For men fast approaching 50, Iron Maiden have a surprisingly strong bond with teenagers. Two-thirds of the NEC audience appeared to be under 20, a fact not lost on the singer Bruce Dickinson. “You left your dads at home,” he barked, midway through a furiously energetic set. “Next time, bring them, and see if they remember how to rock.”

Iron Maiden’s renaissance is remarkable. In their 30-year career, the original gods of British heavy metal have never stopped selling records, yet recently their appeal to young fans has mushroomed. Released this autumn, their 14th album, A Matter of Life and Death, has been their fastest selling since the Eighties and their first to break the Billboard Top Ten.

Their current tour, however, has caused controversy. Bravely, Iron Maiden play every song from their new album, in order, every night, before closing with just a handful of classic tracks. Some older fans claim to be boycotting the shows, but from the moment the opening chords of a Different World came crashing in, thousands of arms saluted the group and hundreds of bodies bounced up and down. Many didn’t stop for over an hour.

The typically extravagant stage set suited the war theme of the album. Shaped like a bunker, boarded up with sandbags, with the drum kit in a dugout, a body hung by the neck on high ground and a backdrop that showed a combats-clad, machinegun-toting mascot Eddie, it provided plenty of room for the quartet of ludicrously attired Spinal Tap-like guitarists to throw shapes and shake their long hair. Their playing, though, was crisp and clean, driving adventurous songs that persistently changed tack and tempo.

A short-haired, besuited Dickinson never stopped moving all night. Between climbing stairs and striking wide-legged poses, he acted out lyrics with his arms and turned searchlights on the crowd. Nevertheless, towards the end of the set, even the kids needed a kick to keep going and it came courtesy of a giant robotic Eddie, driving a tank on stage. The effect was explosive, but one song on and it was gone.

Eddie appeared again in the encore, this time 10ft tall and possibly with a human beneath. By then, the band were delighting even the fans their own age with Iron Maiden, Fear of the Dark and The Evil That Men Do. Which was better, old or new? There was nothing in it.

Manchester Arena, tonight; Newcastle Arena, Dec 17, Sheffield Arena, Dec 18; The Point, Dublin, Dec 20; Earls Court, Dec 22 & 23