Tom Jones International

Note: Tickets are not on sale yet, but MGM does have Tom listed for May 13 through 26. But! There are no tickets on sale and everyone — everyone! — says this is tentative. Tom will be back at the MGM this year. (After all, Las Vegas is one of his homes, along with LA and the UK, right?) So, despite what people at the box office and around the hotel may say, please do not make any travel plans until tickets go on sale.

Saturday NIght’s Show: It was, again, loads of fun….Tom was great as always and there was a nice bonus. The second time he asked the audience “Are we still having a good time?” and everyone shouted, “Yes!!” he said, “Why not? It’s Saturday night!”

Tom, wearing a blue shirt, then began to sing the Little Richard classic Rip It Up, He paused, discussed the key and completed it. It was great (I love this stuff. To me this music is classic rock!) TJI should have a recording of it soon and I’ll share:)

The Band: First, please note that I do not think I am Moses down from the Mount with the Ten Commandments. It’s just a lot of people have asked my opinion of the band and I wasn’t ready to commit. Now, I am. I’ve done a lot of thinking about this because I really thought the old band and singers were special. A couple are friends and it’s difficult to see your friends hurt. In the heat of all the controversy — September, October and November — I tried very hard to maintain an objective stance in my role as website moderator. I knew the story circulated by one angry woman that Tom was forever abandoning Las Vegas was a lie and that’s the only thing on which I took a strong position. I knew Tom would be back here and couldn’t understand why anyone would want to spread the nonsense that he wouldn’t. But, on a personal level, I remained upset about the fine musicians I’d seen with Tom over the last several years.

I was proud and so pleased when I got a couple of emails from fans complimenting me on the site’s handling of the whole affair. In this case I didn’t even mind being compared to Fox news — “fair and balanced.” That, by the way, is my goal. The key word, as it says on the home page, is “respect” for Tom, his Management and the fans. Disagreement, criticism, etc., is fine. But keep it respectful.

So, the new band? I met a couple of them and we talked. One was quite concerned with fan reaction to the shows and asked what I thought. I said US fans love the show but seem to be taken aback by the group bow and he seemed surprised. It is, as I said a few months ago, a European thing. I told him about my analogy to U2 and the E Street Band and he understood but, still, didn’t see the issue. But, that’s not important.

I believe the “new” band (How long will we be calling them “new?”) is talented, enthusiastic and clearly loves doing Tom’s show. Music director Gary Wallis has put together a good group of musicians and Tom obviously enjoys working with them. I will not ever forget the people in the last band — how could I? — and I know my personal feelings may slightly influence my opinion, but these men are good at what they do and seem to have good stage presence and an abundance of charm and talent. I do miss that fourth horn but like the new arrangements. Green Green Grass now sounds more like the way Curly Putman meant it to sound when he wrote it. That’s good and much more haunting, as a classic country ballad is meant to be. (Still wish they’d add A Boy From Nowhere.) Save The Last Dance, Hard To Handle and He’ll Have To Go are very nice additions.

In the end, of course, one cannot fault the “new” band for not being the musicians we know. As they say, “That’s show biz” and we have to go with it or go away.

I choose to go with it.