Tom Jones live in Cardiff
Cardiff International Arena
Wales, November 15th, 1998


Saturday, November 14th, 1998

We had to get up early to go to Amsterdam Airport. We had to check in at 6:30, so woke up at 5:00. It would be my first flight, so I was very excited. At 7:40 (English time) we landed at London Heathrow. I had never been in London, so Brenda and I decided to stay there for one day and one night. When we saw a hotel called Cardiff we decided to stay in that hotel. 
This would be our destiny we thought. But shit, what a terrible hotel! But we already had paid and so we had to stay there that night. But for those who’d never been to London; London is GREAT!! 

Sunday, November 15th, 1998

We didn’t arrange anything in Holland, so we had to look for a bus to take us to Cardiff Wales. It was quite an operation for us to travel by bus, because we never do in Holland. We arrived in Cardiff at 14:30. We had all the time to find a good hotel. We wanted to have a clean bed, no matter what it would cost. You’ll understand if you stayed in hotel Cardiff once too. We never want such a terrible night like that again! We asked a taxi driver for a good hotel in the neighbourhood of the bus- and coach station, and the CIA. He thought that Hotel Marriott might be something for us. And indeed, it was a terrific hotel. We quickly went to the CIA to get our tickets, which we finally got there. For us it was a strange experience to travel to England without having the concert tickets yet. But what the heck, it was worth to try! After doing some shopping we went back to our room to refresh ourselves. Then that wonderful thought came into my mind: we might have that luck to have Mr. Tom Jones staying in the same hotel as we do…
We went to the hotel manager and asked him about it. He told us he couldn’t tell us. Enough reasons for us to think we were right. After asking the managers’ pants off, he told us that Tom was having dinner in the restaurant. We were not allowed to meet him, but he would leave the restaurant at about 18:30. Brenda and I decided to wait until he came out. About fifty fans were waiting at the elevators to catch a glimpse of Tom, but only we were told (by the hotel manager, who really liked us) to wait at the backdoor. There Mr. Tom Jones would leave the hotel to go to the concert room with his big touring bus.
….There he was, coming out the hotel, on his way to give a hell of a concert. I’m not a groupie or something, but I was standing on shaky ground, ha ha. I was very nervous, but I was able to take two nice pictures of the man. I told him that we came from Holland, just to 
see him.
We couldn’t believe we really saw him that close we could touch him.

When we arrived at the CIA, the whole place was full of people. Tom Jones souvenirs like programmes, CDs and T-shirts were at the tables in the hall of the CIA. Security guards were checking lots of people. Lucky for me I could go in without being checked. I quickly went to 
the gentlemen’s’ toilet to fix my photo camera. Finally we found our seats on the west balcony. The audience was screaming and asking for Tom. Some people, one row behind us, told us they’d come to see Tom Jones because he’s a Welshman. They weren’t fans or something like that. They only want to see him perform in front of his ‘own’ people, in his hometown. Shit (sorry for that), this would be something different!!

After a warming -up Tom came up and the crowd was going crazy. ‘Turn On Your Love Light’ was his first song. And it was really GREAT! ‘With These Hands’ … ‘Without Love’ … ‘Delilah’ … ‘Never Fall In Love Again’ … He did them all, with all emotion he had. He had a real good 
time here, and so did we. He really enjoyed being ‘at home’. 
‘Thunderball’, ‘Walking In Memphis’, ‘Give Me One Reason’, ‘Boy From Nowhere”, ‘Kiss’, all 
these wonderful songs were done greatest respect. But for us ‘Green, Green Grass Of Home’ 
was the highlight of the show. I think this song is kind of hymn for the Welsh people. You 
could feel the excitement, the tension during that song. Two huge red-lit dragons appeared on the walls at the end of the song. The Welsh people went crazy during the whole song. I was just standing and leaning against the wall. I was astonished and I couldn’t speak anymore. 

The end of the show came way too soon. We quickly went back to our room to put away the Tom  Jones souvenirs and the photo camera. No, not the photo camera! Tom might come to the hotel  bar after the concert. Brenda and I searched for a nice table in the hotel bar and waited  for Tom for hours. The whole band, including Mark Woodward, had kind of a little after-party in the bar.  Everybody was there, except Mr. Tom Jones! Brenda wanted to give up waiting and wanted to  go to bed. I told her to stay, because I felt he would come. So she decided to stay. And  yes, this was our lucky weekend. Tom came into the hotel bar at about 2:30. I think he  waited to have almost all the people/fans out of the bar, having a little privacy.  Tom was the centre immediately, of course. Now I had all the time to take some great shots  of Tom. I asked him for an autograph and I got it. He also wanted to join me for a nice  picture. Then I left him alone, so he could enjoy and see his family and friends.

After some time I went to the bar to buy a drink. Tom was standing there and I could have a little conversation with him. I told him that I loved his live-version of ‘Danny Boy’. And I told him that he should do it in his show again. He agreed and told me he may do it in the 
future. 
Shit (sorry for that again), Tom and I had a ‘real conversation’. I know there are many die-hard fans that never got the chance to meet him or speak to him. So I know that I’m a lucky guy. Again, this was our lucky weekend.

This was our most expensive weekend ever, but hey, what the heck; we heard, saw, touched and spoke to the one and only Mr. Tom Jones. What an experience!!!

December 31, 1998:

Ready to see Tom Jones in Jool Hollands’ Hootenanny on the BBC. He did a duet with Cerys Matthews, called ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’. That Cerys Matthews, was she the same woman as the one on my beautiful picture of Tom in the hotel bar.


Special thanks to: 

The Marriott Hotel, for giving us that warm welcome . We really felt we were at home.
And of course... Tom Jones, for giving us an experience we’ll never forget.