It's not unusual for Tom Jones to give a great show, but it is all too unusual for stars to have all the pistons pumping in York.

Tom Jones struts his stuff at York Barbican Centre

Van Morrison's perfunctory, clinically-executed sets only last weekend at the Barbican have been the subject of debate on the Evening Press letters page.But like fellow Welsh wonder Shirley Bassey at Castle Howard, Jones the Voice gives top-dollar value.

Tickets - £25.50 and £23.50 - had sold out as long ago as January, building expectations to fever pitch, and leaving plenty of time to plan the right attire, coiffure and perfume - and that's just the men.

A Tom Jones show comes with no support (well, not visible anyway!), but then why delay the meat with a limp salad!

The boy from Pontypridd gives you the full Ponty, keeping you waiting just a little while for his entry but only to turn up the steam another notch.

When the lights go down, the female whoops go up.

Band first, then Tom struts on in a midnight-blue suit, and you notice the detail: five buttons mean all the more to unbutton; the cut is just so, emphasising the still impressive muscularity of a prize fighter and the bull fighter's theatricality, and not unreasonably at 58 a slightly fuller figure. The medallion will reveal itself later.

Jones, in his own words, has always been a rhythm & blues singer, as his band set-up confirms: three backing singers, four-piece brass section, bluesy keyboards, to go with bass, guitar, drums and - ever the Vegas showman - percussion too. They are tighter than Tom's thighs, complementing Jones wherever that rich, rich, girder-strong voice goes.

And it goes in all directions: Otis Redding's Hard To Handle; a gear-changing Delilah; the Hispanic flavours of a new cover, Space's Female Of The Species; a funky Take Me To The River; the dramatic ballad Boy From Nowhere. And that is just the first half.

The second set is better still, heralded by the slinky Bond theme. He hits his stride instantly with a thunderous Thunderball, goes full throttle on Never Fall in Love Again, cools down with a supple Walking In Memphis and acts playful in What's New Pussycat.

Even after the strip-teasing showstopper You Can Leave Your Hat On, and the inevitable finale of It's Not Unusual the audience still wants more of Tom.

Lenny Kravitz's Are You Gonna Go My Way very much goes Tom's way in the encores and Kiss hits you like a smacker.

Putting the swoon into a tune, the prancing, dancing Jones makes the women feel special, and the men feel they may be in luck later on.

As the knickers and hankies start to fly, there is no male jealousy, just admiration at his stamina, engaging personality and continuing ability to put the bump and grind into four decades of soulful, sexy hits.

Forget Viagra - everyone wants something of what Tom is on.

What a showman, what a concert. It was so good I almost bought the £12 What's New Pussycat toy with its mini Tom Jones T-shirt.

see COMMENT 'Tom rocks it to us'

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