Birdy's Beautiful Sydney Showcase

Excuse the crap photo. Birdy's Sydney showcase was a camera-free event but I managed to snap this stunning image with my phone after the show. It's fuzzy but you get the idea. The 16-year-old Brit performed an impeccable five-song set on an intimate stage covered with flower bouquets and flickering candles. I'm still not sure if the mood was more romantic or funereal but the sedate atmosphere suited the teenager's bleak ballads perfectly.

There's been no stopping Birdy since "People Help The People" was featured on Neighbours. Her album flew to number one and "Skinny Love" sold triple platinum after some flop destroyed her Bon Iver cover on X Factor. It's a little undignified that someone of this calibre owes her popularity to a pair of shit TV shows but I like to think it would have only been a matter of time before Australia woke up to her terrifying talent. She's destined for great things and everyone at Studio 303 last night knew it.

After the quickest of nods to the audience, Birdy sat behind her piano and casually belted out a goosebump-inducing version of "Shelter". Her voice is every bit as sublime live as it is on record and there was something otherwordly about her ability to imbue lyrics with raw emotion. Next up was "Without A Word", followed by her Hunger Games contribution "Just A Game". The prodigy hasn't mastered the art of conversation - simply introducing each song with its title - but nobody was there to hear her talk.

The aforementioned "People Help The People" was ridiculously heartfelt, while her gorgeous rendition of "Skinny Love" makes Justin Vernon look like a bald busker. I would have loved to hear "Terrible Love" - my favourite song on her debut - but something tells me it's only a matter of time before I hear it when she tours the country in massive venues. I'll be waiting.

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Cosmo Jarvis - Sydney Showcase

A rooftop in Neutral Bay is probably the last place I ever expected to hear Cosmo Jarvis belt out "Gay Pirates" but that's what happened on Monday night when he performed a six-song showcase for assorted industry types. Like many people, that quirky anthem was my introduction to the scarily talented 22-year-old but since then I've become a huge fan and was excited about his Sydney debut. It got off to a somewhat unconventional start when the Brit played around with his guitar and spent a couple of minutes sorting out the sound settings before launching into the awesome "Sure As Hell Not Jesus" but those tics, which became more prevalent through the show, are part of Cosmo's raw charm. After a note-perfect rendition of that underrated gem, he moved onto "She Doesn't Mind" - one of my favourites from his excellent sophomore album "Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange?" That song never fails to put a smile on my face with its amusing lyrics and unexpected sweetness.

Next up was a new track called "Train Downtown", which Cosmo explained was set in the future - "not 1000 years but maybe 800". It turned out to be a typically idiosyncratic take on human relationships that rang true for me. I can't wait to hear a studio version. Before moving on to his current single "My Day" (below), the singer/director explained that he usually performs the song with a five-piece band but it still sounded great with the trio present. This guy not only has a deceptively strong voice, he's also an extremely accomplished musician. As he proved by picking up a mandolin to sing "Gay Pirates". I interviewed Cosmo earlier in the day - stay tuned for that - and he confided that he's sick to death of singing his tale of gay love on the high seas but it still gets me every time. He closed with "Blame It On Me", which is perhaps the album's weakest moment but I'm not complaining. Cosmo is the real deal and destined for huge things. Get on board now.

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Shannon Noll - 'A Million Suns' Showcase

For a while there Shannon Noll was Australian Idol's biggest success. And based on sales - he probably still is. The 36-year-old's first three albums went nine times platinum between them and he had a run of ten straight top 10 hits (eleven if you include "Rise Up"). Unfortunately for Nollsie, his brand of perky pub-rock fell out of favour and he's been quiet for the past couple of years. But the rest seems to have done him good. "Switch Me On" (below) was a real return to form and the nicest man in the music business has plenty of other tricks up his King Gee sleeve if last night's album showcase is any indication.

Nollsie kicked off the acoustic set with the album's Benji Madden-penned lead single. I love "Switch Me On" and I love his pared-back live version even more. I don't think Shannon's ever sounded better. He followed that with "A Million Suns". The album's title track sounds like a real gem - as does his next single "My Place In The Line", which closed the showcase. After that, Universal played the album and liked what I heard. There are a lot of similarities to his first two offerings - that would be the influence of Bryon Jones - but the songs have a grittier feel this time around. Pay particular attention to the contributions from DNA and Adam Reily, which sound very promising. "A Million Suns" is released on October 14. Pre-order it now for the bargain price of $15!

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