s not that nasty. This woman is just a non-fan. I think that this kind of fruitless article is not worth being posted as it doesn’t bring anything to us.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:57 am
This review is rather lame. The women really doesn’t appreciate a good voice. How does she think he’s been around for so long if he only has a wink of the eye? I think it’s good though to read all reviews.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:01 am
It’s always interesting to see the different review even the ones we really hate or don’t agree with. I was there and from my perspective it was the best show I’ve seen yet. As Marian says reviewer just doesn’t “get him” Cheesecake my a–!
June 11th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Read the review in the Winnipeg Sun. It is definately much better and the reviewer finally Gets It.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Please keep posting all reviews - this one is lame - yawn! Maybe the reviewer saw the show but she definitly didn’t hear or feel the music or the VOICE - she got my pity
So thank you even more for the photos - they are great but the sexy man is in the middle
sorry mike!!! and how can the photographer be in the photo, hahahaha
btw love TOM’s diamond studded tie - I guess he knows best “Diamond’s Are The Girls Best Friend”
June 11th, 2008 at 8:12 am
It is not the WINK, it is THE VOICE!!!We love you TOM.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Its THE VOICE stupid!!! Again, how can a so-called “music” critic or reviewer just talk about panties and the audience. (calling 3,000 people “sparse?”) Nevertheless, I would still like to see all the review no matter what.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Didn’t like the review but keep posting them. I’m sorry this reviewer does’t appreciate Sir Tom and his career - as her life won’t be as complete and fulfilled as ours!
June 11th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Oh…and I LOVE his tie!
June 11th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Everybody is entitled to his own opinion, the knicker-throwing and the sex part over shadowed his amazing talent (partly he himself is to blame), even to this very day. But I know for a fact, among singers/entertainers (according to fellow entertainers/singers), he is hugely respected and admired, so let them write what they want. Millions of people know the man is a legendary performer and enjoy him. I do think it’s about time he changes the set list…What about the new CD Tom?
June 11th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Dre, I agree about the setlist; who initiates changes? Tom has had so many great, fantastic songs, songs his fans want to hear in his setlist, or on his next CD. Would be great if Tom had a PR person in the states who could actually relay our requests to him!!!
June 12th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Tom got ladies on the floor, some of them easily in their eighties. YOU GO GIRLS!! TOM ROCKS!
June 12th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I enjoy the articles about Sir Tom, good, bad or indifferent. I just feel sorry for the people who don’t agree with me, lol.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Yes, it wasn’t a particularly great review, I think she could have been a little more objective. “Cheesecake” tunes? Those tunes are part of Tom’s appeal and not forgetting that he really can sing absolutely ANYTHING. Anyone who has been a fan of Tom since the 60’s knows that he is about more than the panty count on stage (I get so tired of reading about that, by the way). The reviewer made it sound bad that Tom has fans in his eighties. Isn’t that a good thing? Doesn’t that mean that he has universal appeal? He has fans of all ages. How many artists today can say that? She’d be hardpressed to find any, I’d say.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Here is a clip on youtube from VancouverBC.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbAKnnoTOaY
Short interview with TOM and at the end of the clip he is singing too - Nice to see our MAN
June 20th, 2008 at 6:15 am
…and performing with cigar in one hand and glas of champagne in the other, hahahaha