Gig review: SIR TOM JONES – Heritage Live, Audley End House, Saffron Walden, 6 August 2023

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The scene is set for the third night of Heritage Live’s Audley End.

The likes of Miss Disco, Boney M, The Real Thing and Bjorn Again were followed on Saturday by adverse weather but the Britpop movement was in full attendance with fans of the genre not tempered by the whole days driving rain; Tom Meighan (ex-Kasabian), The Zutons and the talented one from Oasis, Noel Gallagher and his High-Flying Birds wowed the drenched masses of Essex (not Cambridge as some sniffy locals like to tell you).

After a smorgasbord of talented young ladies, Germein, Tamzene and Storry all did very well to hold the attention with their own material, and let’s face it unknown to the audience in hand with the sun and drizzle fighting for supremacy.

It’s finally time to get to the point as the old war horse Sir T of J moves onto the stage with this being the final night of his current tour (as was last year’s Audley End show), the giant screens advise us that we get an extra 15 minutes as this is a special show.

It feels a bit awkward to constantly acknowledge Sir Tom’s age of 83 years young but as the opening number ‘I’m Growing Old’ shows he is comfortable with this fact and its dark stage and silhouetted one spot lighted sombre message.

Tom has been around a bit; he knows that young man who used to cause such excitement in young ladies is no longer there, the ladies are, they have just aged along with him. With them there are people of all ages from small tots to old fellas such is Tom’s presence in music, the man is an icon and dare I say it a legend.

After ‘The Windmills Of Your Mind’ which is featured on his last introspective album ‘Surrounded By Time’, we are reminded by Tom again of his longevity when he mentions that he recorded the next song in 1964 and released it in 1965. ‘It’s Not Unusual’ is of course the song which is followed by the classic ‘What’s New Pussycat’.

It’s fair to say that Tom Jones has not lost any of the power in his trademarked Welsh boom, but there may be a slight dip in his upper range (Christ! remember the man is 83) which will embarrass many new kid on the block. Tom, like a few older statesmen I can mention, knows this and arrangements for songs have been stripped back on many, tempos and styles changed ‘Sex Bomb’ being a prime example.

We get a great version of Dylan’s ‘One More Cup Of Coffee’ from the aforementioned ‘Surrounded In Time’ which went into the U.K album charts at no.1 making Mr. Jones the oldest person in the U.K ever to get this achievement.

‘Green, Green Grass Of Home’ had the crowd swaying and singing at the top of their lungs then it all goes a bit U2 Zoo TV with the newbie ‘Talking Reality Television Blues’ both in musical style and presentation of flashing images. I still love the Trump reference about the “man in the comb over selling us the moon” – brilliant!

It all goes red on stage, and we get a sort of samba version of ‘Delilah’, it works and allows Tom’s now fully relaxed vocals to flow in full voice to truly hit that power zone, the crowd goes mad and once again match him word for word. ‘Leave Your Hat On’ is the most intense his vocal was all night he sang like a man half his age.

If I am a 100% honest there was a slight dip during one of the later new songs ‘Lazarus Man’ with people moving to bar and toilet areas only to come flooding back the moment the Prince song ‘KISS’ kicked in.

The extra 15 minutes comprised of a rousing rock ‘n’ roll medley of among others ‘Johnny B Goode’ and ‘Great Balls of Fire’.

He might be growing old, but he certainly isn’t growing tired, Sir Tom Jones still has plenty more to show us. Most excellent.

Review and photos by Martin David Porter

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