29/6/08 Toms Back yard
Its something doing a tribute to Tom Jones up and down the country to all kinds of audiences but i have to say i have just done a show in Porthcawl South Wales not far from where Tom was from has got to be the most daunting, and of course the audience are all from that area, you know.... picture the scene.... every one tells you how they know him, everyone has a story of Tom, everyone knew him before he was famous...dadadadada... and the list goes on. So, to say that the pressure is on is an understatement. I have to say that i have just passed a mile stone as i got a standing ovation from that audience... i know it sounds like i'm patting myself on the back here but hey! let me tell you the way this tribute thing goes.... first of all you have to get passed the 'do i really sound like him' phase, then you get passed the 'do i look like him phase' and i have to say that this was the hardest for me as i can't wear a wig but i have grown the goaty and the false tan (look at my new Tom promotion photos) and once you've got past these two phases then it comes down to the nitty gritty ie being Tom in his own back yard. What i really enjoyed was the fact that i felt really comfortable between the songs. Normally i speak in my own voice between the songs but at this gig i started in Toms speaking voice, then worked my own in and then for the whole gig i mixed them both and it worked a treat. I think that now all of the Tom trib demons have been laid to rest and if they need a trib in Pontypridd i will have my name on the list first.
26/6/08 National Anthems Is it just me or does everyone think that we have the worst national anthem in the world? I mean, it doesn't matter how good the singer is, musically, you cannot go anywhere with it and everyone now feels they have to give the last word the full monty and it still sounds shit, you know, god saveourQUEEN. There's no passion to the song either, it doesn't make me feel proud to be British when i sing it and i think it's because it's like no other anthem. Take the 3 best anthems that i can think of, the Italian, the French and the American. Everyone of those songs are about being proud of who you are and where you are from, what's ours about? A 90 year old monarch, one of the richest women in the world, that we are happy to serve her until the day we die! Are you having a laugh?
There's nothing about us as British individuals or a country for us to be proud of. I honestly think we need a new one, a song that will bring us all together as a proud race, one that reminds us of the many people who have died fighting for us to be where we are today..... see it's getting better already!
31/5/08 Britains Got Talent I'm fed up with people telling me that i should go on BGT, and i'll tell you why! Its because the format does no favours for acts who earn a living doing 2 X 45's. What i mean is that i can take anyone on and i mean anyone over a 45 minute period but i cannot condense it into 1minute 45 seconds which is the time they give you to perform on the show. Its about being high impact over a short period of time, thats why all of the pro acts i've seen have not progressed into the final. If you look at all of the acts that were in the final, not one of them could keep you entertained for 45 minutes and that includes the 4 dolly birds who were stunning and again high impact under 2 minutes. It was a bit embarrassing at times to see these pro act begging the panel to let them through or trying to justify what they did and why they did it because they never had a hope in hells chance of getting through and the singer from Scotland that did slip through was a joke, no star quality and out of tune.
The amount of children in the show was a bit worrying 4 from 10 all under 14 years old and i say this because of the way the lad who came 3rd reacted when he was blown out. My favourites to win came 2nd Signature were great, they could of easily won it but weren't they gracious in defeat. I thought the winner was excellent, i don't know if he did his own choreography but it was so original, fast and the use of water was brilliant, a worthy winner and i wish him all the luck in the world. He opitimises what acts should be on the Royal Variety unlike Paul Potts who for me won it with a 'i'm ugly, in a dead end job please change my life cause its great for TV. Now you may think that i am being a bit harsh but its true, look.. how many songs have you seen him sing on TV 1 maybe 2 its always the same thing Nessun Dorma, bore the pants off everyone, no one has a clue what your singing and are only waiting for the last note! Get a grip! He struggled to hit it on the final and only won because of his struggle with life, so sad. He will never be as good as Russel Watson who has the complete package and if you want to listen to Nessun Dorma done properly twice a night go and watch my good friend Billy Myers who has done it every night for the past 20 years. So unless BGT changes its format where we all get a proper chance to show what we can do and not be upstaged by some Karaoke singer who has as much chance as anyone over 2 minutes then you will never see me on the box.
11/5/08 The Rain In Spain
Well itīs that time of year again and iīm back in Spain working for Thomson Gold.
Back home itīs touching 80 degrees but here in Spain the rain has been terential, i mean it to the point where you canīt go out in case you get washed away!
Iīve just done 3 days in Menorca and it pissed down every minute, the sun only came out the day that i left for Majorca and when i got there it was pissing down again and hasn't stopped since. The shows have made up for it though as people have been in all day and are waiting to be entertained, which is good for all concerned.
24/2/08 Shameless!
I had the pleasure of working at a fantastic venue on Friday night, it was the Village hotel in Warrington. The cabaret room was great and the staff were fantastic, so i was all set for a really good gig. Unfortunately, you cannot pick your audience!
Everyone in the room who had paid the Ģ25 entrance fee were normal people out for a good night.... all except 2 that is! These two morons, boyfriend & girlfriend, and god did they suit each other, where high as a kite before the night began on illegal substances and proceeded to abuse anyone who got in there way, that is when they could stand up! They were straight off the set of Shameless, it was sooooooooooo
embarrassingly cringeworthy! Which leads me to ask about security, not for my protection but for the sake of everyone's night as these two should have been thrown out of the room so that he people who paid their good money to see entertainment could actually get what they paid for!
16/02/08 The dissapearing gigs
I have to say that this year has been the slowest in terms of filling my diary, it is a common trend across the board of the entertainment industry and i think there are a few factors that are making it worse. If you look down any high streeet in any city, town or village the old DIY shops and traditional outlets are being closed down by the fact that B&Q, Tesco's and the like are much cheaper and so they can't survive.
The problem for us is that these shops are being turned into either a pizza/take away shop or a Bargain Booze, i mean it you can get 12 cans of beer for Ģ5 now, thats incredible, put this together with the smoking ban and people are now saying, they would rather stay in with a DVD, pizza and cheap beer and smoke themselves to death!
12/1/08 The One and Only..... disaster! I really don't get it? when this show was advertised it was meant to find the best of the best tribute acts around! And yet going by Saturdays live show i actually think it will do more harm to our industry than good. You can't tell me that those 12 acts are the best in this country in their field, i've never seen so many nervous, hapless, lethargic performances in all my life, not one of them actually believe in themselves.
Elton John: Obviously got in cause he can play the piano, is vocally week and looks like a clown. Frank Sinatra: should stick to drivimg his van, i cant believe he got through instead of david Knopov. He looked like he was going to pass out, you could see the fear in hiseyes. Rod Stewart: was having a laugh! he was nothing like the real thing again a wooden performance Robbie Williams: I wondered who would be the first to start crying! Why have they included a tribute that the Yanks hate? Maddona: A bit difficult for her as she had to learn the dance routines but sounded like her in places Cher: I think Cher is an awful singer anyway but she did look like her a bit Britney Spears: why oh why is she in it? Britney has only had a couple of hits so i can't see her lasting and i did'nt think the tribute looked or sounded like her at all! Kylie: Of all the songs to pick, they pick the worst! I thought the girl had a better voice than Kylie who for me squeeks them out through her nose but again i dont know where they are going to go with her Diana Ross: Looked and sounded like her in parts but did not have the vocal control to be considered as a quality tribute Dusty Springfield: was vocally weak Lionel Ritchie: I actually liked!!
and that brings me to the Tom Jones. Without being rude, he is so overweight as Tom Jones, so instead of making him into the now Tom who is portly they dress him up as the 30 year old Tom who is athletic, good looking and extremely mobile, the guy looks out of his depth. We first see him at a club the TV show are playing Its not Unusual by Tom, then it cuts to him who is singing the same song only 2 keys lower! How can he be regarded as the best Tom Jones when he can't even sing in the same key? Then, to cap it all, he committed a cardinal sin.... he came on stage singing Pussy Cat, very badly i might add, but he also does'nt realise that Tom is left handed and always holds the mike in his left hand, of course he has it in his right hand again how can you be the best of the best when fundamentally you are nothing like the real thing?
Can anyone tell me why
those two vocal coaches are the be all and end all of this show? it's
pathetic and to cap it all the sing off was excruciating when the acts
decide who stays in, as if poor Rod had not been crucified enough his
so called mates booy him off, since when has a van driver or police
woman had the musical credentials to say who is better than who? It's
like a throw back to the Reigate club
7/1/08 The one and only blessing in disguise I am really dissapointed in the new one and only tribute show on BBC1, it looks like its just been thrown together, thats not sour grapes by the way, i know i didnt get on the show, but i dont think it is trying to ahieve its goal, how can you put people through to a sing off who have only ever sung on a karaoke? i mean come on, lets get serious here they are bound to be nervous, have no mannerisms of the trib they are taking off and really dont sound like the person either. This was emphasised when most of the pro acts got through to the live show! Why didnt they put 3 pro acts up against each other. It got slated in the press and all of the acts where hung drawn and quartered especially Millie Monroe who took off Tina Turner and as there are another 8 live shows to go i think it may be a blessing in disguise that i didnt get through, we will have to wait and see!
6/1/08 New venue rises from the ashes With so many venues closing down, it's great to see an old venue rising up from the ashes. Esperantos in South Road Crosby has been taken over and the new owners are serious that they want to make it a success, so much so that they plan a Ģ100,000 re fit. It will be managed by my good friend Martin Young who is a great singer in his own right and as well as managing the place he will also compere most of the shows with his crooners spot. Their vision is to get rid of the old tag that the venue used to have and replace it with a venue that will attract people who enjoy great food and good entertainment in a relaxed comfortable atmosphere. The venue opens at the end of Feb and I will be performing on Sat 29th March as Tom Jones and i would ask anyone who knows the venue to try it out as i think you will be pleasantly surprised!!
28/12/07 Christmas 2007 was no Cracker!
Having surrendered myself to the corporate market throughout December, performing usually in hotels up and down the country, i find that the audiences have totally forgotten why we are there in the first place! The criteria has changed radically as it's not about how talented you are at entertaining the masses keeping them transfixed for over an hour but it seems to me that its about how loud you are and can you keep them on the dance floor for over an hour! Sometimes i feel that my 18 years of hard work has all been for nothing as you can programme a donkey to do a dance spot! I have also noticed how a lot of venues have struggled to sell the evenings even in the easiest month in the year, as i had 2 cancellations a week before each show, not very happy about that either!
I must say though that i picked a small club in Litherland (Constitutional) on Boxing night and it re-instated that there are real audiences out there who do appreciate good entertainment and it was a pleasure to be there.
07/12/07 Britains Got Talent Shoot!
Well i have to say that i have just experienced a really embarrasing moment in my career. I have travelled 4 hours to Cardiff by train to film the opening sequence to the Welsh leg of Britains Got Talent, and here's me thinking i would be in a theatre but no! i was outside Cardiff Castle in the pouring rain leaning against a bus stop with cars, vans, lorries and shoppers all walking past me thinking i'm a crank in my TJ get up, there is a camera crew across the main road secretly filming me singing the Green Green Grass of Home and Delilah..... Oh how low can it get? I was freezing cold and soaking wet and the whole filming experience only took half an hour and then i was back on the train home! The show will be aired in May so don't blink cause you might just miss me.
10/11/07 Britains Got Talent! and Tom Jones
Who said that lightening doesnt strike twice? I'm just feeling good about my audition for the Ultimate tribute show and then yesterday i get a call from a researcher for the ITV show Britains Got Talent! Now before you think i'm going to be a contestant, i'm not! People who know me know how i feel about competitions like that, it's never been my goal to enter a comp like that or like X Factor where any wannabe karaoke singer can blow you out in 3 minutes and especially at my age (44) i know, i've had a hard life, but i like to be judged over a 45 minute spot. Anyway.... I've been invited to open the Cardiff end of the show as Tom Jones with a Shirley Bassey trib called Surely Bassey, great name...Ya know, sing a song, meet and greet the contestants, that sort of thing which is great because it puts you up a level as you have been invited to do a public appeance, and when you think that the show last year was watched by over 15 million people it will be great exposure for me.
God! Do you think lightening strikes 3 times?
6/11/07 The Ultimate tribute TV show! Well, i've just been for an audition in Manchester for a new show that comes out in the new year called 'The Ultimate Tribute' Basically they are auditioning 18 different tribs from Tom Jones to Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams etc and for the girls, Cher, Madonna to Britney Spears. It will be hosted by Graham Norton. They will trim the cast list down to 5 boys tribs and 5 girls tribs by the time it gets on air and then the show goes totally live with the viewing public voting to keep their favourites in.
If i got it i would have to move to London for 2 months and the winner gets a contract in Las Vegas in the famous Ledgends show. I will keep you posted!!
I've always been concerned that i dont look like TJ and until now its never bothered me but i have to say that for this audition i grew a goatie and i have to say it enhances the look of the great man himself, so i think it might be staying on for a while atleast until after the christmas rush where i am out most nights as Tom and if i progress in the TV show only i will have to get some new publicity done with the new look. There was another TJ trib who did look amazing, he had the wig the goatie the tan, i was well impressed, his name was Adam Wood and he has spent a lot of time perfecting his look and his vocals were good too!
12/10/07 Could be the best tribute i've ever seen!
last night i went to Blundel street in Liverpool to see a George Michael tribute called Rob Lamberti. Now i am not the biggest fan of the ex Wham star and to be honest that was not the reason i went, but I've heard such a lot about Rob and thought i would go and check him out. Rob won Stars in their eyes many years ago and he is one of the longest serving tributes around so i expected him to be good, but i have to say that he exceeded all expectations as he was absolutely brilliant! If you can imagine someone who is a mirror image of the real thing on stage and sounds just like the record, and i am not exaggerating here by the way, to the point where i do believe that he is the best tribute i have ever seen! He had the crowd mesmerised for over an hour and twenty minutes all the girls were up on the dance floor as he sang hit after hit and he segued the whole set only stopping for a well earned drink a few times. When he finished he came back out without the wig or designer stubble and just mingled with everyone else, no one really recognised him as being George Michael it was brilliant!! I had a few words with him before i left, i think it's always nice for your peers to recognise the hard work you have put in to your show and he was extremely humble and an all round nice guy which topped it for me because the one thing i cannot stand is tributes who actually believe they are the act that they are copying! That is really sad... Thank god your one of us Robby lad.
5/10/07 Showcase Show Off
Last night i did a showcase at the Willows Manchester for an agency called Unit One, if you don't know what a showcase is, it's where you do a 15 minute performance in front of bookers and agents in the hope of getting more gigs. In any other industry it would be called touting for work. Anyway i have done lots of them before but never solely as the Tom Jones tribute! Which was a bit scary for me as there were lots of other tribs on the bill including a George Michael, Meatloaf, Oasis & The Police. I have to say it was unusually well organised, we even got sandwiches and coffee, now thats a first! Normally the acts are the least important people of the whole day so i can't complain. I normally trip over at least 4 or 5 ego's on these nights with up and coming acts spouting on about how fantastic they are and remembering when they topped this bill and that bill but unfortunately there wasn't many of them either, which is sad cause i can buzz off them for weeks. I have to say though there was one and they were another well known tribute band only this time they had 'another original front line member! who i won't name for obvious reasons so we will just call him Lazarus because he must of been like all the others raised from the dead again. They did over 17 songs in their sound check, seriously, it took over an hour, let me put it into context, I and others sang 2 lines, that was it! it was so diva and the classic came when a mobile rang and this prima donna shouted "Hey thats probably the hotel!" I thought get a life you crank, your here like the rest of us because you can't get enough work! That said they were very good although i was back stage when they missed there cue's to enter the stage and were all running round like headless chickens, it made me chuckle. It was good to see my old friend comedian Gary Skynner who really was funny and is doing really well!
So.... i was in turmoil because until you have performed for the industry you don't know how the people in power are going to react to you. I felt that i did myself justice, but i'm not one of those tribs who thinks they really are the character they are portraying, that is so sad, but unfortunately when you do these shows they expect you to fully play the part! So i had no breaks between the songs, mumbled a few lines from the valleys, nailed all the high notes and swung my hips like a Bev Callard keep fit DVD and hoped that it got me through. I bumped into Neil and Nicky from Garston Entertainments, probably one of the most successful agencies in the North West, and if you want an honest opinion without being patronised then he will give it to you! Thankfully they thought it was spot on which i have to say is a relief for me. Now all i have to do is cross my fingers that Mark Ritchie from the Stage Mag thought the same thing and i get a good review because it's read by everyone in the business and can make or break you. I will let you all know how i get on, till then 'Rock on Tommy'
1/10/07 Nightmare In Majorca
Well, iīm in Majorca again and the past two visits have been great, this time though iīve had an absolute nightmare! I nearly missed the flight out because i wasnīt informed that the airline had moved the departure forward by an hour and a half, so i had 10 minutes to catch it and of course i get on the plane but my case doesnīt! Have you ever had that feeling of being the last at the carousel praying your bag comes through the hatch? That was Friday morning, it turned up on Sunday evening! So iīve had no clothes, stage wear, itīs been a nightmare, itīs the first time iīve ever felt like giving it all up because in a foreign country no one wants to help and to make it worse my hire car was towed away from outside the hotel iīm staying at and i had to pay 200 Euros to get it back! Every six months in Cala Bona they change the parking restrictions so you either can park on the left or right hand side of the road depending what month it is! How bizarre is that, so you can imagine how that put the top hat on it, and to make it worse iīve got a stinking cold and feel like shit! Right, thatīs my moan out of the way, i better get by the pool and see if i can sweat this cold out, itīs a hard life innit?
16/9/07 To be or not to be? a tribute
If you look at my Gig Guide you will see that the Tom Jones tribute seems to be taking over most of my performances, and considering that i swore i would never do a tribute i have to say that i really do enjoy copying Tom! It's always great fun as there really is no pressure on me unlike when i do my cabaret show to an audience who really don't know what i am going to do because most people who come to see the tribute show are Tom Jones fans anyway. I always had this argument that it had taken me the best part of 10 years to earn the respect of the industry as being a major player in entertainment but i have to say that if people are prepared to pay me to copy someone then i will. I have always said that i want to last as long as i can in the business and longevity really depends on how flexible and adaptable you can be to your audience and most importantly you must be prepared for change as if you don't you will be left behind with all of the others. I speak to a lot of entertainers who all boast about how long they have been in the business and yet they are no further on than when they started, so when they tell me that they have been in the business 20 years i reply No! they have been in the business 1 year and done it 20 times!!
27/7/07
I have just finished my first week in Majorca where i am appearing as Tom Jones at all of the 4 star Thomson Gold hotels. I have to say that the audiences are absolutely brilliant! I suppose it doesn't seem like work when you wake up to 90 degrees of sunshine having your breakfast on the beach. The hotels i work at are for adults only with an average age of about 50 and so there's not the pressure of having to deal with kid's at the front of the stage who have been sent there by their parents to give them an hours peace while they get drunk and their kids are harassing the singer! I have 2 more weeks to do there one in August and one in September and so i'm hoping to have an all year round tan though the way i burn i will end up like a crisp!!