REVIEW BY: Janine Pulford
At 75, Tom Jones can still belt out the tunes or soothe a crowd with a ballad. He lit up the Larmer Tree Festival last night (14 July) and the atmosphere grew as the night set in.
Every bit the superstar in his blue suit and black shirt, the mix of songs he chose showed off his capabilities. And though he’s lost a few of those famous moves, it didn’t stop the occasional pair of knickers flying through the air.
Know as The Voice for many years, and now a judge on BBC’s ‘The Voice’, Sir Tom pulled out a string of old favourites to satisfy the audience’s thirst for his classic hits. ‘Delilah’, ‘Thunderball’, ‘Sex Bomb’, Green, Green Grass of Home’ and ‘It’s not Unusual’ were a handful. Many other great tunes flowed including a cover of a Leonard Cohen song and towards the end of the concert, Tom’s exceptional band freewheeled with a seriously good jamming session. The light-show was stunning and the whole performance was backed up with a first class sound system. It was so well balanced and crystal clear, the crew deserve a mention.
Hundreds of people, young and old, sang and danced the night away in the open air. They loved the encores and responded enthusiastically every time Tom gave his signature holler of “Oh Yeah!”
It was a legendary night.
Due to popular demand, Tom Jones is headlining again tonight (15 July).
Visit http://larmertreefestival.co.uk/ for full details of the festival. It runs until Sunday 19 July with a huge music line-up and comedy greats including Bill Bailey.
The Larmer Tree Festival ground is extensive and there’s much going on to celebrate its 25th year.
