A mere 24 hours before the gig, we found out we had the opportunity to go and see THE Sir Tom Jones live at The Piece Hall in Halifax on 12 July - we both knew this was an opportunity not to be missed. We booked our train tickets, then the next day made our way over to Halifax. On the train, conversation arose over what to expect, and just how good Sir Tom would be at the grand age of 84 (we were not disappointed).
Upon arrival in Halifax we were blown away by the beautiful limestone architecture of the northern town, The Piece Hall’s huge courtyard, and several storeys enclosing it, was supported by columns which were lined by masses of viewers. A very British coliseum would be the stage for the night's proceedings.
We quickly grabbed a few drinks (of cranberry juice) and made our way to the front of the stage, and as the courtyard started to grow ever so slightly busier, the first opening act was on. Storry, a singer/songwriter from Toronto, surprised us with their first song; an operatic piece which initially evoked some gasps. When we thought we were in for an evening of opera, she effortlessly switched to a pop style that got the crowd ready for what was to come later on, featuring Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best’. Storry navigated through her time on stage effortlessly and by the end of her act, we grew more excited as we were closer to seeing the legendary Sir Tom Jones.
After another drinks run (more cranberry juice), finding it harder to wade through the mounting numbers of fans, the second opening act was on - Germein Sisters, a trio of sisters from Australia. More consistent in their chosen genres, the sisters channelled pop and reminded us of the style of Taylor Swift. The guitarist, bassist and drummer proceeded to create a harmony with the crowd, which had grown substantially, waiting for Sir Tom Jones to perform.
Finally, at around 20:45, Sir Tom Jones waltzed onto the stage, greeted by the sea of a sold-out crowd of 5,500 roaring supporters. We turned to each other in mutual amazement at how this man, who we have known all our lives, is now standing a few metres in front of us. He perched on a stool and began the show with ‘I’m Growing Old’, a song narrating the story of ageing – then started ‘Not Dark Yet’, as we pondered whether this gig would be a slow and emotional one
But how wrong we were. As well as the Ages and Stages Tour being moving, it was an upbeat and lively celebration of his illustrious career. Jones proudly introduced us all to Gary Wallis, his musical director and drummer, on the congas to open an acoustic version of the classic hit, ‘It’s Not Unusual’. Sir Tom Jones and his band came alive, along with the crowd, prancing around the stage as we danced.
‘What’s New Pussycat’, ‘Sexbomb’, and ‘Delilah’ were seemingly the most popular songs of the night, with an armada of phones recording to never forget the moments. This was interlaced with equally popular, yet more sombre songs such as ‘Green Green Grass of Home’, ‘One More Cup of Coffee’ and ‘Tower of Song’. This see-saw between the genres kept us on our toes, and allowed him a few minutes to rest before the next cheery song.
Throughout the show, he told stories of his relationships with many of the artists that he covered. Once explaining that he sang ‘Across the Borderline’ for Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday. Later, he spoke of his time with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas, when he took Jones to the lounge and pointed to Chuck Berry and said “There’s the real King of rock ‘n’ roll there right now” before Jones broke his cover of ‘Johnny B. Good’.
Jones seemingly finished the night off with a powerful rendition of Prince’s song ‘Kiss’, thereafter thanking the audience and moving offstage with his accompanying band tipping their hats, waving and leaving the stage as well. As the audience screamed for more, we noticed a stage member topping his glass up with more water, indicating he was soon to return. To our amazement and the audience's wild celebration, it was a feigned ending and Jones returned to formally finish the night off in an energetic fashion. As his performance restarted, Jones seemed to ignite his vocal flame, channelling his younger performing self with his powerful baritone voice.
The following song filled us with glimmers of hope, ‘One Hell of a Life’, feeling as though we were watching a deeply personal conclusion that Jones felt completely satisfied with what he had accomplished in his life. We saw a couple of tears fall from those standing around us, as we daydreamed about the future of our own lives.
‘Great Ball of Fire’ was the finale of the night, and the fans went wild. Sir Tom Jones promised more tours in the future before he fled the stage, we turned round during this to see a sea of 5,500 people all furiously clapping their hands in recognition of his legendary performance. We then made our way to the train station, shuffling like sardines in the immense crowd of people eager to get out first and make their way home.
Thank you to The Piece Hall, Halifax for the unforgettable night by the national treasure Sir Tom Jones!
