8:23am Wednesday 21st October 2009
By Neal Butterworth
ANYONE who stayed in the bar ahead of Tom’s remarkable return to the south coast missed a real treat in 20-year-old support act Florence Rawlings.
Like Katie Melua, she’s a protegee of songwriter Mike Batt and she grabbed her opportunity with both hands, showing off a terrific set of lungs and a band that complements her soulful and expressive voice.
No song outstayed its welcome and now she’s above the radar, expect to hear mainstream radio champion her undoubted talents.
Tom might be old enough to be her grandfather – for goodness sake the man is 69 years old – but he never ceases to amaze every generation that turns up to let that voice grab them by the ears.
And what a voice it is, veering from bellowing Welsh dragon to silky-smooth soul superstar.
Like all the greats, he’s managed to keep his core audience – many with their own bus passes like him – and at the same time grow a younger, even more adoring crowd through his chameleon-like changes of direction in the past two decades.
So much so, that at this grand old age, the staples of his live act – It’s Not Unusual, She’s a Lady, Green, Green Grass of Home and Delilah – merely serve to remind us of his early years, while Kiss, Sexbomb, You Can Leave Your Hat on and his collaborations with today’s stars serve to stir the souls of many more of his fans.
There’s plenty off the recent album 24 Hours too. Much of it’s unfamiliar as yet, but Sugar Daddy by U2’s Bono and The Edge gets the night off to a great start and while not all of the newer stuff keeps the momentum going, the man’s energy, love of performing and that wonderful tongue-in-cheek approach to his reputation ensures he loses nobody’s attention.
A tremendous band clearly enjoying the experience helped immensely and there was a point during Stoned in Love when you thought they were going to tear the BIC’s roof off, such was the power coming from the stage.
Tom admitted that he’s got to the stage where he forgets how old he is, although watching him prowling the stage with that knowing smile never far from his lips, you’d think he was a couple of decades younger.
Can he still cut it with the young ‘uns? As he implored us on many occasions during this wonderful show, oh yeah!
Photographs courtesy of: rockstarimages.co.uk
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