Long before Eminem became hip-hop's Caucasian of choice, three obnoxious frat-brats from Brooklyn terrorised the tabloids. Yet the inflatable penises and go-go girls that so outraged the Sun some 18 years ago are tonight replaced with sensible shirts and slacks. The Beasties, in all their grey-haired glory, are certainly no longer boys.

The trio - Mike D, MCA and AD Rock - may be long in years, but they make up for it with a large dollop of irony and tongues firmly in cheeks. Granted, they forget the odd word and are knackered by track four, but the three boast an ungainly energy, irrepressible charm and, more importantly, a back catalogue that stands the test of time.

Wisely leaving the teenage angst-ridden anthem Fight for Your Right to Party to the safe confines of the memory bank, the Beasties still please the crowd with their willingness to dust off the classics. From the swaggering sounds of Sure Shot to the boisterous boom-bap of Time to Get Ill, tracks from all five albums -except, noticeably, the revered Paul's Boutique - are squeezed into the 45 minute set.

Keeping in mind hip-hop stage aesthetic (and the song title Three MCs and One DJ) there's no live band. It matters not - the impressive Mixmaster Mike cuts and pastes the instrumentals with lightening speed and jaw-dropping dexterity.

This evening's show is to introduce new material from forthcoming album To the 5 Boroughs. The new single Ch-Check It doesn't disappoint - bold, bright and brash has long been their stock in trade.

Inevitably, three middle-aged men may no longer appeal to a hip-hop world obsessed with bling, Benzs and bragging, but the Beastie Boys still have much to offer. Indeed, what is apparent this evening is how well the music, if not perhaps the musicians, has matured.

· The gig will be broadcast on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show at 8pm tomorrow.