It’s almost impossible to enjoy a concert in the pouring rain. However, there are rare cases when music truly does succeed in transporting you to another plane of existence. Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Billy Ocean provided such moments at Saint Anne’s Park in Dublin.

Billy Ocean’s set was both nostalgic and energizing. Belying his age (74) Ocean was pitch perfect, his skilled band residing in the pocket throughout with the likes of ‘Caribbean Queen’ and ‘When the Going Gets Tough’ proving to be a spicy revelation, sounding more current than most of our top 40. Ocean’s infectious enthusiasm was palpable, and he had the audience singing, setting a high bar for the rest of the night.

Along with Chic, Nile Rodgers, the current Masterchef of Abbey Road blew past all expectations delivering hit after hit from his considerable back catalogue. From Bowie to Daft Punk to Madonna, Nile Rodgers has cooked up more good songs than he’ll ever truly get credit for. Despite the fact that it feels sometimes feels like Nile Rodgers lives in Ireland because he plays her so much, it’s impossible not to get swept away by the King of Disco’s insatiable lust for life as he delivers good vibrations from Chic’s groundbreaking grooves and his memorable collaborations with the likes of Diana Ross and Duran Duran. There’s simply no better way to spend a Saturday evening.

When Tom Jones arrived on stage the atmosphere shifted to one of reverence and excitement. He tried to brush aside audience’s attempts at singing “Happy Birthday” before eventually giving in and enjoying the well-deserved love.

Proving that you can be a superstar at any age, Tom Jones delivered a tour de force performance. It’s not easy to look back at a six-decade career and 84 years on this weird ball of clay we call earth, but he succeeded in striking a balance between indulging the audience and himself.

Away from the platinum array of hits which were delivered with considerable gusto, standout moments included an upbeat rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Tower of Song’ and an excellent version of Todd Snider’s ‘Talking Reality Television Blues’. Tom Jones remains one of the greatest entertainers in the history of recorded music and even in the year 2024 he can still out-sing just about anybody on God’s green earth. Put him on your gig bucket list.