Welsh entertainer Tom Jones last night treated a remarkably enthusiastic Dunedin audience to a master class of entertainment.
Make no mistake, the only thing he left on the stage last night was sweat.
Everything Jones had to offer from his vast array of talent was on display in the Dunedin Town Hall.
He sang, he danced, he gyrated - still a lovely mover - for 90 minutes without a break.
Sublime.
From the moment he walked on to the stage, the personality of Jones filled the auditorium.
It would be surprising if anyone in the nearly packed Town Hall felt he was not singing directly to them; such was the strength of his presence.
The audience responded readily to any calls for participation through clapping or singing some of the ballads.
Jones drew them in and kept them enthralled throughout the night.
Fittingly, for a man ready to celebrate his 70th birthday in June, the first song was off his new album 24 Hours.
Sugar Daddy had the audience moving and clapping from the first chord.
The line "I've been singing this song since before you were born" could not have been more true for some in the audience.
In fact, if you were under 50, the line was particularly relevant.
The favourites rolled out throughout the night.
Thunderball, Delilah, Help Yourself and What's New Pussycat? had the crowd singing and dancing.
Jones sang three country songs, including The Green Grass of Home and Put Your Sweet Lips, in the rhythm style from his pub and club days in Wales.
Every time he swaggered, wiggled his backside or did some gentle pelvic thrusts, women in the audience whistled, clapped and cheered and it did not take long before the Town Hall stage was littered with knickers and a few flowers.
The audience erupted when an older woman walked purposefully to the stage and flung her knickers at the feet of the Welsh master as he sang She's A Lady.
The energy of the singer and his classy band remained at the highest possible levels throughout the performance.
The voice of Jones remains powerful and full of emotion.
It was a consummate performance.
Anna Coddington opened the evening.
Her 30 minutes of songs displayed some of this country's flourishing song-writing and singing talent.
By Dene Mackenzie