Gig review: Tom Jones

Published on Thursday 15 October 2009 18:58

TOM JONES **** SECC, GLASGOW

ALTHOUGH Tom Jones still throws himself into the role of senior snake-hipped lothario, he has tempered the cheesier elements of his persona. His current album 24 Hours is a partially successful stab at a more sober style, in keeping with an elder statesman of pop.

The hair dye has also been binned, and Jones appeared in silver fox mode, with shiny silver grey suit to match. At first his audience seemed more subdued, although as stage-time approached there were random outbreaks of excited cheers as certain fans could not contain themselves.

Jones opened with the unrepentant Sugar Daddy, written for him by Bono and the Edge of U2. "You don't send a boy to do a man's job," he boomed in his lusty tones. While the voice was wonderfully preserved, the moves were a little arthritic. The arrangements of the new material sounded fairly synthetic, but his band soon demonstrated their firepower on the Bond song Thunderball, while Delilah inspired a solitary pair of projectile panties.

The funereal 24 Hours was a glimpse of a more vulnerable side. He also turned down the bravado for an acoustic country interlude, including a nice harmony version of Green Green Grass of Home, but the old Tom was back with a vengeance for She's a Lady and You Can Leave Your Hat On. At one point he admitted he often forgot how old he was. "Time goes fast when you are enjoying yourself," he declared. The same could be said for this concert.