Tom Jones live in Bangkok

Worth the trip from Chiang Mai!

Text and Pictures Dirk Weeber-Arayatumsopon

Tom Jones announced to the ecstatic crowd at the Impact Arena on March 21 that the last time he had been in Bangkok was 1983. That was over 20 years ago, and given his energy and performance concert goers could be convinced that at that time of his original visit he might have only been 20 years old.

Tom Jones performs his hit “Sex Bomb” at the Impact Arena March 21 to a sold out crowd.

Tom Jones was originally a vacuum cleaner salesman, but quickly joined the ranks of 60s pop singers first as the front man for a Welsh band and later to achieve superstardom in the 60s with hits like “Its not unusual” and James Bond theme hits “Thunderball” and “What’s new pussycat”.

He moved to Las Vegas in the 1970’s starting a top rated show there, and then going on to television with the Tom Jones Show in the 1980s. He reappeared on the pop scene with hits in the 90s and 2000s like “Sex Bomb” and a hit remake of Prince’s “Kiss”. He is touring for his latest album, 24 Hours.

The show at Impact was sold out, with fans of all ages screaming for a man still considered a sex symbol at nearly 70. From US Ambassador Eric G. John and his wife to pop star Syrinia Burvich or MR Marinee Chokapang, the show attracted young and old, Thai and foreign.

Tom Jones started off slowly with classics but quickly broke the ice after performing Thunderball. Finally, the classic Tom Jones moment occurred when ladies started flinging bras, panties and slips onto the stage as he sang, “Take off your shoes, take off your slip, take off your bra…..” and growled his famous Tiger growl into the microphone. I don’t think these photos made it into the newspapers!

A fully live performance, with no lip synching of any kind, should show the younger performers of today what a real show is like. The band was good and Tom Jones was a great performer with the only drawback being the poor special effects, rather like being in a disco!

All in all, despite the poor VIP section, the show was very enjoyable and proves that even at the age of 69 years old, Tom Jones is still the Tiger. Bravo!

source:       http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/community.shtml#hd1