The green green grass of Kingsholm Stadium was transformed on Friday 23 June 2012 for quite possibly the most anticipated concert this county has ever seen – when Sir Tom Jones and his backing band of 10 took the Gloucester crowd through almost five decades of his greatest hits.
The sell-out concert was fit to bursting with dedicated fans from Gloucestershire and beyond and in true Tom style, the obligatory hoards of screaming women. The 72-year-old silver fox promised to ‘heat things up’ and did not disappoint, delivering a pitch perfect repertoire effortlessly in his signature soulful, gravelly tone.
In between belting out crowd pleasers including ‘Mama Told Me’, ‘What’s New Pussycat?’, ‘It’s Not Unusual’ and ‘Green Green Grass’, Sir Tom even managed to squeeze in a few songs from his latest album Spirit in the Room, as well as a well-received rendition of old friend, Otis Redding’s ‘Hard To Handle’.
The Welshman’s big band sound filled the stadium and beyond, peaking when he treated the crowd to the toe-tapping ‘St James Infirmary Blues’, not before a little name dropping, of course, with Jools Holland, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ed Sullivan all receiving a mention from the crooner – much to the amusement of concertgoers who had seen his recent appearance on BBC’s The Voice UK.
The highlight of the evening, which prompted more than a few undergarments being waved in the air, had to be when Sir Tom stripped down to a tight-fitting black number for sing-a-long hit ‘Take Off Your Clothes’, not to mention the raucous applause that brought the singer back to the stage for an unforgettable encore.
Sir Tom received support from 2012 Britain’s Got Talent finalists Loveable Rogues, who strummed a handful of songs, including the charming ‘Lovesick’, and sultry singer Mim Grey, who warmed up the crowd with her unique blend of uplifting soul-infused country, and tracks from her latest album Chasing Tigers.
The Welsh crooner joked to the audience: ‘I’m going to have to have a pint after tonight!’ and after a fault free, two-hour journey through almost 50 years of hits, we couldn’t think of a better way to reward him for his efforts.
Those lucky enough to have bagged a ticket to the once-in-a-lifetime Gloucester concert, including the SoGlos.com team, are sure to remember this night for the rest of their days – Sir Tom, we salute you!
By Shelly Elcock
© SoGlos
Saturday 23 June 2012
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