By Keith Walsh
British fashion designer turned potential superstar Tom Cridland wowed an enthusiastic standing room only crowd at The Troubadour in West Hollywood last night, with a set of classic tunes and a surprise musical guest, with his act Tom’s Elton John Tribute.
Decked out in a pink satin suit of his own design adorned with colorful stars, musical notes, and a rocket, Cridland played a two-hour set of classic Elton John tunes, including a few from Elton’s star-making appearance at The Troubadour in August of 1970.
The energetic set started off with “Pinball Wizard,” a medley with The Who’s “Can’t Explain.” Playing aggressively on a hot pink piano, Cridland was joined by Harry Michael on drums and Justin Woodward on bass, both delivering superb backing vocal harmonies. Cridland dedicated “Tiny Dancer” to his tour manager and wife, Deborah Cridland (née Marx), whom he married in Italy last year, in a service with music by The London Community Gospel Choir. Music at the reception was provided by Philadelphia soul legends Stylistics, for whom Cridland opened on the UK leg of their 2021 tour as a solo act performing originals.
“Playing the show was overwhelming, knowing the whole gig that Nigel was there and joining us onstage. He is my musical hero so I was totally freaked out and nervous beyond belief.”
Tom Cridland
At Monday’s Troubadour show, “Your Song” was dedicated by Cridland to his supporters in the crowd. The Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” and Elton classic “Burn Down The Mission” were played in tribute to the 1970 Troubadour show. Other popular Elton John songs included in the set were “Rocket Man,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Levon,” “Candle In The Wind,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.”
Cridland fashioned his Elton John tribute after the original trio of John on piano and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and backing vocals, and Nigel Olsson on drums and backing vocals. For the set’s final number, Cridland’s trio was joined by special guest Olsson for a powerful rendition of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” with Michael joining Woodward on backing vocals, stage left. “It was beyond words to have him play with us tonight,” Cridland said. Olsson played drums with Elton John for 54 years, starting in 1968 until John’s retirement last year.
“Playing the show was overwhelming, knowing the whole gig that Nigel was there and joining us onstage,” Cridland told me. “He is my musical hero so I was totally freaked out and nervous beyond belief. On top of Nigel being there, the legendary Bill Champlin was also in the house.” For the show, Olsson wore a suit designed by Cridland, which he originally wore for Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”
It was Olsson who helped Cridland get his start in music. In 2014 Cridland and his then girlfriend Marx founded Tom Cridland Clothing, offering a sustainable alternative to so called ‘fast fashion.’ With help from a £6000 British government loan and a knack for marketing, their colorful t-shirts, chinos and blazers, were soon featured on BBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and Sky News, often accompanied by interviews with Cridland, and occasionally his brother James. Cridland’s business model has been discussed in Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, Forbes, and The New York Times, among others.
An Elton John fan since childhood, Cridland got the chance to meet his hero Olsson after making him some clothing. Soon after, Cridland got inspired to pick up the drumsticks himself, forming a rock band The Tomicks in 2016 with Nick Whitehead on keyboards, whom he met backstage at an Elton John concert, and with Marx on keyboards. Their first self-titled debut featured Kenji Suzuki from Simply Red on guitar and bass. Since then, The Tomicks have released four studio albums, now represented online by a fifth album, a compilation. As a solo artist, Cridland has recorded more than 100 songs (which have been pared down to a greatest hits album on streaming services).
Tom’s Elton Tribute began their U.S. tour in March, playing many dozens of shows with many more to follow, including in Brazil and with Stylistics in Autumn and others in the UK. At each tour event, Cridland takes a moment to thank Elton John for inspiring his own sobriety, which began when he began studying Elton’s music during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In 2023, Cridland met Elton John at his Oscar party in Hollywood and thanked him personally. At last night’s show, Cridland humorously promoted sobriety while respecting the bartenders and their business at The Troubadour.
Tom Cridland dot com
Tom Cridland Instagram
Nigel Olsson Fan Club
Elton John dot com
(Photos by Walsh.)
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