Note as of Friday morning: There’s a slight correction in the setlist below. Sorry, it was late last night.
“What a great show!”
That’s our totally unbiased opinion. For real. Well, OK, we’ll tell you about it and you can judge for yourself.
The curtain rose and there was no video — just Tony whipping an already excited crowd into a frenzy. When Tom bounded on stage wearing a red jacket the roar that greeted him was tremendous.
With the video gone there was a large spotlight upstage behind Herman and, in it, a red dragon holding a mic — Tom’s logo. The lights and the graphics in the spot changed throughout the show to suit the songs.
Tom looked wonderful — very healthy and very happy to be there. He was almost glowing. And he should glow. It’s a terrific show.
First up was I’m Alive, a perfect opening song and, next, Help Yourself.
As is his habit after the second song, Tom greeted the audience and explained that I’m Alive is from his soon-to-be-released CD and it was also apt because of the rumors of a couple of weeks ago.
[I didn't post it at the time, but it seems Fox News — that crackerjack, always reliable organization — was calling all over the place — the UK, LA and Las Vegas — "trying to confirm the rumor that Tom Jones had died." I heard about it when I got a call from someone who had been called by someone Fox had asked. I, in turn, called a reporter at the Las Vegas daily paper to see if it was on the newswire and was told it was not. The next two hours were difficult, with attempts to confirm or disprove the rumor flying hiter and yon. Finally, I was told that Sir Tom was safe at home in LA. But as you can imagine, it was scary stuff while it was going on.]
Anyway, after I’m Alive, he mentioned the rumor and how strange it was “to read your own obituary.”
Next was Seasons, a hauntingly beautiful number complete with lush sythesized strings. Delilah, 200 Pounds and End of the Road followed. Then came If She Should Ever Leave You with those haunting last notes. The standard trio (Here’s That Rainy Day, Fly Me To the Moon, Ol’ Black Magic) were up next and Grandma’s Hands and Git Me Some followed.
Then, a snare with a drum. (No, that is not a pun. Well, maybe it is.) So Tom filled the time while Herman was making repairs with a joke. We won’t repeat it, (here at least, but if we see you we’ll tell it) but it was funny. And blue. After he told it he named Don Archell as the source, saying “somebody sent it to him in a text message.
“He got it on his — what is that?”
“Blackberry!” Several audience members supplied the missing word.
“Right. I don’t text,” Sir Tom noted, mimicking hands busily texting. “I like to talk on the phone.”
Joke told, drum fixed, they swung into I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, Green Green Grass of Home and, of course, Pussycat.Then came You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sex Bomb and, of course, It’s Not Unusual.
Tom left, then returned for an encore and it was great.
He began — that’s right, began! — with Kiss and ended with Give A Little Love.
It was terrific.
The audience got to see a man at the very top of his game doing what he loves to do in Las Vegas — a place he loves to do it.One always gets the sense that Las Vegas is a second home to Sir Tom. He can settle in, unpack, be in one place for two weeks while he’s doing what he most loves to do. I’d bet his life in Las Vegas is one he loves.
Also, it’s a good guess that, since Tom had been in the UK for so long, rehearsal time with his band was minimal. Because of that, we’ further bet we’ll see a slightly different show as the run goes on until, toward the end, the setlist is finalized. It’s be great if the finale would, as it usually has, contain three songs and I’d love it to kick off with 24 Hours performed with the same lighting and ambiance as on Jools Holland’s TV show.
At any rate, it was a smashing evening with many more sure to follow.
