Tom Jones @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 19 Dec

Hearing Tom Jones sing live is one hell of an experience – his voice is improbably good, and its power seems at odds with his advancing years. The passing of time is clearly on his mind too, as he opens his Ages & Stages show at the Hydro with a double header of I’m Growing Old from his latest album, Surrounded by Time, and Bob Dylan’s death knell ballad Not Dark Yet. These arresting, pared back songs are a good place to start – giving the audience a chance to mouth “wow!” to one another as they absorb the amazing sound.

He segues quickly into a couple of old favourites: It’s Not Unusual (featuring unexpected accordion) and What’s New Pussycat? which get the sparkly and upbeat crowd out of their seats. This is when the wolf whistles start – and they do not let up. The crowd is giddy, and Tom Jones is very much here for it – playful and responsive, always quick to return their declarations of love.

It would be a pleasure to hear him sing just about anything. A lazier performer would draw up a setlist of jukebox favourites and call it a day at the 60-minute mark. But not so for Tom Jones who, at 83 years old, is still interested in flexing his artistic muscles when it comes to song selection, staging and musical arrangements. The two-hour setlist is an interesting one, with a mix of his own big hits and unusual covers.

For the covers he pulls from the songbooks of some pretty big hitters – Dusty Springfield, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan – but in each case the track is never the most obvious choice. His rendition of Dusty Springfield’s Windmills of Your Mind is memorably menacing, accompanied by trippy swirling visuals and kaleidoscopic lights. His version of Cohen’s Tower of Song is similarly haunting.

There’s a dark thread running through the show – many of the songs explore pain, longing, and the fleeting nature of life itself. This is heavyweight stuff. But that should come as no surprise given that the iconic anthem Delilah (arguably Tom Jones’ biggest hit) is a chilling murder ballad. And what a song it is, too. It’s a huge moment in the show, an arena-wide singalong (and sway-along) which showcases exactly how well his amazing baritone has held up over six decades in the business.

There are lots of lighter moments too, including a bluesy take on his 90s hit Sex Bomb which has couples dancing in the aisles, and a fun rendition of Chuck Berry’s festive song Run Rudolph Run. This gives his backing band (a terrifically talented bunch of musicians under the leadership of long-time musical director and drummer Gary Wallis) a chance to show off a little, with flourishes of rock’n’roll piano, guitar solos and drum breaks.

Before performing Green, Green Grass of Home, Tom Jones recalls first hearing the Jerry Lee Lewis version of the song while homesick and bored in 1960s New York City. He quickly recorded his own take, and it went number one in several countries. This peek behind the curtain is a nice reminder that much of Tom Jones' success is not only down to his singular voice (and undeniable charisma), but also his artistic instincts and taste. These, like his voice, are as good today as they ever were.