search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
5:30 PM 8th August 2014
arts

Review: Sir Tom Jones - Lytham Proms

 
Sir Tom Jones
Sir Tom Jones
Now in its 5th year Lytham Proms is held annually in the first weekend of August. The opening night was a 1980's inspired night whilst Michael Ball with the Halle Orchestra closed the festival on Sunday night.

Drawing the biggest audience of the weekend, Sir Tom Jones was the headlining act on Saturday night.

The first thing you notice about Sir Tom is that he still has that powerful voice, credit too must go too to whoever his sound engineer is: the clarity in the sound was spot on with his voice blending in amongst his 9 piece band.

Jones must have performed his big hits so many times over the years so to keep them fresh he has re-arranged them slightly so much so that Sex Bomb is now re-worked as a jazzy number; Delilah has been re-invented as a Spanish style flamenco number whilst Green Green Grass of Home has a country inspired twist to it. Surprisingly it all works well.

In-between the hits the set is interspersed with tracks off his forthcoming new album. His version of the old Lonnie Johnson track, Tomorrow Night is a fine interpretation.

He looks comfortable and at ease on stage and even after all these years he still looks like he is enjoying it.

You Can Leave Your Hat On from the Full Monty film drew one of the biggest cheers of the night before the concert was drawing to a close.

An entertaining night from one of the true legends of music over the last 50 years.