Tom's history - Chapter 1 - Where is Las Vegas?

[Snoopy]

The 7th of January 2007 Linda and John told me in an email:

"We have wondered about Tom’s Tenerife history for many years. When you say he played at Las Vegas, I can’t think where that is. Do you mean the real Las Vegas? How long has he been in Tenerife? Please do tell. We are fascinated."

Well, I arrived at Tenerife in 1986 and Tom was already there. I don't know exactly when he arrived but I know that he was playing for a while at "Puerto de la Cruz" before he moved to "Playa de las Américas".

You should ask him about that. Tom always tell wonderful stories about the time when he arrived in Tenerife. Most of you must have heard him and if you don't, you should ask him the next time you go to see him. That stories are brilliant.

The first time I saw Tom was in 1988. He was playing at "Las Vegas" on his own (not the real one    it's a bar) and I was playing at "Pizzeria Dannielis" with a spanish gipsy band (playing flamenco)

I think you would understand me better with a map:

(Click on the map to see it bigger)

• 1.- Puerto Colon
  
  
• 2.- Buffalo (The second Tom Keenan Country Club)
  
  
• 3.- The Lizard Bar
  
  
• 4.- Now is the Post Office, but for a few years, around 1997, it was the 3rd Tom Keenan Country Club)
  
  
• 5.- Acapulco
  
  
• 6.- The Steak House
  
  
• 7.- Waterloo and Pizzeria Dannielis.
  
  
• 8.- Bingo Las Americas
  
  
• 9.- Las Vegas
  
  
• 10.- Veronicas
  
  

In 1988 Waterloo and Pizzeria Dannielis were joined and it was just one place. A few years later it split in 2 places. The last time I was there Waterloo was still the same, but Dannielis had changed to an english bar (I don't remember the name)

At Las Vegas Tom was playing (as usual) from 8 to 12 but, as we were playing spanish music and our customers were mostly spanish waiters, we needed to wait till they finished work, so we used to start our show around 11 and we used to finish around 3 or 4 in the morning.

Then we used to go downstairs to Las Vegas to see Tom before we started and Tom come upstairs too to see us a couple of times when he finished.

Apart from that, when I wasn't working after midnight I used to go to the pub where all the musicians gather after 12, when they finish work to do jams (mostly blues)

Don't ask me where is that pub because it changes every now and then and usually the musicians keep it secret.

In that bar I met Marcelo and we started a blues band called Legend.

That's why, when Tom opened his first Country Club at the Parrot Park in 1992 and he was looking for a keyboard player for his band and Marcelo told me, I didn't wait a second to run there and I started with Tom the next day.

In that place, apart from Tom and me, Marcelo was playing the electric guitar, Les was playing the drums and "Long John" (was he tall?) was playing the bass. (Before you ask, I am spanish, Marcelo is argentinean and Les and John are english)

A few months later, "Long John" married a german girl and moved to Germany and Les needed to leave the band too because his rent-a-car business was too busy, so we asked the rest of the band Legend to come with Tom.

That's how Leo (from Uruguay) started playing the drums and Arno (from Holland) started playing the bass with us.

And that's also why we changed the name of the band to "Tom Keenan & Legend".

I hope this answer your question about where is Las Vegas. 

[Twilightstar]

We first met Tommy at Las Vegas, in 1988, just as Snoopy did.     He told us once that before he arived in Tenerife, probably around 1986 (?) he used to sing in pubs and clubs in the south of England, at one time as vocalist of a band called Bucks County.    He told us that when he arrived in Las Americas he had just his guitar and not much money.  He walked the length of the sea front looking for a bar where they'd give him a chance to sing.  He found it at  the Las Vegas, which was still there the last time I was in Las Americas.  It's on the sea front  promenade, not on the main sea front road with the traffic. That area used to be called "Bora Bora".  There's a row of small cafes there, Las Vegas was the third one along from the end nearest the Grand Tinerfe hotel.

When we first met Tommy he had a little black dog called Tommy Two.  He was a darling.  He knew exactly when Tommy was due to stop for a break, and would jump up on the stage with him.

[smiling-george]

Long John did not go to germany to marry that german girl. But He´s still in germany after 13 years.
Smiling George is still alive and kicking and worried about Tom. How is he?

[bjorg]

We are 2 norwegians at the age of 67 and we have loved Tom for 20 years. We have followed him every year,
from Las Vegas,Lizard bar, Texas  and at last Monaco rest. at the La Pinta beach. After his death in january, we are still visiting rest. Monaco to dance. Miguel and his new singer, Laura plays OK music and singing, but we STILL MISS Tom. Last time in April, they played his CD'es when Miguel had an intermission.
We wonder if there is someone who sells his CD'es. We have 6 of them, but we want to have them all complete. We are also visiting Andreas in Los Cristianos, he is still good, but he had some trouble with his
throat, so he should see a doctor.  Maybe he must have a surgery.  Well, we still got o Tenerife in October/November and remember Tom.
Best regards from 2 norwegian fans.
bfclasen@gmail.com

[miek]

I met Tommy Keenan when he was working at the Spinnaker cafe naer Las Vegas, I thinks thats was his first in Playa de las Americas. with him were Miquel, Pedro Leonard and Francisco working
There he told us that he met a very lovely girl from Germany.
The next yaer he was at the Las Vegas bar and there was a young woman Ilona, and with her he was several years.
At the bar at Las Vegas where working Francesco, José.
Then also Tommy two was there.
After a few years we lost Tommy at the Las Vegas cafe, but his music is still with me