Timeless Tom Jones plays to three generations

Tom Jones played to three enthusiastic generations on Sunday night during a concert at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre, Ta' Qali.

Youths sang along with septuagenarians during the Welsh legend's two-hour set in support of his critically acclaimed album 24 Hours. Some 6,000 people were at the concert, organised by NnG Promotions.

Tom Jones dipped into several of his all-time classics, from What's New Pussycat, which kept the elder members of the audience happy, to his cover version of Prince's Kiss, which elicited a huge response from the youngsters. Yet it was his 1968 hit Delilah which earned the biggest roar of the evening.

Tom Jones lived up to his nickname The Voice, never faltering, defying his five decades in the business, though not as fit as he was in his heyday.

Wearing a blue suit and sporting white hair and a goatee beard (finally dispensing of dyed hair), Tom Jones is now clearly acting his 69 years. At one point he pondered on why U2's Bono and The Edge had written a song for him called Sugar Daddy.

The renowned tradition of knicker-throwing at Tom Jones's concerts seems to be dying down, though the odd piece of underwear was seen on the ground after the event.

However, at one point, one elderly woman was seen approaching the stage, hobbling past security and depositing an item of underwear neatly on stage.

Though he finished off the concert with the relatively unknown Take Me Back to the Party, the crowd cheered and danced - by then many had forgotten the traffic chaos which took over Ta' Qali before the gig.