What's New, Pussycat?
These are all the stories — in no particular category — that are posted for awhile on our home page. It’s a pretty good record of all we’ve posted in one place.
Tom Jones In Atlantic City: One Man’s View Of One Night; What Did You Think?
Sunday, August 3rd, 2008Vince, a Brooklyn fan, went to AC to see Tom on Friday night. His review is below and we hope others of you who were there Friday and/or Saturday add your reviews. The photos from Vince show Tom on stage. We are really grateful to Vince for the review and those photos. A bit further down, we found photos of the audience member who got onto the stage dancing (note the look of surprise on Tom’s face, but he carried on singing) and, at right, being escorted off by security.
And the cake below? Well the photo is from the blog on pinkcakebox.com. The baker writes, “It’s not unusual to be a cake disguised as Tom Jones…. I sang a lot of renditions of It’s not unusual… while decorating this cake. I’m pretty sure my staff was happy to see the cake disguised as Tom Jones leave the premises so I would stop singing…
“We created this cake disguised as Tom Jones for a group who travel to Atlantic City every year to see Tom in concert - they call it the TJ Experience. The bras and room keys are sugarpaste, as are his collar and enormous belt buckle. His hair is chocolate buttercream… we had some ‘hair’ left over and made some Tom Jones Hair Cupcakes…mmm….who doesn’t want a bite of that?
“By the way, how many times have I said the ‘Cake Disguised as Tom Jones?’ I think too many.
“The top tier includes marble cake with vanilla buttercream, the middle is vanilla with chocolate buttercream and the bottom tier is chocolate cake with oreos and cream filling. See the cake disguised as Tom Jones below.”
We think it looks delicious, don’t you? And, please, no jokes about “having your cake and eating it, too.”
As this is being written,Tom is probably on his way to Toronto for Canadian Idol. We’ll have news from the show tomorrow night when, as we understand it, he’ll be seen mentoring the contestants and, then, Tuesday, when he’s on live.
Just a quick review from night one at the Taj. Tom was in tip-top shape and looking like he was in a great mood from the moment he stepped on stage. His voice and the entire band were as crisp and great as could be. They must have all been raring to go after having some time off. The setlist was exactly the same as it has been, as was the outfit.
I thought we might be getting the red or white jacket, but we got the navy one again. The lighting for the show is awesome!!! I must say, sitting in the 17th row center was a great way to experience everything!! There was no audience interaction accept for the “I love you, too” comment he threw to some ladies shouting early on.
As far as the venue goes, it was a nice room but the seats DEFINITELY need to be changed as they are not comfy or pretty to look at at all. You would think with the money these casinos have that they could at least make comfy theaters for their shows. You could really get screwed with bad seats in that place, since there are many seats in the back and sides of the stage which are not good at all. I guess you can’t expect too much for 20 bucks in those seats. The staff did a decent job trying to get people who were running down the large aisles to go back to their seats. When the show was coming close to the encore and throughout the encore, they gave up!! Too many people people rushed the stage. I guess Tom saw the staff try to get people to leave, because during Resurrection Shuffle he said “If you wanna get up and dance, apparently in this place you can’t. The fire marshal won’t like it!!”
That kind of brings me to my next point of how ridiculous it is that so many people go there and try to BE the entertainment. This is one of those things that has been mentioned on this site before but I still thought I’d bring it up. Lucky for me and my fiancee, we didn’t have anyone blocking us, but people were running up the aisles constantly and even dancing with wild abandon as if THEY were the show!!! I understand the idea that if you paid for a ticket, you feel like you should have fun how you like, but come on — shaking your booty so hard that people start to turn away from the stage and look at you??!! Trying to get to the stage one way, then running around the other aisle to throw a towel or panty that doesn’t even get touched by Tom anymore, as in the old days, seems kind of pointless. More consideration and courtesy to the artist and others is necessary. A real die-hard fan knows he hasn’t bothered with too many panties in a looooong time. It’s all about the music. At best you get a wink or a smirk from him and that’s it. There were even two girls who made it all the way ON the stage to dance next to him before being pulled off by security. After the first girl got taken away, Tom said, “How the hell did she get up here?!”
The other mind-boggling thing is how the same people get front row or close to it EVERY TIME!!!!! I know it’s been talked about on this site before. I was much happier further back this time, but it’s so weird that the same ones are there no matter the venue. I guess you have to know someone or be first in line at the box office when they go on sale so you don’t have to deal with ticketmaster.
Anyhow, I didn’t mean to offend anyone by my little editorial here- it was a great show and that’s all that counts at the end of the day.
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am
Thanks for the prompt review. I agree about fan interruptions. The panty throwing is lame and won’t get you noticed by TJ. At the MGM its standard to get up and dance during the encores but disturbing to have fans carry on in the middle of the show in the middle of the theater. I always feel sorry for the people behind them. On a positive note — its great to hear Tom and the band is in top form and warming up for VEGAS!
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am
Thanks so much for the revue, Vince. It is really hard for me to stay seated when Tom is singing but out of consideration for those behind me, I do. I’ve had many a fanny in my face & it is not a pleasant experience. Most of those seem to have been drinking too much & haven’t a clue where they are. But if Tom says “Get up & dance,” I will.
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Wow…how drunk, crazy or rude did those girls have to be to actually get up ON the stage!?! Do you think they were fans or just “girls gone wild?” Could they have been planted as part of the act??? Makes for good press….
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:16 am
Marisa: First, they were absolutely not plants. Tom doesn’t do that. Ever. We hear one of them pulled a chair up to the stage and climbed. Saturday night, a metal mesh barrier, four feet high, sitting on heavy rubber mats, appeared in front of the stage so no one could climb up.
We also hear, by the way, that Tom said he’ll be at the Marina, the hotel just bought by Jimmy Buffett, in November before it closes for renovation.
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
Vince: Thanks for the review. At certain venues, during the encore only, I think it’s acceptable to stand up near the stage and it adds to the energy of the show. Most places just aren’t set up for folks to stand up otherwise. And as we all know with ticket prices like they are, blocking the view of a $75-100+ ticket would be infuriating.
Unfortunately, I’ve been at regular indoor concerts where people would behave in the manner you described: running up and down the aisles, etc. Especially awful at one show was a group of DRUNK women that thought they should be allowed to stand up through the ENTIRE show, scream vulgarities about Tom’s anatomy and wave undergarments through EVERY song (yes, even slow ballads). We were seated (they were standing) in the middle of the theatre and it was miserable. After a few songs, it became obvious no one around me was going to say anything so I approached the intoxicated fanatic closest to me. She was quite belligerent when I suggested that she and her friends “take it down front,” but after a couple of minutes, she finally relented. As she left she told me I had ruined the show for HER AND HER FRIENDS!! Needless to say, I didn’t feel bad.
Sadly, they were just a few of MANY that seemed more interested in being “the show” rather than watching the show or letting others hear Tom sing. Oh, yes, that was their other special gift — trying to sing OVER TOP of every song. And being so drunk they could barely stand up, they didn’t know the words, were off key and were off timing on every song. Lovely. Well, you get the idea. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to calling security at a show and the closest I’ve come to wanting to physically slap-down another “fan” for being so absolutely rude.
As for your question about how to do some people always get on the front row in the best seats, some fans (or fanatics in extreme cases) will DO anything or PAY anything to be in that front row over and over again for that chance to be CLOSE to Tom. For these delusional fanatics, every show is “the” show — the one where Tom will “see” only them and they will have their special moment with him.
For some fanatics, seeing Tom has become more about them putting themselves on display rather than seeing Tom. Sad, but unfortunately part of the “show” it seems at most venues.
I’d personally stand up and give security a standing ovation if they’d drag these nuts out at shows. I feel sure if they did this a few times, word would get out that this behaviour is no longer tolerated or appreciated. That’s my little fantasy anyway… to go to Tom’s shows where the focus stays entirely on HIM and is not drawn away by any of the idiotic, borderline psychotic, pathetic groupie behavior from the audience. Tom certainly deserves at least that much respect at this point in his career.
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I agree with your statement about Tom deserving more respect, Lou! Personally, I have found in the past that his shows without alcohol served were much more enjoyable.
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
The cake sucks. In no way does it suggest TJ. It look like a drugged out Elvis!
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
The Saturday night show at the Taj had the most drunken clientele I have ever seen at one of Tom’s shows. I was able to move down in order to escape the drunken rantings of a group of wasted bachelorettes in the top row on the side. The only good part of it all was when the guy with them took a header down the steps at the end of the performance as he was so trashed as well.
It’s ok to have fun but at least you should shut up when he is singing. He deserves at least that much respect.
Otherwise, Tom was in great voice Saturday night, but the Taj is really too big and poorly staffed to see the likes of “The Voice” again.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I was at Tom’s concert in Atlantic City on Friday night in the 19th row. They were pretty decent seats but I did try to get closer by flashing some money at the seater, to no avail. They were all taken. Tom was on fire!! He can really get a party started. I LOVED it when the first girl got on stage. She walked right up to him with a flower while he was facing another direction. Security rushed in and carried her off. Tom took it in stride like it happens every day. Well, it probably does. I can see why some would think the second girl was a plant. She was in a pink costume wig and all. She shook her booty and Tom kinda watched her for a moment before security escorted her off. I got the impression that security wasn’t sure whether to take her off or not. I personally thought it added to the show. I loved watching Tom’s reaction. He goes with the flow. Yes, people were dancing, and I didn’t personally see anyone get out of line. Well, maybe the elderly lady who was twirling her panties around her finger while dancing up and down the aisle was a sight, but not an offensive one. She wasn’t in anyone’s way, she was just having a good time.Tom was….Tom, (sigh), I loved the show, and I thought the audience was for the most part respectful. Hey, doesn’t Tom bring out the primal in all of us? I wonder how he feels about that?
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Have the audience of today changed that much? They must have. At every Tom Jones concert I’ve been to at Westbury Music Fair, was never ever distrubted by anyone during Tom’s performance. Both Tom and the audience interacted well with each other. Everything done, back then, was good, clean fun. How sad that some of today’s younger generation have not learn to show respect towards others, least of all themselves. Luckily for them that Tom Jones, being the kind of gentleman and professional his has always been, to not embarass them and over look their stupidity. I miss the old days.
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
This weekend in Atlantic City, the state of the economy was very obvious. I have never been there in peak vacation season when the beaches and casinos where so sparsely populated. Hotel employees said that it has been like this for most of the summer. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you would never have guessed the economy was an issue by the number of folks willing to swap their hard earned cash for a ticket to see Tom Jones.
The Mark G. Etess Arena was not sold out on Friday or Saturday night, but close to it. I must admit that I was dreading this venue because my seats were, well, not bad but not as close as I have enjoyed in the past. On the plus side — 1. ticket prices were more affordable 2. no extra tipping to get up front 3. and most importantly I observed that many more and diverse people had an opportunity to have the Tom Jones experience than if the show was held in a show room setting. It was very obvious that there were a lot of “rookies” in the audience when so many people started to file out after It’s Not Unusual. Hopefully they realized there was an encore and stood in the back to watch, but I do believe a lot left the arena. At any rate, my point is that a venue like the arena setting Tom played this weekend seems to lend itself to increased ticket sales, and therefore increased awareness of the power that is Tom Jones. That is always a very good thing.
The shows were just great! Tom’s high energy and good mood created a real party atmosphere. So much so, that security was not prepared for what happened during the encore Friday night. Mentioned in an earlier post was the fact that two girls were able to make their way on stage. The first time it happened, Tom had his back turned and was not aware that someone was running toward him. That’s when someone from backstage caught her and led her off seconds before she reached Tom. This did seem to startle him, and that’s when he remarked “where the hell did she come from?”
Then, only, about a minute later another girl showed up beside of him. She did not run to him, but instead stood beside him to dance (a pretty good dancer too). He was not threatened by her only wanting to dance, and seemed happy to sing for her until she, too, was removed. The most important thing in a situation like this is Tom’s safety, and thanks to the stage crew no one got hurt. That being said, it was kinda fun to watch and it only added to the excitement in the arena. I hope it reminded Tom of his younger, rowdy days.
Other things that make a show memorable to me are small observations that I think a lot of us find so endearing. Friday evening as Tom sang the first few bars of Rainy Day, it seemed that the audience was so caught up in how clear and pure his voice was that there were immediate applause. What my seat lacked in close proximity to the stage, my binoculars made up for. As I watched, I could see that when Tom heard the premature appreciation for his efforts that he could not help but grin while holding a note in a kind of “ah shucks” way. It really was sweet to watch.
Saturday night he skipped a verse of You Can Leave Your Hat On by mistake and said, “I’m singing the wrong verse.” He laughed at himself and waited for his next opportunity to jump in. It’s sure is fun to see this human side of him.
The two shows in AC this weekend turned out to be really fun in spite of the fact that a lot of us settled for a different seating arrangement then we are used to. This venue was by far not my favorite but it did turn out to be a blast anyway. How can you not have fun while spending two evenings with Tom Jones, and meeting new friends, too?
August 4th, 2008 at 2:39 am
It’s hard to sit still when Tom is belting out a song but everyone should respect that everybody is there for the same thing - to see Tom.As for the girl dancing on stage it looks as though she was trying to steel the limelight, but Tom dose look as though he is enjoying it even if a little surprised.
August 4th, 2008 at 5:54 am
OK, kids, here’s my review for Saturday night at the Taj - I have some good thoughts and then some not so good. First the good - Sir Tom was in great form as always. His voice is superb and his band is always top notch. A fuuny thing when he was singing “You Can Your Hat On” - he missed a few verses altoghter and made light of it - said the girl standing on the chair distracted him. But he picked up on the last verse and all was good. I saw Frank Strauss (the piano player) when we were leaving and told him what a wonderful show it was. He’s a very lovely gentlemen. OK - now for the bad. PEOPLE - YOU ARE NOT AT A FOOTBALL GAME - YOU ARE AT A TOM JONES SHOW. AND LET’S DITCH THE UNDERWEAR - PLEASE! Have a little respect for him and us and refrain from getting up 27 times to get drinks and natchos. The bar should close down 15 minutes after the show starts. We are not here to drink or eat. There was one women who I saw with 2 drinks in her hands at all times. Also, I understand that some people are late for a performance for different reasons- but there were crowds of people coming in 1/2 hour or more after the show started. I was in the 10th row and these people block the view. These seats are folding chairs tied to one another on the flat floor so the view is obstructed all the while the usher shows them to their seats. At one point I saw Tom look over at the confusion. This venue is better suited for a sporting event. I prefer a more intimate setting or just better seating. But all in all, just seeing Sir Tom makes everything right. Also, I too, wonder how those same 10 people always get the front row seats???? Maybe it’s who you know and how much you want to spend. So, kids, I’ll see you all at the MGM in August. ENJOY!
August 4th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I was there on Friday night and it was a terrific show!!! Yes, there were the rowdies, and some panties, and I have to agree the dancer in the pink dress really added some fun and thankfully no damage done. I had center - row 14 seats, which I purchase on ticketmaster, and I felt these were terrific seats as I could see everything. The acoustics were really good in this audutorium. Tom was in great voice and spirit. I have no complaints. Best of all my husband and I got to meet Audrey and her husband. We had a nice time after the show talking and even got a glimpse of Tom as he went to dinner. A terrific time all around.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hi,
I was at the Fri nite Concert in AC. We had seats in row 14Center. I thought Tom Jones was fantastic!!! His voice was just as strong as ever and kept us rivoted to each song! He looked healthier than pictures I have seen of him, too, and that made me happy. Looked like he lost a few pounds. The antics of a few oddballs didn’t take the enjoyment out of a wonderful time for me and my two friends. In fact we got a kick out of them. We had seen him in his youth and this brought back memories. I think he is one of the best singers of all time, what range and emotion and yes, fun, too!! I won’t let that much time go by before I see him again.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:30 am
My sister and I took our Mother to see Tom Jones on Friday night as a birthday gift. She has been a fan of his for some time.I have always enjoyed his music and voice. I LOVED the show. He sounds just as fabulous as he did in the 60’s and where does he get the energy? We had great seats, about 12 rows from the stage. My only complaint is the seating is very uncomfortable and way too close together…they also should not sell alcohol — too many drunken fans and at the end they all stood up and blocked everyone’s view. They overcame the staff at the Taj,and they gave up trying to seat them.Hopefully he will return to AC next year and I will try for a closer seat…
August 4th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
One girl on stage might be cute to some, but the issue is one of respect and Tom’s safety. People getting to the stage gives the impression that this maybe ok and once people start climbing on stage Tom’s safety is an issue, aside from the huge issue of disrepect. It’s NOT the 70’s or the 80’s. Had he been dancing or moving backwards, not aware of her, bumped into her, fallen down and hurt himself, would her self-centered antics have been so cute then? I think not.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
all great points Lou!! also, to the lady mentioning how affordable the tickets were for more people to get out and see him in a bad economy!!!!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Thanks Vince for the great review of Tom in Atlantic City. The woman (”exhibitionist”) who managed to get on stage and dance around must have had a few too many cocktails! I agree with Lou’s comments regarding her actions. It seems that Tom handled it quite well. Sometimes the fans do seem to get a little out of hand. I saw Tom last month at the Marin Center in San Rafael, CA, and the people behind us kept jumping up and down, and screaming. It was obvious they had been drinking since they were very loud and obnoxious. Even though they were behind us, it was still quite annoying. I don’t mind the singing along and geting up to dance which I do too, but when Tom is singing a ballad no one wants to hear the guy right behind you trying to sing, and yelling at the top of his lungs!
August 4th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Here’s my review! WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!! We got our fix and TJ got his too. The Taj Arena has flat seating on the floor and tiered in the side sections. The stage was high enough so that everyone could see. Really great acoustics. FRIDAY. The show started a little late but the audience was primed. We moved up to 7th row center just before the show started. When Tony brought Tom out the whole place erupted and out struts our man and the magic began! Tom was on and over the top and perfect as usual.
You can see it in his beautiful eyes, how much he loves what he is doing. You can see how much he cares for his fans and the interaction between TJ and his fans is electric. We may be addicted to him, but he is also addicted to us. He reacts to us as we react to him. We keep him going, give him the will, and we energize him as much as he does us. His whole face beams. What he gives we give back to him. There is a mutual interaction - a magic between TJ and his fans. Every song he sings with that heavenly voice is filled with emotion. Every move he makes with the gorgeous body makes us want to jump up there with him and dance *(see below). Then his interaction with his audience with that beautiful Welsh (is it accent or brogue) is so natural. The suggestive moves he makes like that famous right hand on the thigh…he knows what gets us going. Then came I’ll Never Fall in Love Again with such feeling, a couple of us stood and applauded and then the rest of the audience did the same.
When he came for the encore of course every one started up front and apparently that’s against the Fire Laws. But there were too many already there for them to move us. *Two girls (and they were girls) got on stage and up to Tom…the first one was plucked up by a security guard with one arm around her waist and whisked off the stage backwards. The second one was dancing by Tom and was escorted away. Tom sure got a kick out of it of course. The panties and bras flew at both shows.. it is so annoying. On Friday the audience was absolutely fantastic…but on Saturday we had 13th row center and aisle seats Tom was great again, show was great but the audience “sucked” to quote Sue. But there were enough of us to make up for the duds. Saturday we could not go all the way to front …they put up a barrier. Some people left and we were trying to get closer. A guard at the third row asked where our seats were and I pointed to the empty seats in the row and we were in. There were standing ovations at the end of both shows. We met Sheila and her daughter. Sheila’s picture is better. She will post it on Friends because of Tom. Gotta go, will try to post pictures later. Got some really good ones.
August 4th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I enjoyed BOTH shows, the audience on Saturday was not as good as on Friday. I never saw anyone misbehaving but the two girls and I didn’t see any drunks, I guess I was too caught up in the show and Tom. I am still in my Tom Trance. On the Vegas next, I hope.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Thanks for the great reviews. I’m heading to Vegas in a couple weeks and after reading all the reviews, I can’t wait. I’m only going to be able to see him one night (his last night - 8/20). Does anyone know if he’s coming back in December again? I was in Vegas in Decmeber 2006 and 2007, and would love to go back again this year. It’s a great time of the year to be there. And, Sir Tom what a nice Christmas present!
August 5th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hey Judy Kehley, I believe you, your sis and your mom were sitting next to me and my two friends. Glad you enjoyed the Show!! Thanks to everyone for the reviews. I enjoyed reading each and every one! I did want to mention to the person who felt things were more orderly in the past that at a Show at Westbury Music Fair in 1975 some idiot threw a high heeled shoe up and hit a band member (who was in the orchestra pit below the stage) in the head drawing blood. No accounting for some people. Also we did notice quite a few people had one to many before the Fri nite Show which was unfortunate for us and them.