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The Welsh entertainer known for his risqué performances has changed his style over the past 15 years, moving away from his flashy Vegas persona. He now sings with a more mature and soulful tone similar to the late Johnny Cash. One of his songs, “I’m Growing Old” by Bobby Cole, speaks candidly about aging and death. Despite someone in the audience denying his age, the singer continues to perform with grace and poise, even when a fan throws their undergarments onto the stage during a serious song like Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee.” The undergarments sadly fall into the orchestra pit, but the singer remains unfazed and continues to sing flawlessly.
He is currently 83 years old (“I can’t believe it!”) and although he may not be as agile, his deep and resonant baritone voice is just as impressive as ever. With a smile on his face, he sings with enthusiasm and appears genuinely delighted by the audience’s enthusiastic response and “whoa whoa whoa”s. This suggests that he still loves performing and is savoring every moment on stage.
The playlist covers six decades of music. His songs from the 1960s and 90s have been completely transformed. “It’s Not Unusual” now has a bossa nova style with accordions and congas. “Sex Bomb” starts off as a slow blues. He sings “Green, Green Grass of Home” with great power and emotion, giving it a new and profound significance. The hymn-like version sounds like reflections at the end of a journey.
The songs on his top-charting 2021 album Surrounded By Time are heavily featured. It’s a pleasant surprise that a concert by a well-known artist can incorporate unexpected elements such as the trippy soliloquies Lazarus Man and Talking Reality Television Blues, which includes rapid-fire imagery from significant decades (JFK, Trump, the moon landing) projected all around him.
The performance lasts for nearly two hours and the crowd stands up for songs like Delilah, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Kiss (a cover of Prince’s song), an upbeat One Hell of a Life, and a Christmas-themed Run Rudolph Run. A fan shouts, “You’re still amazing, Tom!” The Welsh singer responds with a mischievous smile and jokes, “I intend to keep it that way.”
Source: theguardian.com
